The Perils of Corporate Engagement with China

The future of the West’s economic engagement with the People’s Republic of China is increasingly uncertain. Though the PRC seems integral to the global economy, it is an increasingly untrustworthy and dangerous partner for Western corporations. The Chinese government’s August 2023 raids on American corporations operating in China further signaled the need for firms to reconsider their relationships with the PRC. Against the backdrop of an international conversation regarding “decoupling” and “de-risking,” concerns about human rights in Chinese manufacturing, and the increasing national security risks the PRC poses, the United States business community needs a clearer understanding of the Chinese economy and the risks it poses to US corporations. At issue is not merely a few instances of aberrant behavior on the part of the PRC. Rather, US corporations hold a fundamental misconception about the PRC as a free and open market economy.Please join Hudson Institute’s China Center for a panel on leading US corporations’ involvement with the PRC, and the future of US corporate engagement with China.