What do Chinese enterprises bring to the world?
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E-mail China Today, September 8, 2015
Taking on responsibilities
When carrying out projects, Chinese enterprises assume their social responsibilities. Vice President of China Metallurgical Group Corporation Xu Xiangchun gave an instance of how one project comprehensively improved local infrastructure.
"It was in 1991 when we started to build a copper and gold mine in Pakistan. The locals lived a tough life – no access to clean water and electricity. Therefore, we first constructed a water treatment plant and a diesel power station in that area. Living conditions were greatly improved. Electric lights replaced oil lamps and drinking water became safe."
"On top of that, we built a hospital on finding that there were no health care facilities in that area. It not only benefits our Chinese workers, but also the local people. On average, about 1,000 person-times of locals come to the hospital every year," Xu continued. "We also encourage the villagers to venture into businesses that are relevant to our project including setting up lime factories and aggregate plants, which can on the one hand provide us with materials, and on the other, generate revenues for them. Moreover, in anticipation of hiring local workers, we built primary schools and vocational schools to train future workers."
In addition to job opportunities, many countries look forward to the prospect of China providing more technology transfers. "Technology transfer has a deep significance to building our capacity and boosting the country's economic development," said Nonofo E. Molefi, minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology of Botswana, "We hope technology transfer can be one part of infrastructure investments."
In fact, some Chinese companies have also realized demands of this kind – they can do much more than simply undertake projects.
Du Fei, vice president of China Road and Bridge Corporation, confirmed that his company has sponsored about 200 students from several countries to study in China. They first learn Chinese for one year and study professional knowledge and techniques over the next few years. "Furthermore, we have established laboratories at some of our construction sites abroad and set up experimental bases with local universities that offer engineering programs."
Chinese enterprises have always attached great importance to construction quality and occupational safety.
In the last two years, Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) assisted Trinidad and Tobago in building a children's hospital that is the largest and the best in the entire Caribbean. American construction standards were adopted in the project and a top supervision company from the U.S. was invited to the construction site. According to SCG's Vice President Bian Jiajun, the company not only completed the buildings' construction, but also provided all its equipment – advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) apparatus, scalpels, stationery, etc. "Doctors and nurses can simply get down to work once they step in the hospital."
When China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd undertook projects in Kazakhstan, it strictly followed high standards relating to occupational safety. P6, the highest level engineering management software used in Western countries, was adopted by the Chinese company in Kazakhstan and is expected to be widely used in all the company's overseas projects.
Responsibility also implies that one must put his/her business in order no matter what. Song Dongsheng, president of Sinohydro Corporation Limited, gave an example in this regard. When the company undertook a hydropower station project in Felou, Mali, the staff experienced the civil war in 2012 and 2013. Though all engineers from Western countries left Mali, Chinese staff stayed and continued working with local workers. "We did not stop the project for one single day. This shows we've taken on our biggest social responsibility."
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