CHINA: China urges negotiations with Iran and upholds Rio Tinto employees indictment
Record ID:
313687
CHINA: China urges negotiations with Iran and upholds Rio Tinto employees indictment
- Title: CHINA: China urges negotiations with Iran and upholds Rio Tinto employees indictment
- Date: 12th February 2010
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FEBRUARY 11, 2010) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON MA ZHAOXU WALKING IN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON MA ZHAOXU SAYING: "We are consistent and clear with our stance on sanctions against Iran. China hopes each party will continuously push for efforts to solve the issue through dialogue and negotiations and come up with a complete, long-term and appropriate solution. We believe that protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferating Treaty and stabilising the situation in the Middle-east is very important. China hopes to work together with the international community to actively and continuously play a constructive role in resolving the Iranian issue." JOURNALIST TYPING ON COMPUTER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON MA ZHAOXU SAYING: "China's prosecutors accused Stern Hu of taking advantage of his job to make profits and in many cases he has asked for huge amounts of money from Chinese companies. Hu has also taken bribery from numerous Chinese steel producers and used immoral methods to acquire commercial secrets from Chinese steel companies. This has resulted in a devastating outcome for Chinese companies. Shanghai's first intermediate prosecutor has accepted the case." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 27th February 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA7QHO8LOWN6ABNKBSZGVZ0MKXN
- Story Text: China urges dialogue with Iran and accuses four Rio Tinto employees of "bribery" and "immoral methods".
China on Thursday (February 11) called for all sides to work towards agreement over nuclear disputes with Iran, despite Western powers urging broader sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said China remained committed to solving the issue through dialogue, when asked by journalists at a regular news briefing in Beijing.
"We are consistent and clear with our stance on sanctions against Iran. China hopes each party will continuously push for efforts to solve the issue through dialogue and negotiation and will come up with complete, long-term and appropriate solution. We believe that protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferating Treaty and stabilising the situation in the Middle-east is very important. China hopes to work together with the international community to actively and continuously play a constructive role in resolving the Iranian issue," he said.
Among the big powers only China, which can block any U.N. sanctions, has remained unswervingly opposed to punishing Iran.
Iran faces growing Western calls for targeted sanctions against it after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered production of higher-grade uranium, stirring fears that Tehran aims to make nuclear bombs, not just fuel for civilian use as it says is the case.
Iran insists its nuclear facilities are part of a peaceful energy programme and has said it would retaliate for any attack on them.
Ma said that the four China-based Rio Tinto employees indicted on Wednesday (February 10), one of them Australian national Stern Hu, were guilty of "bribery" and "immoral methods".
"China's prosecutors accused Stern Hu of taking advantage of his job to make profits and in many cases he has asked for huge amount of money from Chinese companies. Hu has also taken bribery from numerous Chinese steel producers and used immoral methods to acquire commercial secrets from Chinese steel companies, this has resulted in a devastating outcome for Chinese companies. Shanghai's first intermediate prosecutor has accepted the case," he said.
The four, including Hu, the top negotiator at the time of his arrest last year, are set to stand trial in Shanghai.
If found guilty, they could face up to seven years in jail on the commercial secrets charge and up to 20 years on the bribery charge, said Zhang Peihong, a lawyer for one of the accused Chinese nationals.
China is Australia's biggest trading partner. Australia exported $15 billion worth of iron ore to China in 2008, or 41 percent of China iron ore imports.
Beijing is embroiled in a series of trade disputes with other countries, while Internet search engine Google has said it is getting harder to operate in China and has threatened to pull out of the country over censorship and hacking concerns. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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