According to ICAIE, China Inc. has leveraged corruption, illicit markets, and predatory trade and lending practices to become the world's biggest transnational illicit trade syndicate across global markets, supply chains, and online marketplaces, and to finance its economy and military, enhancing prosperity and anchoring stability for the ruling CCP regime.

The staggering multi-trillion dollar global illicit economy is thriving from dirty money derived from an array of cross-border smuggling and trafficking crimes. Free trade zones, poorly regulated ports, ineffective enforcement of beneficial ownership laws and secretive financial hubs are threat multipliers that expand dark commerce, as criminals exploit cracks and seams in the global financial and trading systems to advance illicit trade and hide their profits. No one alone can fight illicit economies; public-private partnerships are critical.

David M. Luna leads international dialogue at "Brand Protection: Why Countering Illicit Trade and Promoting Market Integrity Matter"