Twelve enterprises, including China Resources Vanguard and Guangdong Jinjin Fruit Co. Ltd., have offered to purchase products worth 1.25 billion yuan (US$186 million) from rural areas at an event, which aimed to mark the Guangdong Poverty Alleviation Day and promote rural revitalization in Civic Center, Futian District, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 14 companies and social organizations including Vanke, Tencent Foundation and Tongxin Charity Foundation pledged to donate over 485 million yuan, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
“Tencent has been actively participating in public services related to poverty alleviation, education, and elderly care in Shenzhen and Guangdong and promoting poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. This is a way Tencent gives back to society,” Dou Ruigang, executive secretary of Tencent Foundation, was quoted as saying.
Since 2016, Tencent has participated in Guangdong Poverty Alleviation Day’s activities for seven consecutive years, with donations totaling 540 million yuan, including 190 million yuan donated in Shenzhen, according to Dou.
Additionally, Tencent has donated nearly 300 million yuan to support projects related to the coordination between the city’s east and the west, in education and pension reform, as well as the China Charity Fair.
In response to China’s rural revitalization strategy, Tencent has set up a laboratory in its sustainable social value division to explore how to use technology and digitalization to help with rural revitalization.
At the event, Liu Weixiang, head of the city’s rural revitalization and cooperation and exchange bureau, called on Party and government agencies, enterprises and public institutions, social organizations and residents to explore the use of new technologies, new business formats and new models to help rural revitalization while capitalizing on Shenzhen’s advantages in science and technology, industry, market and capital.
“I participate in the Guangdong Poverty Alleviation Day activities in Shenzhen and insist on pledging donations every year. It can be said that every year, the activities bring me more excitement and encouragement,” said Liu Xianyi, chairman of the board at Xinyi Group and the first president of Tongxin Charity Foundation.
During this year’s event, Tongxin Charity Foundation donated 130 million yuan. Meanwhile, Liu also donated 200 million yuan in his own name to the Longgang District Education Bureau to build a school.
The event and its related activities will run until May 2023.