Why and how did the NT government lease the Port of Darwin to a Chinese firm ?

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Originally Posted by garrycol

That would have been the 80,000km wear guarantee on Cooper Tyres.

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Wasn't it to do with 'off road use'?

Plenty of places I've worked in a city required serious off road stuff........ like launching boats off the bank in the Yarra.

DL

If the company which has leased the port of Darwin collapsed it would default on the lease, the lease would be cancelled and a new lease negotiated with another operator. Ownership of the lift would not change, only the company leasing it.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

If the company which has leased the port of Darwin collapsed it would default on the lease, the lease would be cancelled and a new lease negotiated with another operator. Ownership of the lift would not change, only the company leasing it.

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How does that work with the company leasing taking out a massive loan, and defaulting? Who takes up the debt?

This from the LOWY institute.

How open should Australia be about the China challenge?

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Originally Posted by Arapiles

The lease of the Port of Darwin is not related to the One Belt, One Road programme. It was a commercial lease at a commercial price. It does not put Australia in debt, so there is no leverage for the Chinese. The Port of Darwin is not strategically important but even if it was simply running the port is not a strategic threat. So what is there here that another country wouldn't allow to happen?

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Everything China does is linked in to the master plan. Like it or not , we are now part of it.

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Originally Posted by bob10

How does that work with the company leasing taking out a massive loan, and defaulting? Who takes up the debt?

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The owners of the company.

What happened in Sri Lanka

Zambia : What happens when you fail to pay your debt to China

Australia hasn't handed over the ownership of the Darwin port, it's just a lease. Completely different situation.

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Originally Posted by bob10

Everything China does is linked in to the master plan. Like it or not , we are now part of it.

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OK. And how does paying a commercial price for a commercial lease of an asset fit into their master plan?

Edit: ... and if their master plan is to pay market rates for leased assets then I don't think that we have too much to worry about.

However, if you were concerned about the Confucius Institutes then we might be more in agreement ...

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Originally Posted by Arapiles

OK. And how does paying a commercial price for a commercial lease of an asset fit into their master plan?

Edit: ... and if their master plan is to pay market rates for leased assets then I don't think that we have too much to worry about.

However, if you were concerned about the Confucius Institutes then we might be more in agreement ...

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Let's leave it at that. History will decide.