Desmond Shum

He Said, She Said—Who and What to Trust in China The Wall Street Journal wrapped up its article with this closing note from Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China: “Sudden disengagement from China would be a mistake. It would do great damage to the U.S. economy, it would do great damage to U.S. companies.” It’s a message that seems intended to reassure readers—or at least leave them pondering the stakes of decoupling. But it also brought to mind a conversation I had with a friend, a former president of the same Chamber in China. He shared how his position often placed him—and by extension, his family and business—under significant pressure from the Chinese government. The scrutiny wasn’t subtle; it was the kind of persistent oversight that leaves little room for error or peace of mind. Eventually, he decided enough was enough and left China altogether. In the pressure cooker that is the CCP’s carefully controlled ecosystem, I often find myself questioning: is someone truly speaking their mind, or simply serving as an echo chamber for the Party’s agenda?