**The trial in China of four executives of mining giant Rio Tinto has ended, a defence lawyer has told reporters.**However no verdict has been announced so far, and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said it could take some days to emerge.
The executives - Australian Stern Hu and his three Chinese colleagues - were charged with bribery and secrets theft.
The trial, which opened on Monday, has heightened concerns among the foreign business community in China.
Mr Hu and his colleagues were reported to have admitted some of the bribery charges, but disputed the amounts involved.
He was Rio Tinto’s lead negotiator in the talks with Chinese steel mills to try to settle a price for China to buy iron ore from Australian mining companies.
If convicted on commercial espionage and bribery charges he and his colleagues - Liu Caikui, Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong - face lengthy jail terms under Chinese law.