Google, Rio Tinto cases will not damage China's investment environment: Official

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- China would stick to its policies of attracting foreign capital and the country's investment environment would not be damaged by the Google and Rio Tinto cases, a senior official said here Friday.

Chen Jian, vice minister of Ministry of Commerce, made the remarks in response to questions on China's investment environment at a press conference for Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo to be held in Jilin Province.

"China will not change its policies on opening-up and attracting foreign capital." said Chen, adding that business activities in China must be in line with Chinese laws.

Google's choice of withdrawal did not indicate a deterioration of China's investment environment, said Chen. He said Google had promised to obey Chinese laws at the time of entry, but went back on its word.

China remained one of the best investment destinations, according to the latest survey carried out by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, he said without elaborating.

Although the country's foreign trade was rebounding, Chen said that China would not change its pro-export policies and would increase imports of advanced technology, equipment and key components, and materials in short supply in China, particularly strategic resources this year.

Google moved its China Internet search service to Hong Kong on March 23, more than two months after it voiced dissatisfactions over censoring search results in the mainland and intentions to leave the market.

Four employees of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, including Australian national Stern Hu, were accused of bribery and commercial espionage charges. Hu was sentenced Monday to 10 years in jail in Shanghai.

He and three Chinese colleagues were arrested last year amid iron ore contract talks that later collapsed between top mining companies and the steel industry in China, the world's largest consumer of the raw material.