Hostage-taking in business disputes: the video

It is no longer news that business disputes in China can lead to the personnel of one side being taken into custody. This can also happen to foreign business people, although it is usually limited to those who are ethnically Chinese (regardless of citizenship). A recent case is that of a PRC-born US citizen currently being held in Shanghai. What makes this case interesting is that the company on the other side of the dispute has made a video of the detainee signing various documents (after he had been held for some time) in an apparent effort to bolster their case against him. An attorney for a major US law firm (representing the company) is present as the video is being shot.

A report on this case, as well as portions of the video, can be seen at http://forbes.com/hostage. Needless to say, my linking to the Forbes report does not constitute endorsement of any of the views presented there.