The Chinese government’s crackdown on corruption is more than a passing trend, as evidenced by over $700 million in fines levied on foreign firms in 2014 alone. But enforcement has been largely contained to domestic affairs, despite a law on the books forbidding Chinese companies from engaging in bribery abroad. If Chinese prosecutors were interested… Read More
In the first half of 2014, anti-corruption enforcement actions by the U.S. alone cost the business community more than $500 million. It would seem logical that as a result anti-corruption compliance would be at the forefront of every multinational corporation’s activities. But that’s not the case, at least as described in the 2014 Global Fraud… Read More
Last week Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO). As one of the largest companies in the world’s second largest economy, Alibaba represents an enormous opportunity for investors. They are expected to raise between $15 and $20 billion, making this IPO potentially bigger than Facebook’s…. Read More
As my colleague Anna Nadgrodkiewicz recently discussed on this blog, corruption is a preeminent threat to developing countries. In Brazil, corruption has been estimated to cost somewhere around $53 billion (approximately 2.3 percent of GDP) in 2013 alone. Because this loss has a corrosive effect on democratic governance and the country’s ability to deliver continued… Read More
While delivering the keynote speech at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bali, Chinese president Xi Jinping stated that the government was drafting a “master plan for reform.” Speaking to a group of leaders who invariably have a stake in China’s continued development, Xi touched upon topics including politics, society, and the environment. Given… Read More