People

Giving back

By Andrew Moody (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-30 06:26

Chen Guangbiao is one of China's new generation of entrepreneurs who takes corporate social responsibility (CSR) seriously.

Chen Guangbiao, China's 406th richest business person, believes in giving back to society. [Du Lianyi]

The 41-year-old, who is China's 406th wealthiest business person with a personal fortune worth 2 billion yuan, had given more than 600 million yuan to charity by the end of last year.

Time line  Creating a harmonious society

His company, Jiangsu Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilization Co Ltd, a recycling business which he set up in 1998, sets aside 30 percent of its turnover for charity every year.

"Chinese entrepreneurs have become much more aware of the importance of giving something back to society," he says.

"If you have a cup of water, you drink it yourself; if you have a bucket of water, you have it in your home for your family.

"But if you have a river, you have a responsibility to share it with other people."

Corporate social responsibility is not a new concept in China. Following the birth of New China in 1949, the ethos of the centrally planned economy was for companies to supply goods and services for the benefit of society as whole.

State-owned enterprises also had a wider responsibility toward their employees and provided in many cases schools, accommodation and food.

The modern, Western concept of CSR was largely imported into China in the late 1990s.

Major international brands like Nike and Adidas wanted to conduct social audits of their supply chains and became interested in such issues as workers' rights and the pollution missions from manufacturing processes.

"The concept of corporate social responsibility has been around in the West for the past 200 years, if you think of the early industrial philanthropists," Chen says.

"In China, it has only been in the last 20 years that people have been aware of the concept. I think initially the main aim of the new entrepreneurs in China was to make money, but now there is much more of a focus on environmental protection and other issues."

A big turning point in terms of China taking CSR issues on board was the country joining the World Trade Organization in 2001.