China

The idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was not conceptualized when the first Chinese Company Law (CCL) was enacted in the 1990s. But CSR was one of the many issues considered in the process of modernizing company law and it has been given an explicit legal recognition by Chinese Company Law since 2006. However, there is no clear and specific definition for CSR in the Chinese legal system. It is also a controversial concept among the Chinese academia. Currently, there is no obvious sign that Chinese government officials would apply the concept embodied in international instruments such as ISO 26000, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD Guidelines) and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles). However, the number of CSR reports published in China has grown steadily in the past decade. International initiatives on CSR are increasingly incorporated into local initiatives in China. A persuasive online survey indicates that respondents are broadly confident about the future development of CSR in China, with 84% believing that the level of CSR knowledge, implementation and communication will grow in the next decade. Although the government will remain the key driver of CSR development, the role of the general public will continue to grow in importance. As far as Private International Law (PIL) issues of CSR are concerned, generally no distinct rules have been developed in China yet.