What Chinese-style corporate philanthropy can teach multinationals

Grappling with the balance between profit and purpose

20220502 logo Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical.JPG

The logo of Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical outside their headquarters in Shanghai: In 2020 alone, Roche donated 24 million yuan in cash, drugs and materials to Chinese government agencies working on COVID-19-related issues. © Reuters

Ruth A. Shapiro is co-founder and CEO of the Center for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS). She is the author of "Pragmatic Philanthropy: Asian Charity Explained and editor of The Real Problem Solvers." Vincent Cheng is research manager at CAPS.

To those outside China, the burden of doing business there may seem heavier with recent mandates about corporate social responsibility. While domestic companies must also follow the new rules, foreign companies face obligations that may clash with cultural and legal norms back home.

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