Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Rio Tinto defends detainees
By Fu Chenghao |
July 18, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TROUBLED mining giant Rio Tinto yesterday publicly backed its four employees detained in Shanghai for allegedly stealing state secrets, saying they had committed no crime and defending their integrity.
"Rio Tinto believes that the allegations in recent media reports that employees were involved in the bribery of officials at Chinese steel mills are wholly without foundation," Sam Walsh, CEO of Rio's iron ore unit, said in a statement.
Some domestic media outlets have reported that executives from all 16 major Chinese mills taking part in intense iron ore price negotiations with global miners this year had received "payments" from Rio employees.
The reports came after the four Shanghai-based Rio employees, including Chinese-born Australian executive Stern Hu, were detained on July 5 for allegedly stealing confidential information during the negotiations.
Hu is the head of Rio's iron ore operations in China, and also the chief of its Shanghai representative office.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said earlier there was sufficient evidence that the four stole state secrets and breached national economic security.
Rio said yesterday it fully supported the detainees, and "they acted at all times with integrity and in accordance with Rio Tinto's strict and publicly stated code of ethical behavior."
Rio said it continued to operate in China and was maintaining high levels of iron ore shipments from Australia, after reports said that the company was withdrawing research staff from China and reducing exports after the spy case.
Rio this week reported an 8-percent increase in second-quarter iron ore output and is targeting a record figure this year.
While the firm has a focus on Australia and North America, its activities span the world.
"Rio Tinto believes that the allegations in recent media reports that employees were involved in the bribery of officials at Chinese steel mills are wholly without foundation," Sam Walsh, CEO of Rio's iron ore unit, said in a statement.
Some domestic media outlets have reported that executives from all 16 major Chinese mills taking part in intense iron ore price negotiations with global miners this year had received "payments" from Rio employees.
The reports came after the four Shanghai-based Rio employees, including Chinese-born Australian executive Stern Hu, were detained on July 5 for allegedly stealing confidential information during the negotiations.
Hu is the head of Rio's iron ore operations in China, and also the chief of its Shanghai representative office.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said earlier there was sufficient evidence that the four stole state secrets and breached national economic security.
Rio said yesterday it fully supported the detainees, and "they acted at all times with integrity and in accordance with Rio Tinto's strict and publicly stated code of ethical behavior."
Rio said it continued to operate in China and was maintaining high levels of iron ore shipments from Australia, after reports said that the company was withdrawing research staff from China and reducing exports after the spy case.
Rio this week reported an 8-percent increase in second-quarter iron ore output and is targeting a record figure this year.
While the firm has a focus on Australia and North America, its activities span the world.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
