Australian diplomats meet executive held in China for spying

October 9th, 2009 LONDON - Detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will meet Western diplomats to discuss sanctions imposed against the military-ruled country, junta officials have said. The Nobel Prize winner, who remains under house arrest, was driven to a government guesthouse to meet with diplomats from the United States, Great Britain and Australia, reports The Telegraph.

August 18th, 2009 PRAGUE - Russia has expelled two Czech Republic diplomats Tuesday, following a move by Prague to dismiss two Russian diplomats over suspicion of spying. The two countries have been at loggerheads over Czech accusations of Russian spying - mentioned in reports by the Czech BIS secret service - connected to US plans to place parts of a missile defence system in the Czech Republic.

August 12th, 2009 BEIJING - Chinese prosecutors have charged Australian executive Stern Hu with commercial bribery, which means he could be facing up to seven years jail if found guilty by Beijing. China's official news agency Xinhua said Hu and three Rio Tinto Chinese colleagues were charged late on Tuesday, six days after being detained in Shanghai.

August 11th, 2009 Rio Tinto 'still unaware' of China case evidenceSYDNEY — Rio Tinto Ltd. said Tuesday it was still unaware of any evidence to justify China's detention of four employees on spying allegations, as the Australian government urged Beijing to speed up the case.

August 11th, 2009 Australia, China at odds over Uighur activistCANBERRA, Australia — An exiled Uighur activist accused China on Tuesday of trying to use its economic clout to dampen criticism of its human rights record, while Australia's foreign minister said Chinese diplomats who opposed her trip should mind their manners. Rebiya Kadeer addressed the National Press Club in the capital, Canberra, on Tuesday despite objections by a Chinese diplomat, who the club said made it clear that Beijing did not want her to speak.

August 11th, 2009 Yanzhou considers takeover of Australia's FelixSYDNEY — China's Yanzhou Coal Mining is in talks to buy Australian coal miner Felix Resources Ltd. in a cash takeover bid worth about 3.5 billion Australian dollars ($2.9 billion), a person close to the negotiations said Tuesday.

August 10th, 2009 Rio Tinto prices plunge on China spy claimsSYDNEY —Rio Tinto Ltd.'s share price plunged more than 3 percent Monday after China accused the Anglo-Australian miner of conducting a six-year spying campaign that it claimed cost Chinese steelmakers billions of dollars in inflated prices for iron ore. Rio Tinto declined to respond to the latest allegations but said in July that bribery allegations against four Rio Tinto employees detained in China were baseless.

July 21st, 2009 Australian FM hopes to discuss Rio case with ChinaCANBERRA, Australia — Australia's foreign minister said Tuesday he hopes to discuss the detention of an Australian mining executive accused by China of stealing state secrets with his Chinese counterpart this week. Stephen Smith flew to Thailand on Tuesday for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting that China will be participating in.

July 12th, 2009 Australia: Rio detention could hurt China businessBEIJING — Australian officials said Sunday that China has not given them any evidence to support its detention of an Australian mining executive on spying charges and warned that the affair could discourage foreign companies from doing business there. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in western Australia that officials will seek information Monday on the detention of Rio Tinto employee Stern Hu.

July 11th, 2009 SYDNEY - Resources giant Rio Tinto Ltd Saturday welcomed news that its Shanghai-based executive Stern Hu was in good health after almost a week in detention over spying allegations. "Rio Tinto continues to work to support its four China employees and their families and colleagues," the dual Sydney-London-listed company said in a statement about Hu, an Australian, and three Chinese employees.

July 10th, 2009 MELBOURNE - 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.

July 9th, 2009 China to let Australia see Rio Tinto managerBEIJING — China agreed to let Australia's diplomats meet Friday with a detained Australian employee of miner Rio Tinto Ltd. after the government said it had proof he and three co-workers stole state secrets.

July 8th, 2009 Australian detained on espionage charge in ChinaSYDNEY — An Australian who heads Rio Tinto's iron ore operations in China has been arrested in Shanghai and accused of espionage, Australia's foreign minister said Wednesday. The detention of the executive and three Chinese nationals working for Rio comes at a tense period between the Anglo-Australian miner and China due to tough negotiations on iron ore prices and the failed plan for China's state-owned Chinalco to buy a big stake in Rio Tinto.

July 5th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has maintained that the Australian parliamentary delegation's decision to meet the Dalai Lama in India was entirely appropriate despite Chinese condemnation. "This is a reflection of Australia's democratic strengths.

April 30th, 2009 Russia's NATO envoy says 2 diplomats expelledBRUSSELS — Russia's NATO envoy says two Russian diplomats will be expelled from the military alliance for alleged spying. Dmitry Rogozin says the two members of Russia's permanent NATO representation will have their accreditation to NATO headquarters in Brussels canceled.