The lawyers told AFP the lack of notice may indicate that police had extended the investigation period.

Australian passport holder Stern Hu and his Chinese colleagues Liu Caikui, Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong were detained on July 5 amid difficult negotiations between Rio and Chinese steel mills on iron ore prices.

On August 12, China said the four had been arrested over accusations of industrial espionage and bribery, triggering an investigation period.

"(The investigation) is not over yet. They are eligible to apply for an extension to the two-month period," Shanghai-based lawyer Zhai Jian, who represents Ge, told AFP.

Tao Wuping, a defence lawyer for Liu, said the lack of any word from authorities appeared to indicate that police had extended the investigation.

The detention of the four Rio staff has strained relations between resource-rich Australia and China, the world's biggest iron ore consumer, and prompted widespread concern about doing business in China.

Charges against the four Rio staff have been downgraded from more serious allegations involving "state secrets" to suspicion of obtaining commercial secrets through "improper means" and bribery.

Other lawyers representing the Rio staff were not immediately available for comment.

A spokesman at the Shanghai Public Security Bureau declined comment on the case when contacted by AFP.

earlier related report
China asks WTO to rule on trade dispute with EU on fasteners
China on Monday asked the World Trade Organisation to rule on a dispute with the European Union over anti-dumping measures imposed by Brussels on imports of Chinese-made screws and bolts.

"The Chinese government instructed its mission to ... (request the) establishment of a panel to examine the dispute concerning the EC anti-dumping action on imports of fasteners from China," the Chinese mission to the WTO in Geneva said in a statement.

Beijing sought consultations with Brussels on the issue in July but it said their discussions "failed to lead to a satisfactory resolution of the matter."

A European Commission spokesman described Beijing's claim as "unfounded."

He said Brussels had "clear evidence" that Chinese fasteners were illegally dumped in Europe or sold for less than the normal cost in its home market.

The latest development marks an escalation in the dispute following a final European Commission decision in January to impose hefty tariffs on imports of some Chinese steel and iron fasteners, ranging from 26.5 percent to as high as 85 percent.

China is the world's biggest producer of screws, nuts, bolts and washers, while the European Union is its biggest market.

The EU imported 575 million euros (762 million dollars) worth of Chinese fasteners in 2007, according to the Jiaxing Association of Chinese Fastener Producers.

"The Chinese government is determined ... to safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese industries and to build up a healthy trading environment," the Chinese mission statement said.

Lutz Guellner, the European Commission's spokesman for trade, said Brussels will "defend the measures in Geneva.

"We regret that China has today asked for a WTO panel on EU anti-dumping measures on fasteners. China's claim that the EU is not fulfilling its obligations under the WTO Agreements is unfounded," he said.

"The decision to impose measures was taken on the basis of clear evidence that dumping of Chinese products has taken place and that this dumping is harming otherwise competitive EU industry," Guellner added.

EU-China trade has exploded in recent years, making the EU the top destination for Chinese exports while China is Europe's biggest trade partner after the United States.

The growth in trade has also brought about several high-profile dispute cases.

Beijing's move on Monday came as the EU announced that it would extend by another 15 months penalty levies on Chinese and Vietnamese shoe imports.

Anti-dumping duties on footwear, essentially fines for exporting goods below production cost, were first applied in October 2006 and have so far cost manufacturers hundreds of millions of euros (dollars).

Other Chinese export sectors, including steel cables and industrial chemicals, have been similarly targeted.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Global Trade News

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News