BHP Ever Held Private Meeting with PM on Chinalco’s buy into Rio Tino

DonArgus and Marius Kloppers,, Chairman of BHP Billiton, ever held a private meeting with Kevin Rudd, prime minister of Australia, for hours in Canberra in February. At that time, Chinalco lifts its share in Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton’s hostile takeover target, to 9%. Financial Times reported yesterday that the details of the meeting was released on March 17 for the first time in Australia, and was later confirmed by the minister’s office. The report said that BHP Billiton stressed on the benefits of its acquisition plan to attest the advantage of the possible combination, as well as Chinalco’s threatening holding in Rio Tino. Chinalco expressed in February that it would partner with Alcoa in buying Rio Tino’s shares for $14 billion.