A Cry for Clarity: Recent Developments in Corruption Law and the Difficulties Presented by Cultural Business Practices

Abstract

The United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China have recently enacted modifications to their already existing anti-bribery and anti-corruption statutes. These statutes contain several difficulties and ambiguities which present international U.S. and U.K. businesses with the challenge of proper compliance in light of China’s booming economy and already existing cultural business norms. Numerous scholarship already exists on how to amend the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in order to accommodate such cultural exceptions. This paper argues that the United States, the United Kingdom and China must work together and create their respective uniform international standards or guidelines to promulgate what specific payments or gifts fall outside the parameters of bribery.