Without common international rules, third countries may increasingly find themselves torn between the competing extraterritorial demands of Washington and Beijing.
A small town in Germany gets a letter from US senators, threatening it with “crushing, legal and economic sanctions”. Professors at Oxford and Princeton tell students to submit essays anonymously – to protect themselves from potential arrest for violating Chinese law.
Welcome to the world of extraterritoriality. The US and China are increasingly seeking to extend the reach of their domestic law overseas – compelling foreign companies and people to do the bidding of Washington or Beijing.
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Financial Times
Gideon Rachman is chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times. His particular interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation.
