From the LA Times:
China has indicted four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto for alleged bribery and theft of commercial secrets, a move that paves the way for a trial in a case that has already elicited widespread international criticism.
The four were arrested last July and include Australian citizen Stern Hu, the company’s leading iron-ore negotiator in China.
They “took advantage of their position and sought and accepted huge amounts of bribes from many Chinese steel companies,” said a brief online report Wednesday from the New China News Agency that cited China’s prosecutor’s office.
“They also obtained commercial secrets from Chinese steel companies through methods including inducement and caused extremely serious consequences,” the report said The arrests have tested a $54.5-billion Sino-Australian trade relationship. Australia supplies China with about 40% of its iron ore so is vital to its continued urbanization and national development.
See also this past CDT post from August, 2009 on the charges.
