Hong Kong (Platts)--31Mar2009

Aluminum Corporation of China, also known as Chinalco, remains committed
to the proposed $19.5 billion investment in Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto,
Xiong Weiping, president of Chinalco, said Tuesday. The bid is still awaiting
approval from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board.

"We remain confident of the strategic alliance," Xiong told reporters on
the sidelines of the company's 2008 annual results conference in Hong Kong,
adding that the company continued to wait for the final decision from FIRB.

Xiong, who replaced the former President Xiao Yaqing as Chinalco's
president in February, said the company had no other plan for the proposed Rio
Tinto deal.

"I know nothing about the plan B," he said, addressing questions whether
the company had an alternate plan on the Rio deal. Chinalco remains keen on
the Rio deal, Xiong added.

The FIRB said earlier this month it needed an additional 90 days to
assess the deal. The decision is now due in mid-June instead of March. "The
additional days required is according to the rules set by the FIRB and this
doesn't mean they have any comments [on the deal] ... and this hasn't affected
the reviewing procedures," he said.

Xiong said that the proposed deal would be beneficial to both Chinalco
and Rio Tinto as well as Australia's national interest. "We truly hope that
the deal will be approved," he said, adding that the transaction would not
lead to any control of how Rio Tinto operates its business or the pricing of
its products.

Chinalco announced in February its proposal to acquire interests in
relation to Rio Tinto's iron ore, bauxite, alumina, aluminium and copper
assets, in addition to increased equity interest of up to an 18% stake in Rio
Tinto.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said earlier in March
that it would not oppose the proposed $19.5 billion investment in Rio Tinto by
Chinalco, as the deal is unlikely to substantially lessen competition.