The Hong Kong protests have managed to effect increased scrutiny from the world at large in regards to business practices between China -- more specifically the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) -- and the world's largest companies, many of which are American-based. The conflict between pro-democracy supporters and pro-Beijing advocates has highlighted how influential the CCP, through its business relationships, has become beyond the borders of China.

Over the last several weeks, filmmakers, athletes, politicians and more have either expressed support for pro-democracy protesters or abstained from voicing their opinions, seemingly to protect financial interests in China. Disney is one such corporate entity that has a substantial amount invested in the country. Many films that Disney or its subsidiaries have released in recent months have had to abide by China's censorship guidelines in order to secure release and in so doing, had to limit what those films have expressed.

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Despite recent controversy surrounding the studio's upcoming live-action Mulan, Disney CEO Bob Iger has opted to express his reluctance to stand for or against the Hong Kong protests. In a Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference, Iger began by acknowledging the issue, "What we learned in the last week -- we've learned how complicated this is," the CEO began. "The biggest learning from that is that caution is imperative. To take a position that could harm our company in some form would be a big mistake..

"I just don't believe it's something we should engage in in a public manner."

The CEO has spoken up in the past against certain issues pertaining to the U.S, such as President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Iger has also openly supported legalizing the immigration status of illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors. However, when it came to issues such as the tightening of Georgia's anti-abortion laws, Iger has admitted to remaining strictly neutral.

A number of large businesses have opted to remain silent or adopt a neutral stance toward the growing conflict in Hong Kong, largely due to the fact that China has come to represent an ever-increasing percentage of corporate profits. In the film industry alone, China represents $9 billion in box office sales -- more than a quarter of box office sales worldwide, which is why Disney has placed great effort in appealing to both Chinese audiences and the CCP.

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Via Bloomberg