Private Chinese companies have donated more than 10 million yuan
(about 1.38 million U.S. dollars) to snow-stricken areas, according
to the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China
(CPC) Central Committee.
China Society for Promotion of Guangcai Program (CSPGP), an
association established by delegates from the private sector, and
other private companies made the donation in cash or donated
clothes on Sunday.
Hu Deping, deputy head of the department and CSPGP
vice-chairman, said it was time for companies to show their social
responsibility.
Also on Sunday, Huang Mengfu, All-China Federation of Industry
and Commerce (ACFIC) chairman, urged all Chinese private companies
to take action in combating the snow havoc.
Huang said private companies have made donations to
disaster-stricken areas, went to railway stations to help stranded
passengers, and arranged the daily lives for its employees who
failed to return home for family reunion during the Spring
Festival.
"The private companies will also provide job vacancies to people
in snowstorm-hit regions to help them recover from the disaster,"
Hu said.
The snow, the heaviest in decades in many places, has been
falling in China's eastern, central and southern regions for almost
three weeks. It has caused death, structural collapse, blackouts,
accidents, transport problems and livestock and crop
destruction.
(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)