China's intelligence services operate differently from those in the West, as they are not held accountable by independent political bodies or the public, nor are they subject to the rule of law. The Chinese government employs a "whole of society" approach to intelligence gathering, integrating intelligence and commerce in ways unparalleled in the West. Unlike the U.S. government, which does not conduct industrial espionage to benefit American businesses, Chinese businesses are required by law to cooperate with the intelligence services whenever requested, effectively making them silent partners in Chinese commerce with the outside world.