Stern Hu himself cannot actually exert much control from the Chinese prison where he is being held on charges of espionage. The Australian firm he worked for however, Rio Tinto, has been very vocal -- especially through Hu's former boss John Dougall -- in its attempts to get the federal government and Prime Minister Rudd in particular to act quickly to free Hu. This would require heavy Australian pressure on the Chinese government, adding tension to one of Australia's biggest trading relationships (a relationship which, ironically, Hu helped to create and solidify). The Mass media in both countries has not been helpful here but instead has exacerbated the issue, making it largely one of nationality. Especially in China, where the government and culture is still largely under the control of the Communist Party,...

The Australian media has attempted to exert pressure on the government in a manner somewhat similar to that of Dougall, in an effort that Prime Minister Rudd has decried as needless and harmful politicization. This, in reality, is the root of the conflict in the Hu case. The media, Dougall and Rio Tinto, and several others of the prime players in the incident see the issue as largely if not entirely political, whereas Chinese officials and some Australian diplomats are treating it as a criminal case with a very serious charge. The difference in perspective has everything to do with determining foreign policy for both countries.