Jack Moore (Richard Gere) is an American lawyer and respected businessman who has gone to China on business and on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with the Chinese about founding the first satellite TV joint venture. .
The night before this signing, he spends the night with a beautiful woman. When she is found dead the next morning Jack finds himself being arrested and charged with her murder.
Knowing that he is innocent of this crime, and therefore being framed in a country whose judicial system is far from fair, a young Chinese lawyer is assigned to Moore's case starts believing him, and they both fight for his rights in an unfair system.