Darwin review could be final blow to Chinese investment in Australia
The Morrison governmentâs review of the 99-year lease of the Port of Darwin will further inflame tensions with Beijing at a time when Chinese investors are already heading for the hills.
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Australiaâs decision to review the Port of Darwin lease could deliver a knockout blow to inbound Chinese investment, which has already slowed to a trickle due to bilateral tensions and a tighter rein on debt by Beijing.
âThe tap has not only been turned off. It has been well and truly dismantled,â one Shanghai-based lawyer advising Chinese companies on inbound Australia investment said on Monday.
Two of Australia s biggest energy companies are owned by Chinese investors, sparking national security fears as tensions ramp up with the communist superpower.
Energy Australia, which has 1.7 million customers, is owned by the China Light and Power Company after being sold off by the NSW government for $1.4 billion in 2011.
And Alinta Energy, which has 1.1 million customers, was sold by its private owners to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises for $4billion in 2017.
Energy Australia, which has 1.7 million customers, is owned by the China Light and Power Company. Pictured: Energy Australia s wind farm at Cathedral Rocks, SA
Although neither Energy Australia or Alinta distribute electricity, both are energy generators and retailers, owning crucial assets such as coal power stations, solar power fields and wind farms.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Two F 7 GS multi-role jet fighters brought the SLAF’s flypast at the Galle Face Green on Wednesday (3) to an end. The flypast conducted to mark the 70th anniversary of the SLAF was definitely the largest ever such show held either during the conflict or in the post-war period. Sri Lanka brought the war to a successful conclusion on the morning of May 19, 2009, on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon.
The conclusion of the flypast, featuring Bell 212, Bell 412 helicopters, Mi-17 helicopters, Cessna 150 aircraft, B200 Beech King aircraft, MA-60 aircraft, followed by a pair of F 7 GS jets, paved the way for a superlative IAF aerobatics display
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Sri Lanka ousted India and Japan from one project and awarded them another
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A general view of the Chinese-managed terminal of the Colombo port is seen from the Galle Face promenade in Colombo on February 2, 2021.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
Sri Lanka ousted India and Japan from one project and awarded them another
In a Cabinet decision on February 1 this year, Sri Lanka booted India and Japan out of a 2019 deal to jointly develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo Port, as trade unions and sections of the Buddhist clergy vehemently opposed foreign involvement in the strategic national asset. Further, some raised questions about the possible conflict of interest, given that the Adani Group operates about a dozen ports in India.
A general view of the Colombo Port City construction site in Sri Lanka. | Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte
Sri Lanka on Tuesday offered India and Japan to develop a strategic deep-sea port in the island country,
The Colombo Times reported. This came a month after the Mahindra Rajapaksa government abruptly pulled out of a 2019 tripartite agreement to jointly develop the East Container Terminal.
Addressing the media on the decisions taken at a Cabinet meeting, government spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said approval had been granted to develop the West Container Terminal at the Colombo Port with investors nominated by India and Japan. “The discussions to develop the WCT will be only with India and Japan,” said Rambukwella, according to AFP.