China charges Rio Tinto Australia executive of commercial briberyAugust 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.
Source: China's Yanzhou in talks to buy Australian coal miner Felix Resources for $2.9 billionAugust 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.
Rio Tinto 'still unaware' of any evidence to justify China's detention of 4 workersAugust 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.
Mining giant Rio Tinto guilty of commercial espionage worth 100 B dollars: ChinaAugust 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.
Australia FM meets with Chinese counterpart over Rio Tinto spying case, fails to resolve issueJuly 23rd, 2009 Australia, China FMs discuss Rio Tinto spying casePHUKET, Thailand — Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith met with his Chinese counterpart Thursday over the case of a Rio Tinto Ltd. manager accused of espionage in China but made no progress resolving the issue.
Rio Tinto says allegations of bribery against employees in China are 'without foundation'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.
Reports: Rio Tinto steel analysts leave China after spying allegations against coworkersJuly 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.
Rio Tinto detention tests Australia's relations with ChinaJuly 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.
Australian diplomats meet executive held in China for spyingJuly 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.
Four mining firm employees detained in China for spyingJuly 9th, 2009 SHANGHAI - Four employees of the international mining group Rio Tinto Ltd. have been detained on charges of stealing China's state secrets, authorities said Thursday.
Australian Rio Tinto worker detained in China on espionage chargeJuly 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.
Miner Rio Tinto sells Alcan food packaging division for $1.2 billion to reduce debtJuly 6th, 2009 Rio Tinto offloads Alcan division for $1.2 billionSYDNEY — Rio Tinto has sold a division of its Alcan unit for $1.2 billion as it continues to reduce debt, the Anglo-Australian miner said in a statement Monday. The deal to sell its Alcan Packaging Food Americas division to U.S.-based Bemis Company Inc.
Chinalco maintains 9.3 percent stake in Rio Tinto through $15.2 billion rights issueJuly 2nd, 2009 Chinalco maintains 9.3 percent stake in Rio TintoMELBOURNE, Australia — State-controlled Aluminum Corp. of China said Thursday it took up its full entitlement in Rio Tinto's $15.2 billion share issue to maintain a 9.3 percent stake in the Anglo-Australian miner.
Miner Rio Tinto scraps deal with Chinalco, choosing to raise $15.2 billion in share saleJune 5th, 2009 Miner Rio Tinto scraps Chinalco dealSYDNEY — Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC on Friday scrapped its $19.5 billion deal with China's Chinalco, choosing instead to raise $15.2 billion in a share sale and setting up a joint production venture with rival BHP Billiton Ltd. Rio Tinto Chairman Jan du Plessis said in a letter to shareholders the planned deal with Chinalco was now dead and his company would pay it a $195 million break fee, thus ending what would have been China's biggest overseas investment to date.
Miner Rio Tinto ends $19.5 billion deal with Chinese firm ChinalcoJune 5th, 2009 Rio Tinto scraps deal with Chinese firm ChinalcoSYDNEY — Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC on Friday ended its $19.5 billion deal with Chinese company Chinalco, instead saying it plans to raise $15.2 billion in a share sale. Rio Tinto Chairman Jan du Plessis said in a letter to shareholders the planned deal with Chinalco was now dead and his company would pay it a $195 million break fee.