Conducting Business Abroad: China Accuses Four in Australia-Anglo Endeavor with Spying

Update: Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2009. Detained Australian citizen was born in China.
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Business men and women are at risk when negotiating or engaging in commercial transactions, as evidenced by the case of the four employees of an Ango-Australian company, detained in China on accusations of spying. According to the New York Times, the parent company has had no contact with their employees since the accusation. The Chinese government has accused the four of obtaining secret government information during negotiations, and there is no further detail as to the nature of the information.

" Stern Hu, Rio Tinto’s top iron ore negotiator with China and an Australian citizen, was detained in Shanghai on Sunday on suspicion of spying, stealing state secrets and causing economic harm to the nation, in a case that has rocked the Chinese steel and iron industry. Three other Chinese employees who had some role in Rio Tinto’s iron ore negotiations with Chinese steel mills have also been detained and accused of violating China’s state secrets law.

Now, several other executives in the iron ore trade in China are also under investigation and at least one Chinese executive has been detained, possibly for passing state secrets to the Rio Tinto employees, according to China’s state-run news media and people familiar with the investigation."