Why 'Big Pharma' will be the next China trade war battleground

Earlier this month, authorities in China arrested five AstraZeneca (AZN) employees as part of an investigation into data privacy violations and imports of unlicensed medications.

The group acknowledged the arrests in a statement, but declined to offer any further information. While there’s no indication the legal action could impact sales, investors are bound to view these developments as evidence of escalating tensions between western drugmakers and the Chinese state.