Moment of Truth on China Is Coming for Rest of Corporate America
- A test of company claims that values extend beyond bottom line
- Tapping China’s massive market may mean muzzling free speech
People play basketball at an outdoor court in Beijing on Oct. 9.
Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
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Long before Daryl Morey’s fateful tweet -- the one that set the NBA on a collision course with China -- the nation had a history of employing economic might to twist corporate arms in Asia.
In 2012, Japanese automakers saw Chinese orders sink during a land dispute. Two years ago, an impasse with South Korea led to the closing of Korean-owned stores and Chinese media encouraging a boycott of Hyundai Motor Co. Two months ago, Beijing effectively barred Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. employees who participated in Hong Kong demonstrations it deemed illegal from flying into China.