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[quote=BOBERT,370605]RIO Tinto has rejected allegations by China that its senior executive, Stern Hu, bribed staff of Chinese steel companies. As Australian officials finally got access to the incarcerated Mr Hu, who is accused of espionage, the Chinese Government claimed on an official website that Mr Hu bribed steel companies on such a scale that he caused huge losses to China's national economic interests. The new bribery allegations are consistent with unsourced Chinese media reports and claims to The Age from Chinese industry sources that the Ministry of State Security has dragged at least three Chinese steel mills into its Rio Tinto investigation. They support an emerging picture of Beijing using its top spy agencies and the China Iron and Steel Association to force steel companies into line and present a united negotiating front against Rio and other major mining companies. Rio Tinto said it was surprised and concerned by the allegation and was not aware of any evidence to support the claim against Mr Hu, who is in charge of the company's iron ore sales in China. The company was "committed to the highest standards in business integrity". The Chinese web statement said: "As understood from the Shanghai State Security Bureau, during China's iron ore negotiation 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. This has caused huge loss to China's national economic security and interests." Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said it seemed clear the road the Chinese authorities were going down related directly to commercial matters. China's view of state secrets was much broader than that Australia might take, he said. Making clear the Government's criticism, he said: "It's very hard for the Australian Government to, frankly, see the connection between what might be daily commercial negotiations … and national security issues. "But … it's quite clear that they are proceeding on the basis of possible criminal charges … arising as a result of commercial or economic negotiations." He expressed annoyance that the Australian Government had had to get information from the web and public Chinese statements rather than directly from the Chinese authorities. The Government was continuing to press for more information. Meanwhile, the Chinese entity Chinalco, the largest single shareholder in Rio Tinto, strongly rejected suggestions the action against Mr Hu and three Chinese Rio Tinto employees was payback for the collapse of its effort to increase its stake in Rio Tinto. [/quote]
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