Stern Hu – The Chinese Communist justice system is just another instrument of the Revolution. It is just that right now it is tactically convenient that its justice system imitate bourgeois justice practice especially in the developing areas which are receiving Western technology wholesale.
However many Australian businessmen would be surprised to find out that much “ordinary commercial practice” may be criminal.
Conspiracy to cheat and defraud is one of the areas not fully explored.
The old Red Bulletin's Business section used to be headed “Business, Robbery etc”
Misuse of confidential information is dealt with severely in our civil law. Such misuse could easily be an “overt act” for the purposes of a conspiracy charge. Industrial intelligence is a very murky area.
The “law” is likely to be much more severe in China.
Hopefully the facts will emerge.
Meanwhile the Australian Government's attitude, that Stern Hu be afforded decent treatment, seems to be correct.
And Australian companies better get much stronger and pertinent advice when dealing with Chinese “government” corporations.
And a little history might help. Starting with the United Kingdom's wars to force opium consumption on China. The Olympic Games hardly up for that and everything else.