China says Rio "spy" case will not affect trade

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China's Ministry of Commerce says the detention of employees of Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto is an individual case and will not hurt Sino-Australian trade. It adds that it would also not affect China's foreign trade or foreign investment as China has been improving its legal system.

Steel rods are removed for recycling from a demolition site in Beijing. Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Yao Jian has  oved to soothe tensions between his country and Australia,  saying the case of a detained Rio Tinto executive would not harm vital trade links between the two nations worth 58 billion US dollars in 2008.(AFP photo)

A spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce says that the detention of Rio Tinto employees will not affect the environment in China concerning foreign trade, particularly that of attracting foreign investments. He notes the Rio Tinto case reflects China's progress in improving the legal environment for doing business over the past thirty years of reform and opening-up.

Yao Jian, Spokesman of China's Ministry of Commerce, said, "The individual case will not have any impact on drawing foreign investment or the overall economy and trade. Our next priority is to further improve the government's service for foreign-invested enterprises, and lower the threshold of market access... as well as improving industrial and regional policies in these areas."