Rio Tinto employees get 14 years in jail

A Chinese court has sentenced four employees of mining giant Rio Tinto to jail terms of seven to 14 years on bribery and commercial secrets charges.

The court in Shanghai said Monday that Australian national Stern Hu and three Chinese co-workers were guilty of charges of bribery and stealing business secrets.

Hu was given seven years on the bribery charges and five years on the commercial secrets charges, but will serve 10 years, apparently receiving a reduced total because he admitted to the bribery charge.

The stiff sentences come in a case seen as a barometer of China's treatment of foreign business at a time of rising trade friction.