As a consumer I deal with several Chinese companies and they are very libertarian in their business practices.
They are totally unrestrained by any moral values, it is purely about profit, if they have to stop a practice because it is destroying them, they will, if they can lie and continue it, they will, they have no internal honor or dignity that influences their business operating.
Luckily for me some American based forums have a huge influence on some of these businesses, but what they try to get away with is amazing, as is the learning process for the new ones as they have to adapt to customer back lash and threats of losing credibility.
Your analysis could be a summary of this book. They know there is very little reason to focus on face-to-face consumer credibility or accountability when the consumers are so far away (U.S.)
I have read this book and can recommend it. Each chapter reveals the author’s experience with a different industry. There are no political or socio-economic overtones to the stories. He just tells you about his experiences and allows you to conclude the best course of action...as an individual consumer and as a country.