Australian watchdog probes Rio Tinto over Hu affair

SYDNEY: Australia's corporate watchdog is probing mining giant Rio Tinto after China jailed four staff for bribery and industrial espionage, the body's chief said on Sunday, describing the inquiry as "routine".

Tony D'Aloisio, head of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), said the body was checking for possible breaches of Australian corporate law.

"As you would in any situation where you've got a listed company that may be involved in, or there may be concerns around, breaches of law, whether it's domestic or foreign, you need to look at whether it has any domestic implications for us," told public broadcaster ABC's Inside Business programme.

"And we're clearly looking at whether there are any. But really, on the face of it, it doesn't look like that appears to be the case, but we're at the moment making routine inquiries."

Australian citizen Stern Hu has announced he will not appeal his 10-year sentence handed down last month. Three Chinese colleagues were given jail terms of between seven and 14 years.

The four were arrested last July during failed iron ore contract talks, which the Shanghai court said cost China heavy losses.