Australia and China traded warnings on Thursday over the Rio Tinto (RIO.L)(RIO.AX) spy case as the United St
ates urged Beijing to ensure transparency and fair treatment for employees of foreign companies. Over a week after detaining an Australian Rio executive and three of his Chinese colleagues on allegations of spying in relation to sensitive iron ore price negotiations, China's Foreign Ministry warned Australia against "whipping up" the case. "We resolutely oppose anyone deliberately whipping up this case or trying to interfere in China's judicial independence," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he did not expect relations would be harmed by the case, but warned: "China itself does need to think about whether its handling of this matter has any adverse implications for it." The Rio detentions and general murkiness of state secret laws put foreign investors potentially at risk when dealing with state-owned entities and potentially sensitive economic information, a point U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke raised during a CNN interview on Thursday. "These are of course of great concern with respect to U.S. investors and multinational companies from around the world that have projects here," Locke said. "We need to have transparency, we need to have assurances and confidence that people working for these multinational companies ... will be treated fairly."
ates urged Beijing to ensure transparency and fair treatment for employees of foreign companies. Over a week after detaining an Australian Rio executive and three of his Chinese colleagues on allegations of spying in relation to sensitive iron ore price negotiations, China's Foreign Ministry warned Australia against "whipping up" the case. "We resolutely oppose anyone deliberately whipping up this case or trying to interfere in China's judicial independence," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he did not expect relations would be harmed by the case, but warned: "China itself does need to think about whether its handling of this matter has any adverse implications for it." The Rio detentions and general murkiness of state secret laws put foreign investors potentially at risk when dealing with state-owned entities and potentially sensitive economic information, a point U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke raised during a CNN interview on Thursday. "These are of course of great concern with respect to U.S. investors and multinational companies from around the world that have projects here," Locke said. "We need to have transparency, we need to have assurances and confidence that people working for these multinational companies ... will be treated fairly."For further details visit as : http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSPEK25016420090716
No comments:
Post a Comment