By Danny Levinson
Wrapping up this year's most interesting stories in Corporate Social Responsibility in China is unfortunately quite easy. It's unfortunate because some of the most influential stories did not necessarily have good outcomes for humans in China. But other developments in China were positive.

These are my own top five picks and I chose them based on their impact on society and their general importance to other developments in China.

Carrying toxic benzene-contaminated water, the Songhua River cleanup continued in China's northeast in January. Harbin, home to nine million including 3.8 million in the urban districts, saw frequent water cuts as an emergency action taken to ensure public safety followed a chemical plant explosion in Jilin Province on November 13, 2005. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that China had informed Russia of the water pollution situation in the river which borders both countries.

For positive news, Qiu Baoxing, Vice Minister of Construction, said that approximately two billion square meters of floor area is constructed annually, which almost accounts for a half of the annual constructed floor area all around the world. The newly constructed buildings and the 40 billion square meter floor area of existing buildings in China influence the sustainable development of China. The Energy-Efficiency Code of Public Construction was issued, which needs to now be popularized nationwide.

"Safety First" was the anthem for Chinese President Hu Jintao, as he gloriously urged government officials to "put people first" when developing new safe production methods to boost the nation's economy. Hu said that economic progress could not be achieved by sacrificing people's well-being or the environment and that better regulations should be promulgated along with more inspections of work areas.

Donations and charity played an even greater role in 2006. Cathay Pacific Airways donated 64.7 million shares that it held in China National Aviation Company Limited to 71 Hong Kong, Mainland and Asian charities. Organizers of the 2006 MasterCard World Community Cup, ClubFootball and the British Chamber of Commerce in China have announced that the total raised from the 5-a-side football tournament will amount to RMB220,000. And the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai Corporate Social Responsibility Conference and Awards Ceremony honored companies like Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Amway, Ford, and Coca-Cola for their charitable giving. The list goes on…

Finally, Apple's iPod fiasco with Foxconn, its local OEM partner, caused a stir in China and abroad. A dubious article in a British tabloid sparked dialogue around the world about whether Apple was accepting harsh treatment of Foxconn's employees in exchange for cheaper product manufacturing. Apple launched an investigation and though it found some problems, it basically gave Foxconn a clean report.

Let's hope 2007 provides even more opportunities for socially responsible growth in China!

About the author:
Danny is the Editor and Publisher of ChinaCSR.com and has worked in China for 10 years and travels frequently, mostly to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. His views are his own and do not represent those of this publication, its investors, owners, or other staff.