From an editorial in the Washington Post:
Though Shi Tao’s “crime” would not have been considered illegal in America, an American company was directly responsible for his conviction…
This is not merely an abstract business ethics issue: Yahoo’s behavior in China could have real consequences for U.S. foreign policy. Over the past two decades, many have argued — ourselves included — that despite China’s authoritarian and sometimes openly hostile government, it is nevertheless right to encourage American companies to work there. Their very presence has been thought to make the society more open, if not necessarily more democratic. If that is no longer the case — if, in fact, American companies are helping China become more authoritarian, more hostile and more of an obstacle to U.S. goals of democracy promotion around the world — then it is time to rethink the rules under which they operate.
See also “Year of the Rat” in the Toledo Blade and “Looking the Other Way” on CNet News.
