BHP Unaware of Any Review of Ore Operations by China

By Rebecca Keenan

July 14 (Bloomberg) -- BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest mining company, is unaware of any review of its iron ore operations by China after four Rio Tinto Group employees were detained there on July 5.

“We are unaware of any review and unaware of any reason for such a review,” spokeswoman Samantha Evans said by phone from Melbourne today. “We certainly have a strict code of conduct that guides how our employees behave regardless of which market they are operating in.”

Rio executive Stern Hu, an Australian national, and three Chinese colleagues were detained in Shanghai on suspicion of spying for foreign countries, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said last week. BHP is the world’s third-biggest iron ore producer behind Rio, the No. 2, and Vale SA.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rebecca Keenan in Melbourne at rkeenan5@bloomberg.net