Sydney: China has extended a probe into detained Rio Tinto mining executive Stern Hu by two months, Australian officials said Thursday, calling for a quick resolution to the long-running case.
A foreign office spokesman said Chinese authorities had announced a second extension to the investigation into Hu, who was arrested in July and accused of industrial espionage and bribery.
"We were informed during the consular visit on November 9 that the Chinese authorities had extended the investigation by another two months," a foreign office spokesman said.
"This is in addition to the earlier one-month extension already approved by the Chinese authorities," he added.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he would raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore.
Further details of the case against the Australian passport-holder, arrested along with colleagues during high-stakes iron ore contract talks, may not be known until mid-January.
Smith said a speedy resolution was "in everyone`s interest".
"We have different systems, different values and as a consequence of that from time to time ... differences will arise and we understand and accept those differences," he said in Singapore.
Hu originally faced more serious allegations of stealing state secrets, but Beijing later downgraded the accusations. Rio Tinto suspended the iron ore negotiations as diplomatic tensions soared between Canberra and Beijing.
But Australian officials have said full details of the accusations are not likely to be known until Hu is brought to trial, which experts say may not happen until around April.
He was arrested just weeks after Rio snubbed a USD 19.5 billion cash injection from state-run Chinalco, which would have been China`s largest ever foreign investment.
Rio said this week it hoped for a "timely and transparent resolution" of the case and was "very keen" to work on new projects with Chinalco. It made no immediate comment on Thursday.
"We`re not making any comment at the moment," a Rio spokesman said. "These are matters for the Chinese authorities to deal with."
The company has denied any wrongdoing by Hu and defended his actions as a "normal commercial market situation", but emphasised its long-term confidence in China as a customer and strategic partner.
"Over the next five years, China is expected to consume more iron ore than Australia has exported throughout its history," said Rio chief Tom Albanese told investors on Tuesday.
"China will be crucial to the future wealth of this country."
Exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, a vocal China opponent, in August warned Hu was facing a "show" trial and a lengthy sentence, while experts have said he could languish without charge in prison for up to 10 months.
In a fence-mending visit aimed at thawing ties with Canberra, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang called for a new era of cooperation between the key trading partners last month, citing "extensive" common interests.
Bureau Report
