From Asia Times:
“In India, corruption is under the table. In China, it is over the table, while in Indonesia corruption includes the table,” it has been said. People might quibble about the relative placement of Asia’s three largest countries. Depending on direct evidence of paying off government officials, and the nationalities of those making the payments, the temptation to reclassify stands quite broad.
Whichever way you wish to read the quote, what remains undeniable is that corruption is more firmly rooted in Asian culture than is commonly acknowledged. Western views of Asia are misshapen by their experiences in places like Singapore and Hong Kong, and all too often ignore the realities of doing business elsewhere. I will look here at the three countries mentioned in the above quote, in the order they are mentioned. [Full text]
