Many countries have benefited greatly from an influx of investment from China; much of this investment has come from Chinese State-owned enterprises (SOEs). Functioning as China's national champions, Chinese SOEs have been the vehicles for the Chinese government to obtain resources from the international market, to participate in international market competition, and to expand Chinese national soft power. They also allow Chinese SOEs to gain controlling interests in foreign companies; this opens doors for other Chinese enterprises to sell goods and services abroad; this is a pattern that is well established from prior eras of foreign investment in countries such as Australia. However, these SOEs are also facing challenges overseas, especially the SOEs investing in the natural resources sector overseas. In order to meet the challenges of modern corporate governance, Chinese SOEs have sought to enhance their corporate governance practices whilst the Chinese government has also sought to reform its inefficient SOEs. In response to the challenges facing modern globally-active companies, China has adopted corporate social responsibility (CSR) ideas to better regulate its enterprises. This has often been supported by legislative mechanisms. With increasing outward-bound investment by Chinese SOEs, many SOEs have also developed their own CSR codes. This chapter explores some CSR norms developed by Chinese government agencies and China's SOEs and examines how Chinese SOEs have implemented CSR norms to protect non-economic interests in natural resources rich countries, such as Australia.

China's recent economic transformation and integration into the world economy has coincided with increasing pressure for corporate law reform to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) integral to business and management strategy in China. This timely book critically analyses contemporary notions of CSR in China, discussing theory and practice alongside legal responses in this emerging field. Jingchen Zhao uniquely combines the history, traditions and social policies of China with Chinese law, explaining the significance of path dependence in China. He presents an in-depth debate on the difficulties involved in transplanting developed legal principles directly into Chinese society, and takes a detailed look at the CSR provisions in Chinese company law which aimed to put social and environmental concerns onto the corporate agenda. He suggests how these laws could be more effectively and efficiently enforced with reference to UK law, and explores specific issues including: * Chinese Company Law 2006 * the 'Harmonious Society' in China * the 2008 Financial Crisis and its impact on the Chinese economy * recent corporate scandals including the Sanlu Baby Milk scandal, the Wenchuan earthquake and CSR donations, the Beijing Olympic Games and CSR, and the Fujia chemical plant. This book will prove an enlightening read for academics and practitioners in the fields of law, business and management interested in CSR and the law in contemporary China.

This book is compiled based on the research methodology and technical approach applied in the Blue Book of Corporate Social Responsibility. It consists of five parts: Summary, index, Industry, Case Studies, and Appendices. The index evaluates Chinese enterprises annually on their performance in CSR management and the level of information disclosure by assessing four different aspects: responsibility management, economic responsibilities, social responsibilities and environmental responsibilities. Moreover, it identifies and analyzes phase-specific characteristics of CSR development in China in the hope of providing references for further studies on Chinese CSR.

In today’s globalized and competitive business environment, companies increasingly look to restructuring, mergers & acquisitions and downsizing to survive, grow and maximize profits. However, when they are not managed in a socially responsible manner, restructurings may exert the negative impact on employees, shareholders, communities, and society as a whole. The book empirically explores the phenomena of corporate social responsibility (CSR), restructuring, and relationships with firms’ performance in China. It gives an insight into how Chinese firms respond to expectations of stakeholders by making social goals a part of their overall business operations. It also gives a fresh view of the new concept of socially responsible restructuring. For those seeking to promote socially responsible practices in restructuring, the book provides a unique and stimulating analysis and touchstone.

In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting in China has been experiencing a rapid development and the number of social reports issued by Chinese enterprises shows a sharp increasing trend. This book investigates the evolution of such reporting practice in the country and the reasons behind it. In addition, it also examines the reporting quantity and quality of Chinese enterprises by applying the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) as an evaluation tool. In response to policy documents so as to obtain the government’s recognition and to strive for more resources, state-owned enterprises, private enterprises and foreign-invested companies have made substantial efforts in social reporting in terms of quantity and coverage. However, it appears that there is still room for enhancing the quality of disclosure. The book also highlights the central government’s economic, political and social roles in promoting, encouraging and controlling the development of CSR reporting.

Over the years, many corporations have been trying to determine what they can and should do to contribute to the sustainability of the economic, social and ecological environment within which they operate. Corporate social responsibility has become a key senior management issue worldwide and an increasingly debated topic in China. This book aims at helping companies operating in China to better assess and exercise their corporate social responsibility (CSR) in specific contexts. The purpose of this book is to show that CSR has a strong economic pay back in the long run, that it is a key success factor in nurturing corporate excellence, and that a sense of urgency and accrued inventiveness are required from companies operating in China. Cross-disciplinary in scope, the book aims at helping students and analysts in political science, governance, international relations and Chinese studies to understand and appreciate the unique role that firms play in shaping a new China. It focuses on the relationship between the state, civil society and corporations in the Chinese context. It researches the conditions under which this relationship might result in redefining China''s developmental model. This practical, business-oriented book takes into account China''s classical and contemporary thought on CSR. It is the result of a long research and collaborative process with several institutions and industry leaders .

The Nature, the Performance, and the Reform of State-owned Enterprises provides a detailed description of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China with respect to both efficiency and income distribution. It shows that state ownership in the form of SOEs does not use resources efficiently and has a poor record in income distribution. Moreover, SOEs are found to enjoy unfair advantages in their competition with other firms. To illustrate the point, the book presents data revealing how favored policies, monopolistic powers, and subsidies benefit SOEs. These advantages are worth several trillion yuans a year. It is a sad irony that such wealth of the people is used to beef up the revenues of the SOEs, making their accounts look much better than they should be.This book, with its rich empirical data and information, is an authoritative reference for researchers interested in SOEs. It is also a good read for students of social sciences and the public to learn more about SOEs.

This book explores how the traditional Chinese culture and business ownership influence corporate social responsibility in China. By comparing state-owned enterprises, private companies and multinational companies, it shows how corporate social responsibility is perceived and practiced at the corporate level in these companies. It also studies how intertwined company practices and the Chinese culture are, and how this relationship affects the business environment in China. Further, it highlights the value of economic factors in corporate social responsibility, and the influence of Chinese philosophy on corporate ethics. It is a valuable tool for researchers and academics wishing to understand the dynamics of corporate social responsibility in China and discover the significant influencing factors in China's business arena.

This book presents case studies on the human rights performance of state-owned enterprises from four Latin American and three European countries, as well as foreign investments by Chinese state-owned enterprises on these continents. State-owned enterprises are considered among some of the worst perpetrators of contamination and corporate human rights violations around the globe, both domestically and abroad. This volume examines whether companies implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and how their state owners regulate or incentivize their human rights compliance. Studies cover different sectors ranging from finance to extractives and air transport in Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, and Mexico and allow contrasts between companies from countries with different degrees of human rights regulation, including due diligence and supply chain laws. The work shows that states are rather hesitant to implement the UN Guiding Principles “leading by example.” The book will be essential reading for academics, researchers, and policy-makers working in the areas of international human rights law, comparative administrative law, and corporate social responsibility.