By Danny Levinson
Wrapping up this year's most interesting stories in Corporate
Social Responsibility in China is unfortunately quite easy. It's
unfortunate because some of the most influential stories did not
necessarily have good outcomes for humans in China. But other
developments in China were positive.
These are my own
top five picks and I chose them based on their impact on society and
their general importance to other developments in China.
Carrying toxic benzene-contaminated water, the Songhua River
cleanup continued in China's northeast in January. Harbin, home to
nine million including 3.8 million in the urban districts, saw
frequent water cuts as an emergency action taken to ensure public
safety followed a chemical plant explosion in Jilin Province on
November 13, 2005. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao
said that China had informed Russia of the water pollution situation
in the river which borders both countries.
For positive news, Qiu Baoxing, Vice Minister of Construction,
said that approximately two billion square meters of floor area is
constructed annually, which almost accounts for a half of the annual
constructed floor area all around the world. The newly constructed
buildings and the 40 billion square meter floor area of existing
buildings in China influence the sustainable development of China.
The Energy-Efficiency Code of Public Construction was issued, which
needs to now be popularized nationwide.
"Safety First" was the anthem for Chinese President Hu Jintao, as
he gloriously urged government officials to "put people first" when
developing new safe production methods to boost the nation's
economy. Hu said that economic progress could not be achieved by
sacrificing people's well-being or the environment and that better
regulations should be promulgated along with more inspections of
work areas.
Donations and charity played an even greater role in 2006. Cathay
Pacific Airways donated 64.7 million shares that it held in China
National Aviation Company Limited to 71 Hong Kong, Mainland and
Asian charities. Organizers of the 2006 MasterCard World Community
Cup, ClubFootball and the British Chamber of Commerce in China have
announced that the total raised from the 5-a-side football
tournament will amount to RMB220,000. And the American Chamber of
Commerce Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Conference and
Awards Ceremony honored companies like Shanghai Pudong Development
Bank, Amway, Ford, and Coca-Cola for their charitable giving. The
list goes on…
Finally, Apple's iPod fiasco with Foxconn, its local OEM partner,
caused a stir in China and abroad. A dubious article in a British
tabloid sparked dialogue around the world about whether Apple was
accepting harsh treatment of Foxconn's employees in exchange for
cheaper product manufacturing. Apple launched an investigation and
though it found some problems, it basically gave Foxconn a clean
report.
Let's hope 2007 provides even more opportunities for socially
responsible growth in China!
About the author:
Danny is the Editor and Publisher of ChinaCSR.com and has worked in
China for 10 years and travels frequently, mostly to Hong Kong,
Beijing, and Shanghai. His views are his own and do not represent
those of this publication, its investors, owners, or other staff.
