CANBERRA TIMES
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd moved last night to quash claims the Government is avoiding a clash with China over Stern Hu after it was revealed its government was investigating more Chinese steel executives accused of espionage and stealing state secrets.
With pressure mounting for Mr Rudd to use his clout with China to help the detained Australian Rio Tinto executive, the Prime Minister revealed he had spoken to a Chinese minister about the matter.
Mr Hu and three Chinese colleagues are being detained on suspicion of spying and stealing state secrets and appear to have become engulfed in a wider probe by Beijing into the iron ore trade.
Mr Rudd told ABC radio he had spoken to an unnamed Chinese vice foreign minister about the Hu case when he was in Italy last week.
Despite intense interest in the case and what it means for Sino- Australian relations, it was the first time Mr Rudd publicly mentioned the meeting.
''When I was recently in Italy I ... raised this matter with the Chinese vice foreign minister who was attending that conference and I understand that the foreign minister [Stephen Smith] is himself expecting to meet a Chinese vice foreign minister,'' Mr Rudd said.
Mr Smith is in Egypt at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Government has accused the Opposition of politicising the Hu case as it continued to call for direct ministerial intervention.
Mr Rudd accused Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull of only wanting ''screaming headlines''.
''We're interested here in the individual and how we deal with the complexities of the case,'' Mr Rudd said. Mr Rudd again promised the Government would raise the matter at whatever level of leadership in Beijing was necessary as all relevant facts become apparent.
''Our interests are governed by one thing, that is the wellbeing of this Australian citizen,'' he said.
He disputed suggestions China had been ignoring demands from Australia for information.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has spoken to or called in the acting Chinese ambassador on three occasions but much information on the case appears to have come from Chinese government websites.
''We're engaged with the Chinese on elements of this entire matter and there are further engagements with the Chinese to occur,'' Mr Rudd said.
''In the last two days since coming back from the G8 plus summit in Italy, I've had rounds of discussions with officials here ... working our way through these matters.''
And he rejected suggestions that the Government was being cautious in its approach because of fears of getting offside with China, Australia's second biggest trading partner.
''Australia's national interest always and under every circumstance comes first,'' Mr Rudd said.
''That means the wellbeing of any Australian citizen, they come first.'' Mr Smith said, ''Despite some people thinking that somehow this difficult issue can be magically solved by one phone call, this is a difficult and complex case.'' Nationals Leader Warren Truss who served as trade minister in the Howard government, said the Hu affair showed Australia's relationship with its key trading partner China had hit rock bottom.
''There is an Australian businessman in detention without charge on suspicion of espionage, the Australia- China free trade negotiations have been stalled for seven months and resource contract negotiations are in disarray,'' Mr Truss said. ''Yet, no one senior in China will even talk with Prime Minister Rudd, Foreign Minister Smith or Trade Minister Crean.''
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Rudd claimed to have a special connection with China and should take advantage of this. ''[Mr Hu] has been held without access to family, to his employer, to lawyers for nine days now. The Prime Minister has chosen not to make any direct contact with the Chinese Government.'' Liberal Senator Russell Trood said China's treatment of the Australian Government was the result of Mr Rudd's ''confused and muddled foreign policy objectives''. By Danielle Cronin and James Massola