The Economist has an article on the detention by China of four Rio Tinto executives. It makes a worthwhile postscript to the China post here earlier today. The Economist article concludes:
In June, the Australian government rejected an offer by Chinalco, a state-controlled aluminium company, to raise its stake in Rio to 18% on the grounds that its state ownership raised concerns about its ability to operate under normal business principles, rather than an as agent of the Chinese government. The Chinese government was irate, but the detention of the Rio employees would seem to justify some of Australia's concerns.