China arrests Rio Tinto’s Shanghai GM on bribery charges
July 10th, 2009 - 4:27 pm ICT by ANIMelbourne, July 10 (ANI): The Chinese Government has arrested the Shanghai-based general manager of multinational mining and resources, Rio Tinto, on charges of bribing staff of Chinese steel companies during iron ore negotiations this year.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith disclosed that Stern Hu is being detained on suspicion of spying and stealing state secrets in China.
Hu, who was detained on Sunday, will get access to Australian consular officials on Friday, news.co.au quoted Smith, as saying.
Smith said Hu was being accused of causing a huge loss to China’s national economic security.
“As understood from a Shanghai State Security Bureau, during China’s iron ore negotiations with foreign miners in 2009, Stern Hu gathered and stole state secrets from China via illegal means including bribing internal staff of Chinese steel companies,” Smith said, reading from the statement posted on a government website.
“This has caused huge loss to China’s national economic security and interests,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) says the detention of four Rio Tinto Ltd employees in Shanghai on spying charges is not related to its failed bid to invest 19.5 billion dollars in the resources giant.
“Chinalco has been in contact with Rio Tinto expressing our mutual concern for the current situation with their staff,’ the Chinese state-owned company said in a statement.
“We have also reasserted that the situation is in no way related to any commercial dealings between Rio and Chinalco,” it added. (ANI)
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- Oz, China spat over Rio Tinto 'spy' claim may be on the mend - Aug 11, 2009
- Chinese President Hu orchestrated Rio Tinto spy arrest: Report - Jul 13, 2009
- Four mining firm employees detained in China for spying - Jul 09, 2009
- Rio Tinto says Chinese bribery claims false - Jul 17, 2009
- Top Australian entrepreneur detained in China over 'embezzlement' charges - Nov 26, 2010
- China charges Rio Tinto Australia executive of commercial bribery - Aug 12, 2009
- Rudd Govt. in "worst foreign policy crisis" following China's Rio Tinto GM arrest - Jul 11, 2009
- Chinese court jails Rio Tinto employees - Mar 29, 2010
- China not acting like emerging superpower over Stern Hu verdict: Kevin Rudd - Mar 30, 2010
- Rio Tinto employee admits receiving bribes in China - Mar 22, 2010
- Three former Rio Tinto employees to appeal China jail terms - Apr 08, 2010
- Mining giant Rio Tinto guilty of commercial espionage worth 100 B dollars: China - Aug 10, 2009
Tags: bribery charges, china arrests, chinese government, chinese state, commercial dealings, consular officials, economic security, friday news, government website, internal staff, iron ore, mutual concern, owned company, rio tinto ltd, security bureau, shanghai gm, state secrets, state security, steel companies, stephen smith