Leader of the Australian Greens party Bob Brown believes that Chinalco’s bid to buy up to 18% of Rio Tinto will see the Chinese Government have too much influence over the miner.
“If the Chinalco deal with Rio Tinto goes ahead the communist bosses in Beijing will exert control over the management of Rio Tinto’s Australian mineral resources,” he said.
Brown yesterday planned to move for a Senate Economics Committee inquiry into whether acquisitions by foreign government entities such as Chinalco are consistent with Australia’s national interest.
“This Senate inquiry will examine whether it is in Australia’s national interest for foreign governments, in particular those which are neither democratic nor transparent, to acquire direct interests in Australian resources,” he said.
The Foreign Investment Review Board this week exercised its option to extend its review period of the Rio-Chinalco to 90 days after the initial 30 day period lapsed.