Descripción de los instrumentos utilizados

In addition, CSR is also compatible with contemporary Chinese society, which is in the transition period. In order to achieve the sustainable development, Chinese society is shifting from the economic oriented society to a more balanced society- harmonious society. Chinese government began to address more social concerns, such as food safety, environmental pollution, the gap between poor and rich etc, along with maintaining economic growth. This tendency is similar to the change of a company’s role, from maximising shareholders’ interests, which is an economic orientated approach, to promoting the success of the company as a whole, which is a more balanced approach requiring the consideration of the stakeholders’ interests together with the shareholders’ profits. To some extent, Chinese society can be regarded as a bigger version of a company. The Chinese government is also shifting its policy from the priority of economic development to a harmonious society. Under this circumstance, harmonious society was firstly put forward by previous President Hu Jintao in the Party academy in 2006 to cope with the ‘thorny domestic issues, as well as a complicated and volatile international situation.’16 _{Building a socialist harmonious society was officially declared in the Sixth}

General Meeting of the Sixteenth Central Commission of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2006. The General Meeting declared that building a harmonious society is the long term goal of the Chinese socialism.17 _{Many social problems are considered to}

2007, 11(4): 15-40.

potentially cause conflicts and harm social harmony. These social problems and conflicts include but are not limited to: ‘inequality in regional development, population pressure and environmental pollution, unemployment, income inequality, low accessibility and quality of health care and security’.18 _{The General Meeting also approved the ‘Resolution on a}

number of major issues for Chinese Communist Party Central Committee regarding the building of a harmonious socialist society’, which clarified the current chief mission for the Chinese Communist Party was to solve existing social problems to build a socialist harmonious society by 2010. This Resolution stressed the

‘importance, guidelines, goals and principles of building a socialist harmonious society: coordinated development; social equity and justice; cultural harmony and the ideological and ethical foundations of social harmony; and the need to improve public administration to build a vigorous and orderly society.’19

This political statement officially affirmed that building a harmonious society would be a official mission of the Chinese Communist Party and it is also regarded as a important symbol for advancing CSR in China.20

CSR implies a good practice in an ethical way, which requests the directors of the companies to consider economic profits along with social norms and business ethics, when

Resolutions on the Construction of Socialist Harmonious Society by the Central Commission of the Chinese Communist party’, 11st October 2006, can be available at http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2006-10/18/content_5218639.htm. 18 _Ibid

19 _{‘China Publishes Its Resolution on Building a Harmonious Society’, China News and Report, available at} http://www.china.org.cn/english/report/189591.htm

20 Lin, Li-Wen, ‘Corporate social responsibility in China: Window dressing or structural change.’ Berkeley J. Int'l L. 28 (2010): 64.

they make a business decision. The company needs to fulfil its social role, as well as its economic role. CSR requests to promote the success of the company as a whole to achieve the company’s economic goal in a sustainable way. The company is supposed to respect people and local community and protect the environment, which is compatible with the theme of a harmonious society. As the Sixth Plenum of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party laid down the disharmonious elements, which should be overcome to achieve the harmonious society by 2020, as including ‘people’s rights and interests to be granted concrete respect and guarantees, the need for improvement in environmental management and the need to foster a sound moral atmosphere and harmonious interpersonal relationships.’21 _{These elements reflect the company’s primary stakeholders,}

including employees, local community, consumers and the environment. Thus, promoting CSR is compatible with creating harmonious society. The company will contribute greatly to building a harmonious society if the company is able to fulfil its social responsibility to consumer, the environment, local community, employees. Overall, the policy of ‘harmonious society’ can be regarded as a symbol of Chinese government which embraces CSR in the political perspective, and CSR can also be used as a tool to promote a harmonious society in China. 22

Recently, the new government replaced the term of ‘building a harmonious society’ by ‘realising the Chinese dream’, which was put forward by China’s new leader, President Xi jinping in 2013. The Chinese dream incorporates the term harmonious society and it

21 _{‘Communique of the Sixth Plenum of the Sixteenth CPC Central Committee’, People’s Daily, available at} http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/12/eng20061012_310923.html

22 _{Karlsson, D, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility : A Tool for Creating a Harmonious Society in China,’ Brussels,} European Institute for Asian Studies, 2011

normally refers to the need to ‘realise national rejuvenation, improve people’s livelihoods, construct a better society and achieve prosperity.’23 _{The core aim of the ‘Chinese dream’}

also can be summarised as ‘two one hundred’, namely: by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2021 and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049, China will gradually and ultimately achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which refers to the manifestation, rejuvenation, people's happiness; as well as a wealthy and powerful country. China will adhere to the socialism system with Chinese characteristics and continue to the integration construction of political, economic, cultural, social, and ecological civilization to achieve the Chinese dream.24 _{The Chinese dream embraces the goal of improving people’s}

livelihoods and achieving manifestation, rejuvenation, people's happiness; as well as a wealthy and powerful country, which integrates the concept of harmonious society. Therefore, CSR is also compatible with the term of ‘Chinese dream’ and can be used as a tool to realise Chinese dream.