澳大利亚外交部长史密斯说，澳大利亚矿产公司力拓公司的一位高级主管因涉嫌间谍和窃取国家机密在中国被扣押。
斯特恩-胡是英奥矿产公司星期天在上海被扣押的该公司4名主管之一。其他三人是中国人。力拓公司表示，这4名主管是铁矿石销售团队的成员。
力拓公司代表日本和韩国的供应商正在就全球铁矿石的价格同中国的钢铁厂进行微妙的谈判。史密斯说，没有证据显示斯特恩-胡被拘留同谈判有任何关联。
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says an Australian executive of mining company Rio Tinto is being detained in China on suspicion of espionage and stealing state secrets.
Strern Hu is one of four executives of the Anglo-Australian company who have been detained in Shanghai since Sunday. The other three detainees are Chinese.
Rio Tinto says the executives are members of its iron ore sales team. The company is in the midst of delicate negotiations with Chinese steel mills on the global price of iron ore, on behalf of suppliers from Japan and Korea.
Smith says he sees no evidence Hu’s detention is in any way related to the negotiations.