Compilation of Chinese Standards

Social and environmental standards are intended to protect people and ecosystems from the negative impacts of investment projects. They may be reflected in policies, guidelines or systems that developers, investors and financiers adopt to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of their business activities. They should be implemented during the entire project cycle, from identification, design and preparation, through development and operation, to the closure of a project.

Chinese companies and financiers often lack strong institutional policies to deal with social and environmental issues. However, this is gradually beginning to change. Chinese banks have adopted internal social and environmental policies. Chinese companies are increasingly making commitments to operate in a responsible manner when operating overseas, adopting their own policies and signing on to international principles and standards. Importantly, Chinese state institutions have recognized the need for improved social and environmental standards in overseas investments and in recent years have issued several policies for financiers and companies operating overseas.

The policies and guidelines adopted by the Chinese government to date often lack detail and none have enforcement or accountability mechanisms related to social and environmental responsibilities. However, they are becoming increasingly detailed and indicate ongoing high-level support for improving practices in overseas projects, and they can potentially be drawn on by communities seeking to protect their rights and the environment. This section covers some of the key state policies and administrative regulations that govern Chinese overseas investment, as well as social and environmental guidelines currently in place.

This compilation of Chinese standards draws together policies and guidelines relevant to overseas investment and finance issued by state institutions, industry associations, companies and banks. It is organized according to the types of projects each set of standards applies to. You can find discussion on specific documents and explanations of how they apply in Inclusive Development International’s online resource, How to Hold Chinese Corporations Accountable.