Over the past few years, Communist China has thrown 2 million innocent people into concentration camps. It has destroyed Hong Kong’s democracy and thrown pro-democracy activists in prison. It has risked a major war by replicating Imperial Japan’s territorial ambitions, claiming the South China Sea as its own private swimming pool. It has terrorized its own citizens simply for making jokes. It has refused to address honestly global concerns over the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are not past actions, either — the regime of Xi Jinping continues to do all these things.
Considering this record, you might expect major American companies to raise at least a hint of concern. After all, American multinationals aren’t exactly shy about broadcasting their supposed moral values to their fellow citizens in the United States. On their websites, these multinationals now proudly proclaim their commitment to a range of human rights issues.
But when it comes to China’s grotesque, larger-than-life human rights abuses, these multinationals have surprisingly little to say. In many cases, they consciously choose absolute silence.
Don’t take my word for it. Take theirs.
I recently emailed the media relations teams of 15 major U.S. multinationals. Each company is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in China’s “Chairman Circle.” After paying a nearly $29,500 annual membership fee, Chairman Circle members receive benefits including “Support from AmCham China in raising issues with Chinese and U.S. governments” and “Highest priority for participation and seating in formal meetings with Chinese and U.S. government officials.” Note that AmCham China is known for hosting Chinese government officials who are under U.S. government sanctions.
I asked each company whether, in light of their value statements, they had any comment on the seizure of Jimmy Lai’s assets. Lai is a leading Hong Kong democracy activist who has been sentenced to prison under China’s new Hong Kong-focused national security law. His assets were recently seized in an effort to silence the voice of the Apple Daily newspaper he funds and deter other publications from questioning Beijing. (Full disclosure: I write a weekly Apple Daily column.) China’s actions in Hong Kong are in clear breach of basic human rights and Beijing’s treaty commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Under that treaty, China agreed to preserve Hong Kong’s democracy until at least 2047.
Here’s how each company responded to my inquiry.
I referenced Lai’s asset seizure in the context of Herbalife Nutrition’s claim that “our first and most important value is to always do what is right. Our values are rooted in respect for the human rights of everyone we work with. We respect and acknowledge internationally recognized human rights principles.”
Herbalife Nutrition did not respond.
I referenced Qualcomm’s pledge that it is “committed to promoting and respecting all internationally recognized human rights. We avoid complicity in any human rights abuse throughout our company, our operations, and our business relationships, including our subsidiaries, partners, and customers, and those in our supply chain.”
Qualcomm did not respond.
I referenced Amway’s statement that “Our reason for being is simple. We exist to help live better, healthier lives.”
Amway did not respond.
I referenced Intel’s pledge “to advance social equity and human rights.”
Intel did not respond.
I referenced Mars’s “principles of responsibility,” which includes its “ethical responsibility to its communities and the environment.”
Mars did not respond.
I referenced HP’s statement that “we believe that the basic freedoms and standards of treatment to which all people are entitled are universal. Upholding these rights is fundamental to our values.”
HP responded with no comment.
I referenced Honeywell’s statement that its “Chairman and Chief Executive Officer regularly endorses and reinforces these [human rights] policies and commitments through various internal and external communication channels.”
Reinforcements were apparently unavailable, as Honeywell did not respond.
I referenced Coca-Cola’s pledge to “Use our global scale for leadership and for good, for progress.”
Coca-Cola did not respond.
I referenced Merck’s claim that it is “committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.” This includes its commitment to “the communities we serve worldwide. In discharging our responsibilities, we do not take professional or ethical shortcuts.”
Merck did not respond.
I referenced the statement by Dell’s CEO, “We strive to make sound and ethical choices that serve our customers, improve our communities, and inspire our team members.”
Dell responded with no comment.
I referenced Jonhson & Johnson’s assertion that “We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well.”
Johnson & Johnson did not respond.
I referenced PepsiCo’s clarification that “human rights abuses of any kind are unacceptable and, as one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, we have a clear responsibility to respect human rights throughout our business and broader value chain.”
PepsiCo did not respond.
Using online forms, I sent similar messages to Conoco Phillips and Walmart. Neither responded.
General Electric deserves at least a bit more credit. I referenced its claim that “The cornerstone of our commitment is constant vigilance to identify and address human rights risks across our value chain in good faith and to the best of our ability.” A spokesperson pointed me to a recent comment from its CEO, Larry Culp. Culp stated, “Clearly, the U.S. has raised serious issues with China. And our hope is that policymakers in both countries can engage in constructive two-way dialogue and identify a path forward to address these issues.”
When I asked what GE considered “serious issues,” the spokesperson did not respond.
These companies have a responsibility to their shareholders to deliver a profit. In fact, I own shares of GE and of Walmart. And yes, China represents a massive market opportunity for all of them. Still, it is sad that these major American companies aren’t even willing to whisper a human rights concern or two in the face of what the Chinese Communist Party is doing. The pursuit of profit at all costs is, at least in China, incompatible with sacred American values.
