Are sovereign wealth funds a threat to national defense?

February 24th, 2008 | Category: Deals, China

News that the European Commission is planning to adopt proposals next week that will ask sovereign wealth funds to accept a cipher of conduct to govern their investment activities, raises the question whether the U.S. government should take a look at the affect these funds may have on U.S. defense.

Peter Mandelson, the European trade commissioner, said the cipher will outline standards of governance and transparency for such funds.

“The emphasis in their investments should be on commercial motivations, not national or strategic considerations. I think such a cipher is

possible to draw up and would get acceptance from the wealth funds,” the report quoted Mandelson as saying.

German companies, for example, are worried that China will steal their mental property or that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to use such investments “as a political instrument,” according to European Member of Parliament Wolf Klinz.

Continue reading Are sovereign wealth funds a threat to national protection?

Original post by Aaron Katsman

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