MOC decries commercial bribery in wake of GSK case

The Chinese government is firmly opposed to all types of commercial bribery, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press conference Wednesday following a recent case in which four senior executives of British drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) were suspected of commercial bribery in China.

No matter whether an enterprise is domestic or foreign, once it has violated Chinese laws, it must be penalized and take full responsibility, said Ministry of Commerce spokesman Shen Danyang, emphasizing that even a famous multinational corporation such as GSK must obey Chinese laws when doing business in China.

The Ministry of Public Security recently started an investigation of GSK and found evidence that GSK and related companies may have committed serious crimes of commercial bribery and tax-related violations in China. Further investigation is ongoing, according to Shen.

GSK published an announcement Monday saying that the company was disappointed with the illegal actions of its staff members and related third-party agencies, and that it will not tolerate such actions.

Some foreign media have commented that the Chinese government's investigation of GSK indicates that China is becoming aggressive in regulating its investment environment.

Shen said at the press conference that "the Chinese government has always insisted on its opening-up policies, and will never change its policies about proactively attracting foreign capital."

China's attitude and actions in the GSK case show that China will continue its efforts to improve its investment environment and create a fair competitive environment for investors around the world, said Shen.

Following the GSK probe in China, two other well-known global drug manufacturers, Novartis and Roche, which also have large market share in the country, both announced they were not contacted by the Chinese government, Reuters reported Wednesday.

"We have not been contacted by Chinese authorities on this matter," Novartis Chief Executive Joseph Jimenez was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.

Roche also said it had not been approached by officials in China.

"We are not aware of any anti-corruption probes in China against Roche. We are committed to ensure the same high standards of compliance for all Roche employees worldwide," a spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying.