Australian Rio Tinto exec held in China (accused of espionage)

news.com.au ^ | 8th July 2009 | Xavier La Canna and Andrea Hayward

[naturalman1975]

THE detention of an Australian businessman in China on suspicion of spying and stealing state secrets is a warning about the dangers of dealing with the communist country's state-owned entities, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce says.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says Stern Hu, believed to be Rio Tinto's general manager of iron ore in China, together with three other executives from the global mining company are being detained by Chinese authorities.

"This afternoon Australian officials were advised that the reason for Mr Hu's detention was that he was being detained on the suspicion of espionage and stealing state secrets," Mr Smith said.

He said consular officials had learned on Sunday of the detention in talks with Chinese officials in China and with the acting Chinese ambassador in Canberra.

The officials in China had been in contact with Mr Hu's wife who lives in Shanghai, Mr Smith said.

Consular officials were seeking access to Mr Hu and were doing everything they could to resolve the issue.

[mmanager]

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