Interesting.

China is not Australia's main market for coal exports, while natural gas production in the US is 10 times greater than in Australia.

If China is excluding every country from its natural gas production except the US, it means that free trade is a bogus system.

China knows it, and the US knows it.

Why oh why are we allowing a US military base in Darwin?

It appears to me that China is intent on embarking on a rather perilous experiment, simply in blind pursuit of superiority at any cost; and that the U.S. is only too willing to collaborate in this risky endeavour in both the interest of gain and the opportunity to experiment in someone else's backyard.

One must hope that Chinese intellect and attention to caution and to detail will forestall any major or long term detriment to their environment and groundwater resources. Let us at least hope for the best, in everyone's best interests.