CSR Reporting and the Belt and Road Initiative

Implementation by Chinese Multinational Enterprises

Ruopiao Zhang, Carlos Noronha, Jieqi Guan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9781032298689
• eBook ISBN: 9781000905052
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major development strategy launched by the Chinese government with the goal of fostering economic cooperation among countries along the proposed routes. The BRI marks a new era in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) from developing countries are beginning to take primary responsibility for driving global flows of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Among hotly debated topics on how the BRI is reshaping the global competitive landscape, corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices of Chinese MNEs along the Belt and Road are noteworthy but relatively less discussed.

This book investigates how do Chinese MNEs engage with, define, and implement CSR under such an enormous cooperative initiative through analyzing their CSR reporting practices in the BRI host countries. Besides this, opportunities and challenges of the BRI investments for sustainable development in host countries are examined. The book provides critical insights into the current institutional architecture for CSR reporting to promote sustainable development. It also highlights the importance of stakeholders' capacities to sustain, enact, and execute strict CSR disclosure laws and regulations.

The findings mark important implications, particularly in view of growing concerns about international reputational damage of unsustainable OFDI. The book is suitable for researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of CSR, sustainability development, accounting, and international business; as well as others who are keen on the latest development of the BRI in relation to other developing and least-developed countries.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Endorsements Page
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Foreword
• Acknowledgment
• List of abbreviations
• 1 Globalization, CSR, and Multinational Enterprises from Emerging Economies (EMNEs)
• 2 The Rise of China’s Economy and the Chinese MNEs
• 3 The Belt and Road Initiative and CSR
• 4 CSR Reporting and Chinese MNEs
• 5 CSR Reporting in BRI Countries
• 6 Assessment of CSR Reporting Quality along the Belt and Road
• 7 CSR Reporting Contents of Chinese MNEs in BRI Host Countries
• 8 The Impact of Ownership Types on CSR Reporting Contents and Quality
• 9 Industry-specific CSR Reporting Contents in BRI Host Countries
• 10 CSR of Chinese MNEs in Developing Countries under the BRI Context: Through the Lens of Africa
• 11 How China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is Faring: Implications and Outlooks for Corporate Social Responsibility
• Index