Rio Tinto trial proceedings come to an end

The controversial Rio Tinto trial ended in Shanghai on Wednesday after just three days of hearings. A court spokesperson refused to state when a verdict would be issued on Wednesday. However, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said "the eyes of the world are focused on the way this trial is conducted and what happens as a result of it."

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith meanwhile criticized China for not allowing diplomats to attend the hearings on commercial espionage. He also said he did not expect that a verdict would come for days.

The four accused men were arrested last July when the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto was acting as lead negotiator for global iron ore suppliers in price talks with Chinese steel mills. They have all pleaded guilty to taking money but the amounts remain unclear.

Concern about fairness of trial

Foreign journalists were not allowed to attend the trial, which sparked concerns over its fairness.

China insisted that the trial should not be politicized and should be seen as "just an individual commercial case".

Impact on foreign investment

The case is being seen as a test of China's legal treatment of foreign businesses operating in the country.

Rio Tinto chief executive, Tom Albanese, said earlier this week that although the case was of great concern, he would "respectfully" await the outcome of the trial. He also insisted that the company remained committed to strengthening its relationship with China

If found guilty, the four men could each face a prison sentence of up to seven years for stealing commercial secrets and of up to five years each for accepting bribes.

du/AFP/AP/dpa
Editor: Anne Thomas