It has told foreigners that they could unwittingly put themselves on the wrong side of American law by dealing with Guard-owned enterprises or subsidiaries.

ECONOMIST: Sanctions on Iran

Take our Forbes Beltway Index, which tracks the market progress of the big contractors, government-sponsored enterprises and companies benefiting from federal law.

FORBES: Business Booms In The Beltway

Officials say that one function of party cells in the non-state sector is to help ensure that such enterprises uphold the law.

ECONOMIST: Economically, but not politically