China has released an Australian former executive of mining company Rio Tinto who was jailed for 10 years in 2009 after being convicted of corruption and stealing secrets, ending a case which strained relations with Canberra and led to criticism of Beijing’s use of state secrets charges.
Stern Hu, who led price negotiations in China for the Anglo-Australian company, was released from a prison in Shanghai on Wednesday due to a sentence reduction for good behaviour, China’s foreign ministry said.
Mr Hu, a naturalised Australian citizen who was born in China, was part of a negotiating team that secured sharp increase in the prices that Chinese steel producers paid for iron ore.