Society

China sends Rio case to prosecutors

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-11 17:12

SYDNEY: A Chinese investigation into a detained Australian Rio Tinto Ltd mining executive has been sent to prosecutors, Australia's foreign affairs department said on Monday.

Four Rio staff, including Australian citizen Stern Hu, have been in Chinese custody since July over accusations of illegally obtaining commercial secrets.

"The case is now in the hands of the Shanghai People's Procuratorate (prosecutor) who will decide whether it should be brought to trial," said Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), after being notified by Chinese authorities.

"We are not in a position to say how long this phase of the case will take, and are not prepared to speculate about the outcome. Details of the actual charges are not likely to be known until the prosecutors have made their decision on whether the case should proceed to trial," DFAT said in a statement.

The case, which has caused tensions between Australia and China, has placed a cloud over already contentious iron ore price negotiations between China and miners Rio, its fellow Australian miner BHP Billiton and Brazil's Vale.

China is Australia's biggest trade partner, with trade worth $53 billion last year.