Across the World: Australia

Detentions cast shadow

Australia warned China yesterday of the risks to business confidence from the detention without charge of an Australian executive accused of stealing state secrets. The detention a week ago of Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto's top iron ore salesman in China, Australian citizen Stern Hu, and three of his Chinese subordinates has cast a shadow over Australia-China relations and unnerved the steel industry.

Rio Tinto, the world's second-largest iron ore miner, was locked in tense price negotiations with China when Hu and his co-workers were detained in Shanghai.