China Warns Australia Over Darwin Port Reclamation

China has warned Australia about its plans to improve and expand the Darwin Port which is an important shipping area in northern Australia. China said it is very worried and believes these changes could hurt the relationship between the two countries and affect peace in the region. In 2015 Australia allowed a Chinese company called Landbridge to lease the Darwin Port for 99 years. Since then the port has been a topic of disagreement.

Now Australia is thinking about taking back some control and making the port bigger for military and business use. China doesn’t like this idea. It says the plan breaks their agreement and could hurt China’s trade and security interests in the Indo-Pacific region. China told Australia to be careful and not do anything that might cause problems.

But Australian leaders say upgrading the port is important for keeping the country safe and helping the economy grow. Experts also say the port’s location is very important for Australia’s navy and working with allies like the United States. This is happening while Australia the U.S. and other nearby countries are working more closely on defense. China warned that any changes to the port could hurt diplomatic ties even more.

Australia hasn’t officially answered China’s warning yet. However some Australian politicians say the country has the right to make its own decisions about its land and ports. This issue is making the already tense relationship between the two countries even worse. Problems like trade fights, military partnerships like AUKUS and power struggles in the region are already causing stress. Now the Darwin Port could become another big problem between China and the West.