Bribery cases prompt call for probe

Prosecutors have been urged to "seriously probe" the dealings of Chinese executives and officials who have allegedly become embroiled in a culture of bribery with foreign firms.

The move stems in part from the Rio Tinto scandal, in which four Shanghai-based employees for the world's second-largest mining company were arrested and charged for trade secret infringement and bribery.

Chinese media have also in recent weeks exposed several other cases of State-owned companies and government institutions taking bribes from multinational firms to secure contracts for a wide range of products.