WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence criticized American companies on Thursday for trying to silence speech that expresses support for democratic, liberal values in order to maintain access to the Chinese market, saying the corporations should adhere to American principles while doing business with China. In a wide-ranging policy speech on what he called the “fundamental restructuring of our relationship with China,” Mr. Pence accused Nike of checking its “conscience at the door” and owners and players in the N.B.A. of “siding with the Chinese Communist Party” by suppressing support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. He highlighted those examples to make a wider point about how American companies often make compromises with China that put them at odds with Western liberal values — and the long-term effect this has on candid discussion of China among Americans. “By exploiting corporate greed, Beijing is attempting to influence American public opinion, coercing corporate America,” Mr. Pence said.

Source: New York Times October 24, 2019 18:39 UTC