A Chinese company wants to invest many billions of dollars to buy a stake in a large Australian company. The deal falls through.
Some months later, a manager of this Australian company is in China to negotiate prices for its goods, which are in huge demand in China. The Australians want more money, the Chinese want to pay less. No agreement is reached.
Then the Australian negotiating team (one Australian and three locals) is arrested for "stealing state secrets" and "causing huge losses to China's economic interests". No details are revealed as to what those horribly damaging state secrets actually were.
China's foreign ministry warns Australia not to politicize the case, because this would be "no good for Australia".
Odd, isn't it?
And not exactly reassuring from the point of view of a foreign executive.
By the way: "Stealing state secrets" is punishable with life imprisonment as a possible maximum sentence.
(Source: BBC)
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Links 5/7/2022
vor 2 Jahren
Update (also from BBC):
AntwortenLöschen"Chinese state media says the four Rio Tinto employees are accused of bribing Chinese steel firm bosses to obtain secret information on China's position on iron ore prices.
Mining giant Rio Tinto has expressed surprise and concern about the allegations, saying it is not aware of any evidence that would support them."