Early this year, Laode Syarif, the deputy chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), asked the government to be careful with investments from China, citing data from the United States Department of Justice on enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

The data show 83 FCPA cases involving conduct in China — more than any other country by far, although it turns out all the cases involved multinational corporations operating in China.

“If a European or American investor gets caught bribing officials in a foreign country, they will be punished back home. That doesn’t happen in China, or in Indonesia,” Laode said.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.