Shouldering social responsibility

In recent years, one way China

C it its poverty- has been alleviation sharing Ci ex experience with the Chinese world has been wC through in

Cv companies’ ve vestments and constructi tion of projects around th the world, especially in th the countries participatin ing in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Three Gorges Corporation, China’s largest clean energy company, has been fulfilling its social responsibilities during its construction and management of projects in Laos, according to a report published this month.

Apart from significantly improving local infrastructure, such as building new roads and houses, the company also shares knowledge and technology with the locals – the company has been promoting the localization of employees by providing jobs as well as professional and systematic technical training to the local people.

As education is considered crucial to shake off poverty, the company has helped renovate some schools near its project sites, along with donation activities.

Besides Laos, at its Chaglla hydroelectric power plant in Peru, the Three Gorges Corporation launched the “My Fish Farm” project in 2019, teaching local residents methods of fish farming in order to increase their incomes.

The project has been welcomed by the local community.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2019, the value of newly signed foreign contracted projects by Chinese companies stood at $ 260.25 billion, a year- on- year increase of 7.6 percent. The projects created nearly 800,000 jobs in the host countries as well as third countries.

China has also set up the ChinaUN Peace and Development Fund and the South- South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and made solid progress in cooperation projects under such frameworks as the Pilot Project of Poverty Reduction Cooperation in East Asia and the China- Africa Poverty Reduction and People’s Welfare Plan, said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry on October 19.

China has helped establish 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa, benefiting more than 500,000 local people. It has continued to seek greater synergy between BRI cooperation and the 2030 Agenda. According to a World Bank report, BRI cooperation has the potential to lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty. China has helped developing countries enhance capacity building through multilateral and bilateral channels and contributed to international cooperation on poverty relief, Zhao said.