Australia, China meet over detained mining executive

(CNN) - A top Australian government official met with Chinese
authorities Saturday to discuss the arrest on spy charges of an Australian mining executive.

The visit by Trade Minister Simon Crean came nearly a week after Stern Hu and three of his Chinese colleagues at mining company Rio Tinto were detained on suspicion of espionage and stealing state secrets.

Crean told reporters he expressed Australian's "strong concern" over the detention of Hu, the general manager of Rio Tinto's Shanghai office, where all four employees work.