Translating Chinese News: "Chinese steel enterprise trade secrets discovered in Rio Tinto computers"

[sych]

Having studied a whole year of Chinese Journalistic Reading （中文报刊阅读） and almost as much News Listening Comprehension （新闻听力）... I thought maybe I'd try putting it to use to see what the Chinese Press are saying about the Rio Tinto / Hu Stern "Corporate Espionage" case. The results: there's a LOT more information and opinion on the matter to be had

Comments

[superbbluewren]

That is very interesting, Daniel. Since I have worked for large corporations in the pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods industries, I know what goes on in terms of public relations and in information gathering. 'News' appears even on the ABC already packaged from the company that stands to benefit.

Working for a large government owned enterprise, I am constantly made aware by the local press of issues of corruption, of influence being bought or of the steps required to prevent influence being bought. The same issues also arise in large corporations that are not government owned.

When the information that is held by state-owned organisations becomes a state secret, and obtaining information that is not public becomes spying is an interesting take on the issue.

In Australia and other western countries, we hold a superior attitude. But in the background, the Australian government was hoping that Chinalco would not take over Rio Tinto. And Australia hopes that the iron ore miners will negotiate the best deals possible with Chinese 'companies'. The distinction between 'commercial' and 'national' interests becomes very blurred. Australia has an interest in the success of the miners, and China has an interest in the success of the steelmakers. But the Chinese, it would seem, draw the line between 'commercial' and 'national' success differently from what we would do. They are prepared to intervene more directly.

But I don't think that one is morally superior to the other, or that we would not find an alternative means to the same result if we could.

Australia had been singularly successful in maintaining the prices of prescription medicines at the lowest level in the western world - at about a third of US domestic prices. One of the consequences of The Free Trade Agreement with the US has been to undermine our ability to negotiate better prices. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee had to become 'commercially transparent', that is give away information, even though the pharmaceutical companies usually deal on the basis of 'commercial in confidence'.

Should John Howard be charged with treason for signing the FTA? Or do the other supposed wins counter this loss?

The definition of corruption, of spying or of treason depends on your point of view. It seems to me that when you take treason and spying out of the defense context, you are creating a minefield. But I can understand why anyone would want to.