Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he raised the issue of detained mining executive Stern Hu (胡士泰) during talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) because the case was a “matter of concern” to Australia.
Rudd met the Chinese leader on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Thailand on Saturday and the pair discussed climate change and trade along with the continued detention of the Rio Tinto iron ore negotiator in Shanghai.
ALLEGATIONS
Australian passport holder Hu was arrested in July, along with three other Rio Tinto colleagues, and faces allegations of corporate espionage and bribery.
“In the discussion I had with Premier Wen, I indicated we had continuing consulate matters which need to be resolved between our foreign ministers, and this included representatives of the Australian company Rio Tinto,” Rudd said.
“My purpose in raising these matters today was simply to highlight the fact that this is a continuing matter of concern to Australia,” he told reporters in Thailand on Saturday.
SOBERING SIGNAL
The detention of Hu, Rio Tinto’s lead negotiator on iron ore prices in Shanghai, has raised diplomatic concerns between Australia and key market China and sent a sobering message to the business community.
Hu originally faced more serious allegations of stealing state secrets, but Beijing softened its case, which Australia has attributed to the “internal pressure” of its diplomatic efforts.
On Friday, Australian officials confirmed that the investigation against Hu had been extended but said the full details of the charges against him would probably not be known until he faced trial.
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