This morning, the environmentalist Feng Yongfeng called for the revocation of Zijin Mining Group’s title as “China’s Most Honest Enterprise in 2009” in a public letter addressed to the China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association. He also demanded the public disclosure of information on the nomination process. The following is an excerpt from the letter.
23rd July 2010
To: China Enterprise Confederation & China Enterprise Directors Association
In early July 2010, Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd, China’s largest gold producer, has put itself in the spotlight of public scrutiny as a result of a pollution scandal. In May 2010, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China already released a circular denouncing the company for its pollution problems. Before the release of the circular, disputes had arisen between the public and the company over repeated pollution incidents. Various signs have revealed that Zijin Mining Group is an ingenuine listed company that does not take adequate measures to protect the environment. It has failed not only to carry out its corporate environmental responsibilities, but also to show the most basic environmental honesty required of a social corporation.
In 2009 alone, Zijin won numerous awards, all of which can be found on its website (www.zjky.cn). It was listed as a nationwide experimental enterprise for intellectual property rights; Fujian’s first innovative enterprise of excellence at the provincial level and one of Mainland China’s top 10 enterprises listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Fujian made the company’s cathode copper an exemplary product of the province, and on top of all this, Zijin was awarded the title of “China’s Most Honest Enterprise in 2009.”
Zijin’s certificate as China’s most honest enterprise in 2009
The following paragraph is a piece of news from 14 January 2010 taken from the website:
Zijin Mining Group has been announced winner at the award ceremony for “China’s Most Honest Enterprise in 2010” organised by the China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association. On 9 January 2010, assistant executive Lü Wenyuan, who represented the company, received the honorary certificate at the ceremony held in the conference centre of the National People’s Congress. (Author: Zhuang Chengwen)
This is why I previously submitted a request to your organisation to confirm whether or not the title was awarded by the nominating committee for honest enterprises made up of members from the China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association.
Although government departments have repeatedly denounced your association for awarding the title without authorisation and for seeking personal gains, enterprises recognise the event and are eager to win the award, as can be seen from the large number of companies participating this time.
In recent years, Zijin Mining Group has been dishonest with regards to environmental protection, and I strongly believe that such an enterprise does not deserve to be voted “most honest enterprise.” Announcing an organisation that is known for its dishonest actions the most honest enterprise is clearly the result of a lack of responsibility on the part of your nominating committee.
Therefore, on behalf of myself, those who pay attention to companies’ environmental credibility and all the people that have been deceived and disrespected, I would like to bring forward to you the following four demands:
1) The release of an official statement through the main, state-approved media organisations that revokes the title of “Most Honest Enterprise in 2009” from Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd.
2) The release of an official report through the main, state-approved media organisations that lays out the reason for the committee’s decision to vote Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd “most honest enterprise”, and the revision process leading to this decision.
3) The release of an official report through the main, state-approved media organisations that provides the names of the members of the selection committee, the names of the members of the committee’s expert group and all basic information on the referees.
4) The release of an official list through the main, state-approved media organisations that lays out all services, and monetary and non-monetary items that your organisation received from Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd throughout the nomination process.
Feng Yongfeng
Source (in Chinese): GreenSohu