"We respect the Chinese legal system and the processes that need to be gone through," said Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean on July 11 in Shanghai, referring to the detention of four Rio Tinto employees.
Crean downplayed the potential economic impact of the case. "I see no reason why our trade relationship will be damaged, if what we can get is an expedition of the process in accordance with Chinese law," he said.
Four staffs of the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd., including Stern Hu, general manager of the company's Shanghai office, have been detained on charges of stealing China's state secrets, the Shanghai state security authorities said on July 9.
Rio Tinto has representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland.
By People's Daily Online
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