CSR Information Disclosure powers Chinese enterprises going abroad

The Silk Road Economic Belt and "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" strategy drive more and more Chinese enterprises going abroad to explore international market and promote self-influence. Accordingly, international society attach more importance to Chinese enterprises and involve more diverse issues. How to disclose information, shape good image and explore better value expression is vital to an enterprise for the sustainable development overseas.  
In the 9th International Conference on CSR Reporting in China held in Pudong District of Shanghai on December 1, 2016, the Parallel forum III: CSR Information Disclosure of Chinese Enterprises Going Abroad, cohosted by China WTO Tribune, China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals & Chemicals Importers & Exporters and Emerging Market Multinationals(EMM) Network for sustainability, GIZ, invited experts and enterprise representatives experienced in oversea social responsibility disclosure to share their insights.
Sun Lihui, General Director, Development Department, China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals &Chemicals Importers &Exporters
“We are the first to state it in the Responsibility Performance Management Guideline on China’s Responsible Mining Supply Chain that all the stakeholders in the upstream and downstream supply chain should assume common but different responsibilities. For Chinese mining enterprises overseas, it is far from enough to have guidance on social responsibility and due diligence guidelines for supply chain. They should take actions to integrate social responsibility into their management. As an industry association, we have helped to establish an authoritative international expert team. We will further develop a series of communication tools for stakeholders and communities to help enterprises do social responsibility performance assessment. We will build and spread the responsible image of Chinese enterprises with our efforts and actions.”
Liang Xiaohui, Deputy Chief Economist, China National Textile Information Centre; Chief Researcher, Office for Social Responsibility, China National Textile and Apparel Council
“While communicating with stakeholders, enterprises should be sincere from the inner most and must let others know the things they really concern. Material communication is very important. Also, the way of communication is very essential. The first English report on SDG framework published by HNA Group this year is a very good example to use proper language to communicate. Speaking and communication are not the final goals, but only means. It is how to do things that matters. This is very important.”
Lou Yun, Senior CSR Manager, CGN Power Co., Ltd.
 “We should realize that transparency is an obligation in overseas, avoid over and invalid disclosure, and try to act according one’s ability and be practical and realistic. Especially, we should make commitments according to the company’s operating phase, neither making no commitment nor promise to do something out of one’s ability, and maintain our principle in information disclosure.”
Sun Xiaowen, CSR Planning and Research Manager, CSR Department, HNA Group
“The English CSR report published by HNA Group this year is not a simple translation of its Chinese version, but a new one compiled according to SDGs. While facing overseas stakeholders, enterprises have to use a world language and adopt the western way of logic. Enterprises should analyze carefully and find out the things most relevant with the company’s business while adopting SDGs as the framework to draw up reports. Using SDGs as framework to compile CSR reports doesn’t mean that we have to follow the 169 targets strictly, but that we should follow SDGs’ wisdom and way of thinking. I believe the development tendency for future social responsibility reports should be SDGs reports.
Yang Ronghui, Deputy General Manager and member of Party Leadership Group, Yunnan International Co., Ltd，China Southern Power Grid
“As the implementation subject of China Southern Power Grid to carry out “Belt and Road” construction, we fulfill social responsibility and disclose social responsibility information actively. We not only build fine projects in overseas, but also communicate with the local proprietors actively. Besides, we have made overseas student cultivation plan with the Lao government jointly to integrate into the local and pay attention to information disclosure. These management and practices all improve the local stakeholders’ recognition to us.”
Zhao Xiufu, Deputy Director, Research Centre, Aluminum Corporation of China (CHALCO)
“CHALCO is an enterprise going abroad. Although it is difficult, we have opened a new world. For instance, we have built a very large copper mine in Peru. Before entering the mine, we have brought the water pollution in the local area under control. They had polluted the water for nearly 80 years and no one made any effort to treat it before. However, we solved the problem. Then, we built a mine under the mountain and moved the 1050 households around the mine. The society believes that we have established a CHALCO model. This implies two aspects. One is that if you want to attain the approval of mining, you should win the social recognition first. The other is that if you want to build a mine, you should build a mining city first. We did it very well and it has huge international influence.”
Zhao Baozhu, Director, Consulting Department, GoldenBee CSR Consulting
“The responsible management of China’s enterprises overseas requires a normalized mechanism for information disclosure, through which to realize the sustainability of information disclosure in overseas. Apart from this, overseas CSR reports should pay attention to the diverse communication ways and carriers.”
Main Conclusions
I. The basis of social responsibility communication is to use language of social responsibility, and the language and concepts that others can understand.
II. The disclosure of social responsibility communication information is a process, which can be inward, or realized by the feedback of outside information.
III. The aim of publishing social responsibility reports is to facilitate stakeholders access to the relevant information.
IV. Social responsibility reports should publish information based on what the company has done and what the environment requires.
V.  Social responsibility reports should have specific publishing objects.
VI. The publishing way of social responsibility reports determines whether the information is received by the willing ears and whether they achieve substantial effects or not.