China's ambassador warns Australia on buyback of key portby AFP Staff WritersSydney (AFP) Jan 29, 2026China will act to defend its companies' interests if Australia forcibly buys back control of the strategic northern port of Darwin, Beijing's ambassador has warned. China's Landbridge group was granted a 99-year lease on the port in 2015, a widely criticised decision that led to stricter scrutiny of infrastructure sales. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised last year to buy back control, criticising the lease as short-sighted for both economic and national security reasons. "We will see when it's time for us to say something, do something, to reflect the Chinese government's position and protect our Chinese companies' legitimate interests," he said. The ambassador warned that retaking control of the port could affect Chinese companies' investment, cooperation and trade with the Darwin region.