What is the official Aussie reaction to the Stalinesque Rio Tinto show trials ? What about the abduction of the Qantas executives in Vietnam ?
What price continued commerce with so called trading partners ?
Australia needs to channel their inner Google .

Brin Drove Google to Pull Back in China - WSJ.com

Are you suggesting we meddle with another Countries legal system?

Is that what you think ? I can assure you that this case against the Rio Tinto Executives have more to do with China securing a supply of iron ore rather than any alleged bribe taking .

Is that how you treat a trading partner... throwing them into jail and holding secret trials that the press and even the Australian counselate is not permitted to attend ? Trumping charges against them when they want to change the terms of business with them?
Where is K.Rudd ? Why has he not condemned this outrage ? I do not know how a businessperson can risk doing business with them knowing that on a whim the kleptocrats there can make you a criminal as a barganing tool.

I'm not defending the charges made by the Chinese and I don't need you to tell me what it has to do with.

But nevertheless a charge has been made and trial is in progress. Shall we not wait and see what happens from here.

And believe it or not I am no Rudd man. You think I'm a lefty but I'm not. I'm just left of you radical right wingers in the US.

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Shall we not wait and see what happens from here.

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It is no coincidence that these execs were seized after Australia objected to a Chinalco investment in Rio Tinto.

I already know what happened and what will happen. Without the protection from your government ,a trial was conducted in secret and Stern Hu... being advised that it is in his best interest if he cooperates with the government that favors a plea of guilty ,indeed pled guilty to bribery taking . The verdict will be delivered Monday .

We all know that will be contingent on the continued cooperation of the Rio Tinto Corp in helping the Chinese secure a source of iron ore ;and China's other favorable business dealings with Australia. Last week Rio and Chinalco signed a $2.9 billion agreement to jointly develop an iron ore project in Guinea. That probably will help secure Hu's release... or will be the difference between 5 years in jail and 20.

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Originally Posted by tomder55

Is that what you think ? I can assure you that this case against the Rio Tinto Executives have more to do with China securing a supply of iron ore rather than any alleged bribe taking .

Is that how you treat a trading partner... throwing them into jail and holding secret trials that the press and even the Australian counselate is not permitted to attend ? Trumping charges against them when they want to change the terms of business with them?
Where is K.Rudd ? Why has he not condemned this outrage ? I do not know how a businessperson can risk doing business with them knowing that on a whim the kleptocrats there can make you a criminal as a barganing tool.

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Tom this story has been around for months and your indignation is a little late. Hu has pleaded guilty and apparently has buckets of money. You know as well as I do that China is a corrupt place and business is done with bribes and influence. Hu got caught because he was too successful and I didn't hear your indignation when Rio Tinto blind sided the Chinese and did a deal with BHP which effectively meant they controlled much of the iron ore market. As for Krudd, what's a mandarin speaking PM good for? He took the matter up with the chinese leader which may have had the esponage charges dropped. You do know that the chinese don't put you on trial unless they can get a conviction, the process means that the evidence is conclusive before trial and what is expected is you plead guilty and ask for mitigation, if you are not guilty and they want to disrupt youir activities they just leave you in prison.

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You do know that the chinese don't put you on trial unless they can get a conviction,

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With a closed trial I imagine it's easy to get a guilty plea and a conviction.

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Originally Posted by tomder55

with a closed trial I imagine it's easy to get a guilty plea and a conviction.

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That part of the trail which was about bribery was not closed, that part of the trail about stealing state secrets was. We are yet to know what is considered a state secret in China because it's a secret but it apparently carries a sentence of seven years. It could be something as simple as the going price of iron ore on the chinese market. As you may have noted HU was sentenced to ten years imprisonment whilst one of his cohorts got fourteen years, What is interesting is that Hu was convicted not for bribing chinese officials but for taking bribes.

I think the whole thing is bizairre and should be a warning to anyone doing business with China

Ok Tom is this enough protection for you? Short of a Frigate up the Yangsee I'm not sure how you would attempt to protect someone in China. Now I know America used these tactics long ago but I don't think it appropriate for Australia today
Rudd criticises China over Hu case

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Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the government was scared to push China on the matter because it did not want to damage trade relations between Australia and China.

"Beijing sends a certain fear into the hearts of politicians in Canberra," he said.

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Bingo . K.Rudd appears to be late to the game. And as I mentioned ;if it wasn't for the Rio Tinto deal last week Hu would've been sentenced for a lot longer time.


BTW ;to answer your questions about the US President postponing his trip to Australia ; it took him 5 days after the HCR bill was passed to sign it . His explanations for his changing plans are looking lame .

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Originally Posted by tomder55

BTW ;to answer your questions about the US President postponing his trip to Australia ; it took him 5 days after the HCR bill was passed to sign it . His explanations for his changing plans are looking lame .

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Yes Tom they do particularly as he visited Afghanistan on the days when he was originally scheduled to visit Australia. As I said earlier there is a noticeable shift in US/Australia relations and we have Krudd to thank for that.
Who knows perhaps this is not a bad thing, a little less toadying will go a long way with the Australian public in an election year, after all a visit from George Bush didn't do Little John any good at the polls, and BO may have a similar effect for Krudd

I want to apologize for being so rough on Australia . Turns out the US doesn't do anything when the Chinese trump up charges against American business people either .In fact ,the Aussies were more proactive.

Xue Feng's crime ? He purchased seismic information about China related to their off shore oil industry... information that wasn't classified a secret until after he obtained it... information that most countries make availalble because it represents no state secrets.
The Associated Press: Chinese court sentences US geologist to 8 years

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Originally Posted by tomder55

I want to apologize for being so rough on Australia . Turns out the US doesn't do anything when the Chinese trump up charges against American business people either .In fact ,the Aussies were more proactive.

Xue Feng's crime ? He purchased seismic information about China related to their off shore oil industry.....information that wasn't classified a secret until after he obtained it.....information that most countries make availalble because it represents no state secrets.
The Associated Press: Chinese court sentences US geologist to 8 years

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There are no secrets in China, Tom, just paranoia, afteall, what are the US going to do with these secrets, turn their HAARP on them. HMMMM...