Rio Tinto Trial a Cause for Concern in Australia

The trial against Australian citizen and former Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu has concluded, but the process raises more questions than it answers for the international community. Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the trial left “serious unanswered questions” about Stern Hu’s conviction, AAP reported.
“In holding this part of the trial in secret, China, I believe, has missed an opportunity to demonstrate to the world at large transparency that would be consistent with its emerging global role,” he said.
An Australian business group has also raised concerns, asking for clarity on aspects of China’s legal system. Stern Hu, an Australia citizen of Chinese heritage, was convicted of two charges—bribery and stealing commercial secrets—in the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court on Monday March 29. Read more.