“Cracking Down on Curiosity: How China’s National Security Measures Are Affecting Foreign Companies”

Under the guise of “national security,” China’s authorities are increasingly cracking down on foreign companies who ask too many questions. Who is affected – and what are the consequences.

Peter Humphrey was imprisoned in China for a good two years for a “completely fabricated crime,” as the Briton says today. The private detective and his wife and business partner had investigated in 2013 in connection with a corruption scandal involving the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Shanghai. The couple were convicted of “illegally obtaining data from Chinese citizens”. The case was an international scandal at the time: Chinese state media broadcast a forced confession, human rights organizations protested, and the British government intervened.