Thermo Fisher Helps China Track DNA of Every Man, Boy in Country

Thermo Fisher Scientific's corporate credo is "making a difference in the world."

The Massachusetts-based maker of genetic test kits is certainly doing that in China, helping the Government of the People's Republic set up a DNA tracking system of the nation's 700M men.

The New York Times reported June 17 the system represents a "major escalation of China's effort to use genetics to control its people."

The country's law enforcement agencies say the tracking system will help them catch criminals, while human rights activities call it an invasion of privacy and a way to punish the relatives of dissidents.

Thermo Fisher says it is "proud to be part of the many positive ways in which DNA identification has been applied, from tracking down criminals to stopping human trafficking and freeing the unjustly accused.”

It also understands the "importance of how our products are used—or may be used—by our customers."

On the CSR page of its website, Thermo Fisher calls itself a world leader in serving science and aware that with that position comes a great sense of responsibility to the global community. "We realize we have the ability to make a significant positive impact on society in many different ways."

The jury is out on whether a police-operated nationwide surveillance system of every male in China is making a "significant positive impact on society."

Would Thermo Fisher sell its kits to the FBI for a tracking system of half the population of US?

As New York City enters Phase 2 of reopening its economy, a poll of Fortune 500 CEOs conducted by the magazine finds that a plurality (26.2 percent) say their companies will never reach 90 percent of their pre-pandemic workforce.

Almost one out of five (17.9 percent) say the 90 percent mark will be reached in September and 20.2 percent say in January 2021.

The CEOs are pretty evenly split on taking a pay cut. Fifty percent did and 48.8 percent didn't.

On the CSR front, the chiefs don't think too much of the Business Roundtable's much publicized manifesto issued last August about a company's responsibility to service all stakeholders.

Nearly two-thirds (63.9 percent) said good companies have always acted in that fashion, while only 25.3 percent said the BR statement is a "significant change in corporate thinking from a decade or two ago."

Another 3.6 percent of respondents told the BR to stuff it.