TV ads oppose Chinese firm's bid for Rio Tinto

BUSINESSMAN Ian Melrose will spend about $200,000 this week on a TV advertising campaign using images of the Tiananmen Square massacre to reinforce opposition to a Chinese company increasing its stake in Rio Tinto. With the Government's decision on the Chinalco bid very close, the advertisement says it would be wrong to approve it. The ad, starting tonight, has pictures from the clash, which happened 20 years ago this week. "Thousands of people were killed by the brutal Chinese military regime," it says. "One Labor prime minister, Bob Hawke, was moved to tears and granted asylum to Chinese students in Australia. Another Labor government, Rudd's, now bears gifts to the Chinese military regime by allowing control of strategic mineral resources in Australia. This is wrong. Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan, say no to the sale of Rio Tinto to China." The Government must make a decision on the bid by June 15 but it could come this week. Chinalco wants to increase its share from 9 per cent to 18 per cent. Mr Melrose said last night that "politicians and businessmen who say you should not mix human rights with trade are cowards and opportunists". He said if the Chinese Government owned Australian strategic mining resources and there was a dispute, it would turn into a country-to-country dispute. source：www.theage.com.au