Australia Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu has been formally charged with commercial bribery and trade secrets infringement, not the more serious charge of commercial espionage as expected by most observers.
Hu and his three Chinese colleagues previously spent five weeks in detention without charge.
Chinese government newswire Xinhua reported that according to preliminary investigations, the four employees had obtained commercial secrets of China’s steel and iron industry through improper means, allegedly violating Chinese Criminal Law.
“We are still not aware of any evidence that would support their detention,” said spokesperson for Rio Tinto, iron ore chief executive Sam Walsh. “Rio Tinto is committed to high standards in business integrity and takes its ethical responsibilities very seriously.”
