OREANDA-NEWS.  July 26, 2013. Agricultural Bank of China Limited (ABC) won awards for “Most Socially Responsible Financial Institution of the Year”, “Best Green Finance”, “Best Practical Case of Social Responsibility” and “Excellent Charity Project” for its excellent social responsibility performance. ABC Jiangrang Banking Department in Cuoqin County of Tibet and Changxing Sub-branch in Ningde of Fujian won the award for “Annual Branch with Best Social Responsibility Practice” of the 2012 China banking sector social responsibility award ceremony of the China Banking Association. In the ceremony, Mr. Li Zhenjiang, ABC Board Secretary announced the Convention of China Banking Sector on the Public Charity Self-discipline on behalf of the self-discipline committee of China Banking Association.

As a large commercial bank with business covering urban and rural areas, ABC shoulders diversified and wide responsibilities. For many years, ABC has taken responsibility by unswervingly serving “Sannong” (agriculture, farmers and rural areas), initiating sustainable development mechanism and mode of commercial banks, paying close attention to energy conservation and environmental protection, and striving to create a green bank. While creating value for shareholders, ABC vigorously pioneered and actively participated in social welfare practices by sticking to social and public welfare working guidelines to fulfill its social responsibilities and benefit the general public.

In recent years, ABC actively carried out fixed-point poverty alleviation and donation activities to boost "charity banking" by following the principle of “helping vulnerable groups, supporting the impoverished and supporting green environmental protection”. It supported poverty alleviation in Wuqiang County and Raoyang County of Hebei, developed micro-credit poverty alleviation with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, and provided basic financial knowledge popular education for junior school students of state-level poor counties in the central and western regions.

In terms of “frontier banking”, community-level outlets of ABC have spared no effort to provide banking services for local general public. ABC employees in Jiangrang Banking Department in Cuoqin County of Tibet with a height of 5,100 meters popularized “Sannong” knowledge and provided banking services for local farmers and herdsmen to help them increase their income. ABC Changxing Sub-branch in Ningde of Fujian set up a banking service station on the sea, providing financing and settlement services for marine farmers, facilitated funds settlement of customers, and prevented cash payment risk.

In terms of “livelihood banking”, ABC supported the preservation and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage such as cultural inheritance skill protection, construction of craft workshops, and traditional public cultural transmission. It focused on intangible cultural skills including supporting Miao handicraftsmen of Guizhou in the transmission of Miao embroidery, silver jewelry, and traditional papermaking, thus promoting the understanding and communication of various cultural skills and developing and protecting cultural and humanitarian values of handicrafts through training, cultural edification, and crafts exchange.

As for “green banking”, ABC launched “Water Quality Improvement Project-Drinking Water Security Project For Primary And Secondary School Students In Poverty-Stricken Areas”, providing water quality improvement facilities and hot-water solutions for 25 schools in poverty-stricken areas.  As a result, more children drink clean and healthy water. Having good water also indirectly improves education quality and achievement. Additionally, ABC provided support for poverty-alleviation volunteer stations of Youcheng China Social Entrepreneur Foundation in 7 contiguous destitute areas by launching the study, monitoring, and management of the improvement of water pollution in poverty-stricken areas and strengthening water security in poverty-stricken communities.

In the future, ABC will earnestly continue the responsibilities given by the state, shareholders, customer, and general public in terms of “charity banking, frontier banking, livelihood banking and green banking” as part of being a responsible bank, thereby striving for better development and contributing its efforts for a beautiful China and Chinese dream.