Stern Hu... charged.
Stern Hu... charged.
Australian Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu, who has been detained for almost nine months in China, pleaded guilty today to charges of bribery in a Shanghai court, a lawyer involved in the case said.
Hu and three Chinese employees of Rio were accused of taking bribes and violating commercial secrets.
Hu was accused of receiving bribes of about 6 million yuan ($962,000), said lawyer Tao Wuping, who represents Liu Caikui, one of the Rio employees charged.
Liu faced bribery charges involving about 3.7 million yuan, Tao said after the morning hearing in Shanghai. 
The highly sensitive trial of the four Rio staff members has strained ties with Canberra and stoked concerns about doing business in China