Many of you are probably well aware of the detention of one of the negotiators for the Australian iron ore mining company - Rio Tinto. The Rio Tinto employee has been accused of stealing "state secrets" by the Chinese government. I asked one of my contacts in Asia what the steel people in China/Taiwan think is happening - this is the response I got:

Rio Tinto:

John,if you can't negotiate with them, detain/arrest them!!!

No one really knows the whole story John. Some say the info in the Due Diligence in the original Chinalco - Rio Tinto merger is what the China Government is claiming, but you know that deal fell through leaving egg all over the China Government's face...., they got kicked in the ass during the Iron Ore talks AGAIN, they are having to agree to the new reduction levels as Japan, Korea etc... and this has left a sour taste in their mouths.

Internal Government secrets on Iron Ore John??????? Go out with any mill or official in China, get them drunk and they tell you any and everything... That is not espionage.

I think China is just sending them a message... that's all...