WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online briefing:
DICTATORS, INC.
Monday, November 22, 2021
10:00 a.m.
Register: https://bit.ly/3qKc5NW
Many American and other western corporations invest heavily in authoritarian regimes, particularly Russia and China. Such companies often claim that, thanks to their involvement, democratic values like human rights and the rule of law will spill over into dictatorships and transform them from within. Instead, they provide autocrats with new opportunities to both repress rights at home and exert influence abroad.
This briefing will examine the interplay between western business and dictators, particularly as it concerns human rights abuse. Panelists will discuss the recent Russian elections, where Google and Apple censored content at the behest of the Putin regime; corporate censorship and other abuse on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party; and options for policy responses.
The following panelists are scheduled to participate:
- Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician and economist
- Matt Schrader, Advisor for China, Center for Global Impact, International Republican Institute
- Karen Sutter, Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance, Congressional Research Service
