Four mining firm employees detained in China for spying

September 13th, 2009 BEIJING - A Chinese military expert Dai Xu has accused India of "spying" on Chinese military, saying that India violated diplomatic rights by inspecting a China-bound cargo plane of UAE's Air Force, which was detained by the Indian Security agencies in Kolkata after it was found carrying huge cache of arms and ammunition on board. "The actions by Indian authorities violated diplomatic rights as the cargo on board belong to China.

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 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.

August 10th, 2009 SHANGHAI - Relations between China and Australia are likely to take a turn for the worse with authorities in Beijing accusing the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto of engaging in commercial espionage that cost China about 100 billion dollars. The sensational allegation was published on Sunday on a website affiliated with China's State Secrets Bureau, which has detained four Rio Tinto employees - three Chinese citizens and one Australian - in Shanghai last month on suspicions of stealing confidential documents from the country's huge, government-controlled steel industry.

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 20th, 2009 2 mining company workers recovering after bombingDENVER — A spokesman says two mining company employees are doing fine but remain hospitalized with injuries suffered during suicide bombings at two Indonesian hotels. Bill Collier, a spokesman for Phoenix-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., said the two senior employees are being treated in Singapore.

July 17th, 2009 Rio Tinto: bribery allegations without foundationADELAIDE, Australia — Bribery allegations against four Rio Tinto Ltd. employees detained in China are "wholly without foundation," the mining giant said Friday, as Australia continued to press Beijing for details of a case that is straining ties between the two nations.

July 17th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has said that the allegations that some of its employees in China have been engaged in bribery are "wholly without foundation". Chinese authorities claim four employees of the world's third-biggest miner bribed Chinese steel mills officials during annual iron ore contract price negotiations.

July 16th, 2009 Reports: Rio Tinto analysts leave ChinaBEIJING — Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd. has pulled researchers who follow China's steel industry out of the country after four employees were detained on spying allegations during iron ore price talks, news reports said Thursday.

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 Australian expresses concern over Rio detentionBEIJING — Australia's trade minister met Saturday with Chinese officials and said he expressed "strong concern" about the detention of a Rio Tinto Ltd. employee on spying charges, a news report said.

July 11th, 2009 Australian concerned for Rio employee China holdsBEIJING — Australia's trade minister met Saturday with Chinese officials and said his government is "deeply concerned" about the detention of a Rio Tinto Ltd. employee on spying charges.

July 10th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian diplomats Friday met the Rio Tinto executive held by Chinese authorities since Sunday over spying allegations. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith would not comment on reports in the Chinese media that Australian citizen Stern Hu stood accused of trying to bribe employees of Chinese steel companies to gather confidential information during iron ore price negotiations.

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.

June 21st, 2009 HEFEI - At least 16 people were killed and 43 injured in a blast Sunday at a factory in China's Anhui province, an official said. The explosion ripped through the workshop of Jingxin Mining Ltd.