China Risk Is Global Economic and Security Risk

What "24" can teach us about the risks of doing business with China.

Remember that episode of “24” where Jack Bauer intercepts a low-level courier making a delivery at an abandoned warehouse? Jack roughs up the courier to find out who he’s working for. The courier – knowing he works for a transnational criminal organization bent on destroying America – grimaces and screams but won’t reveal anything. He defiantly turns to Jack and says, “You don’t want to see what I’ve seen. I promise you, this is bigger than you can imagine. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”   

Actually, every episode of “24” went something like that.  

The moral of the story is the courier didn’t start out intending to support criminals or terrorists. He was offered some extra money to do a job and he took it. Only slowly did he realize what he was a part of. That's the point where he had a choice. Quit and expose the bad guys. Or keep taking the easy money and become one of them.