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[quote=BOBERT,370608]As is understood from a Shanghai State Security Bureau, during China's iron ore negotiations with foreign miners in 2009, Stern Hu gathered and stole state secrets from China via illegal means including bribing internal staff of Chinese steel companies," the website said. Speaking in Perth yesterday, Mr Smith raised the stakes with the Chinese government, suggesting that what passed for normal commercial negotiations in Australia could be construed as espionage in China. Mr Smith said there appeared to be a difference in the application of China's laws on state secrets and their Australian equivalent. "China has its own laws about state secrets. They are clearly broader than the view that Australia might take," Mr Smith said. Chinese embassy officials in Canberra had assured the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Mr Hu had been treated well and in accordance with Chinese law, he said. Malcolm Turnbull continued to attack the government's response in the Hu case. "Mr Stern Hu is one of us; he is a fellow Australian. He has been denied basic human rights in China, and the Australian Prime Minister Mr Rudd should take this matter up directly and personally with the Chinese government," the Opposition Leader said. Earlier, Kevin Rudd reaffirmed the main focus of diplomatic efforts in Shanghai was to secure Mr Hu's release. "Our objective is, of course, to secure Mr Hu's release and that is going to take all of our combined efforts and we'll move through it methodically," the Prime Minister told Melbourne radio. "I know from my conversations with the Foreign Minister Stephen Smith that it's a case of step by step establishing the facts, his health, his condition, and then moving on from there in terms of whatever other actions we need to take," he added. Executives from Rio and Chinalco yesterday were keen to point out that relations between the two companies continued to be good despite the issues of earlier this year. Rio Tinto said it was "surprised and concerned" by the accusations of espionage, which it strongly denied. "As the company has said in earlier statements, we are not aware of any evidence that would support these allegations," the company said. Chinalco said the detention of the four Rio Tinto staff was not linked to the company's failed bid to acquire a $25billion stake in Rio Tinto. It is now clear that the issues surrounding the arrests of the four Rio employees are focused on the iron ore negotiations and nothing to do with Rio's about-face on its deal with Chinalco. [/quote]
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