China corporate governance report: the blue chips

CHINA MOBILE

Has “Responsibility Makes Perfection” as its core value. 2008 CSR report focuses on its use of technology at the Olympics, and its efforts to restore services after the Sichuan earthquake. Runs a detailed rural programme which expands network coverage to remote China through a programme called Village Connected, which reached 16,000 villages in 2008 and 60,000 since inception. Total donations to earthquake relief reached RMB286.2 million, which it says is the most of any centrally managed state-owned enterprise. It is involved in Warm China 12.1 Foundation, which supports 3,600 children orphaned by AIDS; has a culture programme, involved in things like mitigating the impact of spam SMS messages; it has invested in the training of 3,600 primary and middle school principals; and has been involved in building 1,000 libraries in rural China. Reduced energy use per unit of telecommunications traffic by 11% year on year in 2008. Became the first mainland Chinese company to be listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

CHINA TELECOM

China Telecom has adopted the mantra “broadband goes to every township, information technology goes to every villager’s home” and has built a programme to “informationise” rural areas, as the company puts it. Public welfare has included poverty alleviation teams dedicated to two Sichuan counties where they have built three primary schools and a hospital. It has also been providing poverty assistance to Bianba county in Tibet since 2002 and is involved in 30 construction projects in Tibet. Involved in the use of information technology for education such as distance learning. Closely involved in the Olympics and has developed a mechanism for emergency protection. It was praised for its speed in restoring external communications after the Sichuan earthquake with chairman Wang Xiaochu relocating to the area to supervise relief work. Total group donations reached RMB330 million.

PING AN

Probably best known for its Hope school-building programme. Also 600 employees and customers have participated in a voluntary teaching programme at the schools, averaging 200 hours service apiece. Combined group and employee donations to earthquake relief were RMB75 million. Became a party to the Self-disciplinary Convention on Environment Protection for Listed Companies in its home town Shenzhen in 2008. Introducing principles for responsible investment in 2009 to take environmental, social and governance factors into account when investing.