In 2020 that just passed, China fulfilled its goal in poverty alleviation for the new era as scheduled. As the backbone of China’s auto industry and a leading modern manufacturer in Beijing, BAIC contributes its share to the efforts to alleviate poverty. In the year never seen before, guided by the philosophy of being a “sunflower” corporate citizen, BAIC took active actions in fields like poverty reduction, pandemic fight and sports & culture, and achieved gratifying results in CSR, making the light of the “sunflower” warm more people.

Fulfilling CSR in Targeted Poverty Alleviation

In August 2020, at the report meeting about exemplary deeds in poverty alleviation held by the Office of Beijing Municipal Leading Group for Poverty Reduction Cooperation and Assistance, BAIC Motor was honored the Poverty Reduction Cooperation Award of Beijing (CSR Award), which is an epitome of BAIC’s vigorous efforts to fulfill its CSR. Over the past years, while maintaining quality development, BAIC has also worked to help combat poverty, playing a positive role in poverty alleviation through industrialization, employment, consumption, education or public welfare.

BAIC launched an innovative mode of poverty alleviation that combines training by BAIC, local training and directional employment, providing educational and training resources for registered students from poor families to improve skills and employability. BAIC signed a partner assistance agreement with Fuping Vocational Education Center, donating 75 vehicles and some other teaching facilities worth RMB10.81 million in total; it commenced the construction of BAIC-Hetian Automobile After-sales Service and Skill Training Base, offered trainings for 20-plus technicians from nine vocational schools in nine counties/cities across Hetian including Hetian Technician College, and donated over 30 pure electrical vehicles for the teaching purpose, set up 13 automobile related courses and sent three students majoring in automobiles to teach in Hetian by October 2020.  

BAIC also works to promote the economic growth in the assisted areas through industrial projects. Take the BAIC Foton-Zhangjiakou Loxa pump truck and crane manufacturing relocation project for example. By far, the project has yielded an industrial output value of RMB7.841 billion and offered over 600 jobs locally on a cumulative basis. Data shows, by the end of 2020, BAIC purchased RMB34.578 million of goods for the poverty alleviation purpose, and donated money or materials totaling over RMB45 million through education assistance, pandemic control and some other public welfare activities.  

Combating COVID-19 while Stabilizing Operation and Helping Industrial Chain Partners Resume Production

Right after the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, BAIC initiated the move of preventing against the epidemic while stabilizing operation. Its subordinate enterprises and related parties donated more than RMB72 million on a cumulative basis. BAIC Foton and Fujian Benz resumed production of negative pressure ambulances on the first day of the lunar month and transported them to several key epidemic-affected areas across China. BAIC Changhe donated and delivered EV5 epidemic prevention material transport vehicles and EV5 public health vehicles to many parts of China. The travelling service platforms “Speedy Transport” (Mofan Suyun) and “Easy Travelling” (Qingxiang Chuxing) and Beijing Hyundai offered free vehicle use services for medical workers and media reporters. In response to the call of Beijing Municipal Government for donating blood to fight the epidemic, employees across BAIC donated 120,000 ml of blood on a cumulative basis. BAIC also undertook the task of guaranteeing the transport of the medical teams aiding Hubei back to Beijing, escorting the heroes back with BAIC vehicles.

BAIC set double records in the resumption of production: BAIC Foton is the first complete vehicle manufacturer in China that resumed production, and Beijing Benz is the first complete vehicle joint venture manufacturer in China that resumed production, which powerfully supported the recovery of local society and economy. To tackle the challenges together with partners across the industrial chain, BAIC set up a special fund with RMB1 billion to help the suppliers in difficulty resume production as fast as possible, and increased the credit line by RMB4 billion to meet the financial demand across the industrial chain. In 2020, BAIC produced more than 30 million vehicles in total, listed among Fortune 500 enterprises for the eighth year in a row.

Integrating Automobile Manufacturing with Culture and Sports

What if automobiles meet cultural & creative industry? In 2020, BAIC’s high-end new energy vehicle brand ARCFOX unleashed a wave of trendy technology and automobile aesthetics at over 20 fashion landmarks in Beijing. First, it reached the strategic cooperation with the Creativity Fair sponsored by Beijing Cultural & Creative Industry Promotion Center, displaying its first mass-produced model αT at local landmarks like the Ming Dynasty Wall and Wangfujing; then, it’s invited to demonstrate the integration between “intelligent manufacturing” and “new trends of the traditional Chinese style” on the traditional Chinese product stage during Beijing Consumption Season. 

As a diamond partner of “See You in Beijing” series winter sports events, BAIC carried out event promotion focused on city public facilities in 2020, showing the public the charm and spirit of ice and snow sports. BAIC will also provide services for event operation, offering pure electrical and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and joining hands with BAIC Mobility and Foton Zhicheng to deliver green travelling experience. It’s noteworthy that BAIC will apply its latest autonomous driving technology to the site of “See You in Beijing” sports events to create a smart and brand-new ecology characterized by intelligence, connectivity and sharing.

Besides major sports events, BAIC has also input heavily into other fields of sports for years. 2020 marked the 10th year in which BAIC collaborates with Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports on the volleyball sport. BAIC men’s volleyball team won the champion in the 2020 National Men’s Volleyball Tournament, evidencing the success of the mode initiated by Beijing Volleyball Club and BAIC characterized by operation by sports administrations and famous enterprises. Embracing challenges and fighting hard is not only synonymous with BAIC men’s volleyball team, but also a portrait of BAIC’s spirit.

In 2020, in pursuit of quality development, BAIC stayed true to its original aspiration in CSR and worked to be the cornerstone of local economy. In 2021, BAIC will make continued efforts to let the “sunflower” bloom further and make the vision of “century-old BAIC helps build a better life” a reality at a faster pace.