Figure 1 – DFAT FOI docs: Adani’s request for help The Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister subsequently sent a letter about Adani’s project to China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to “welcome foreign lending to support the development of major projects”.1 While a Federal Minister recently criticised Chinese lending to infrastructure in the Pacific as politically motivated. [...] Figure 2 – DFAT FOI docs: Adani’s expectations for the letter for help Adani’s request, classed as “Routine”, was discussed by some of Australia’s most senior diplomatic officials—including DFAT Deputy Secretaries, the High Commissioner to India, the Ambassador to China, and Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment. [...] In December 2017, DFAT stated: In October 2016, Adani requested the Department meet with the Korea Export- Import Bank to clarify the status of Federal environmental approvals granted for the Carmichael project.5 The Department met with the Korea Export-Import Bank to clarify the status of Federal environmental approvals granted for the Carmichael project in November 2016.6 3 Page 39 Estimates tra. [...] But such a narrow reading is contradicted by DFAT officials stating, in the newly released documents, that its purpose was to “help secure Chinese financing”, and by the fact that the letter to NDRC “welcomes foreign lending to major projects”.8 Such a narrow reading also appears inconsistent with the objects of the FOI Act “to facilitate and promote public access to information”. [...] Priorities While Ministers have sought to help secure Chinese funding for a massive new coal mine in Australia, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific recently 7 8 After Senate requests to table the letter, it emerged, unsourced, in The Australian.
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