Description

The College of Business at Washington State University Vancouver will Welcome John Kamm, founder and chairman of The Dui Hua Foundation, at 7 p.m. April 4 in the Administration building, room 129 to discuss the ''Ethical Challenges of Doing Business in China.'' The event is free and open to the public. China is the world's fastest growing major economy. It attracts more foreign investment each year than any other country, including the United States. Its foreign-exchange holdings are approaching $3 trillion, and it is the largest holder of U.S. debt. Many students studying for business degrees in American colleges have their eyes on doing business in China. Yet, ethical challenges abound. In his remarks Kamm will address three of the most challenging areas confronting foreign businesses in China: 1.) vague state secret laws that are applied retroactively to ensnare businessmen seeking what they believe to be commercially available information; 2) censorship and internet monitoring; and 3) corruption—the "hand maiden of rights abuses." He will also share a case study of an American businessman jailed for trafficking in state secrets. Kamm has been a human rights campaigner active in China since 1972. The Dui Hua Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, is committed to promoting respect for human rights in China and the U.S. and concentrates its efforts on encouraging transparency, accountability and the humanitarian treatment of prisoners. Kamm was awarded the Department of Commerce's Best Global Practices Award by President Bill Clinton in 1997 and the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights by President George W. Bush in 2001. In September 2004, Kamm received a MacArthur Fellowship for ''designing and implementing an original approach to freeing prisoners of conscience in China.'' Kamm is the first businessman to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, which recognizes ''individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary originality and dedication to their