One Dream, Two Worlds: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the People`s Republic of China

Abstract

This article investigates how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is operated in China with a particular focus on the role of the government. It finds that CSR in China is implemented through two big networks: one for foreign invested enterprises, mostly consisting of voluntary initiatives targeting Chinese domestic consumers, and the other of domestic state owned enterprises (SOEs), implementing non-voluntary, government-driven initiatives mostly targeting foreign markets. The role of the government is especially critical in the latter network. The government has developed a national strategy to encourage SOEs to promote CSR by issuing guidelines providing various kinds of support for research and conventions, and developing China`s own reporting standards in certain industries. Government intervention has resulted in the creation of two separate worlds of CSR and a Chinese version of government-led CSR in which the role of civil actors such as nongovernmental organizations is seriously limited.