Covid-19: Members’ donations and support

British businesses have stepped forward to support the response efforts in Hubei and across China.  Support has included medical supplies and medical equipment, members’ expertise and products, and financial aid. 

As of 2th March, 2020, members of the British chambers of commerce in China have provided financial support in cash and equivalents exceeding £18 million (RMB 154 million).  Members are continuing to announce financial support and / or expertise to help China and the world tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Here we capture highlights of members’ support.  If your support is not yet captured here, then please get in touch with the Chamber.

  • Abacare donated RMB 2 million (£220,000) to Hubei Charity Federation on January 29, Datong also actively tried to raise the most scarce materials to support the fight against the epidemic.
  • Arm: Arm donated RMB 5m (£550,000) and 20,000 surgical masks via its Chinese subsidiary, Arm China, and shipped 14,000 surgical masks to China.
  • AstraZeneca has provided medical supplies and financial support exceeding RMB 6.5m (£715,000). This includes an initial donation of RMB 1m to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, a second donation on 2 February of medicines worth RMB 5.5m to Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital through the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, and the donation of 15,000 face masks to 15 hospitals in Wuhan.
  • BP China has donated more than RMB 2 million (£220,000) to support addressing coronavirus. This includes over RMB 1 million of medical supplies to the Hubei province, and RMB 1m cash donation to the China Charity Foundation (中华慈善总会).
  • Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) made over RMB 16 million (£1.7 million) in donations by CKGSB’s alumni and student community, including medical equipment, medicine and protective devices; including
    • 4 million masks donated by our alumni and their companies;
    • 5 million pairs of medical gloves donated by our alumni and their companies;
    • 250,000 protective units donated by our alumni and their companies;
    • 50,000 goggles donated by our alumni and their companies;
    • CKGSB’s Hubei Alumni Association have purchased RMB 8.59 million worth of masks, goggles and protective suits for hospitals and people in the Hubei Province.
    • 400 hospital beds provided for affected patients at CKGSB alumna headed, Yaxin Hospital in Wuhan.
  • DIAGEO has donated RMB 10 million (£1.1m). This includes RMB 9m donated on 30 January via Diageo owned Shuijingfang to the Wuhan Charity Federation and an additional RMB 1m donated by Diageo directly to support ongoing relief efforts.
  • Dyson China donated 2,000 Dyson Pure Hot+Cool™ machines with the total value of RMB 9 million (£990,000) to selected medical institutions, nursing homes, community supply distribution centers of epidemic prevention and schools across Hubei Province in Wuhan and Huanggang
  • EY made their first batch of donations of 600 sets of medical protective gown, 592 protective goggles, 4,000 masks, 30,000 medical gloves to Wuhan University People’s Hospital.
  • GKN has provided n95 masks to employees all across China.
  • GSK has provided medical aid and financial support exceeding RMB 2.9m (£300,000). This includes a donation of RMB 2m to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation on 24 January, an employee donation on 25 January of RMB 300,000 to purchase medical supplies including masks, goggles and interphones for more than 36 hospitals in Wuhan, and on 13 February a donation of more than RMB 600,000 worth of Centrum to hospitals in Wuhan to support the health of doctors on the front lines. On 3 February GSK announced a collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop a vaccine for COVID-2019. In addition, employees at GSK’s Sino-American Tianjin SmithKline & French Laboratories in Tianjin returned early from Chinese New Year to resume production of drugs on the governments list of prioritised drugs critical in the response efforts including “Fenbid”, “Panodal” and other acetaminophen-containing medicines.
  • Hays UK sent medical supplies to staff in China.
  • HSBC’s mainland businesses, including HSBC Bank China and HSBC Life China, have jointly donated RMB 7 million (£769,000) to 10 hospitals in the Hubei province, as well as to China’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • IHG donated RMB 1.5 million (£165,000) through the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation to China Red Cross Foundation, designated to support the construction of Leishenshan Medical Center in Wuhan.
  • Jaguar Land Rover (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automobile Co., Ltd. announced a joint donation of RMB 8m (£880,000). Of this, RMB 5m will go to the Hubei Charity Federation for procurement of urgently needed medical supplies for Wuhan and other severely affected regions in Hubei Province as well as for the support of frontline medical personnel, volunteers and their children. The remaining RMB 3m is earmarked for the launch of the new China Children & Youth Major Epidemic Prevention and Control Fund – a joint project in partnership with China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, focusing on the epidemic prevention facilities construction, youth epidemic prevention education and youth counselling to raise the overall awareness of and capabilities in epidemic diseases prevention and control at primary and middle schools.
  • KPMG China made the first batch of donation to Beijing United Foundation for China’s Health to purchase 10 ventilators for Wuhan Leishenshan hospital. The ten ventilators arrived in the hospital on 8 Feb, and launched the ‘Coronavirus donation campaign’ on 6th February. By 13 February, over RMB 1.4 million had been raised, which was matched dollar-for-dollar by the KPMG Foundation for a total donation of RMB 3 million. KPMG will work with Future Smile Charitable Foundation to purchase essential medical supplies such as surgical masks, protective suits and goggles, ventilators, monitors, portable UV air purifiers, and coronavirus test kits, among other items. These supplies will be sent to designated hospitals treating the virus in the most affected areas in Hubei Province. KPMG Foundation donated HK$100,000 to Plan International to buy hygiene kits and medical supplies such as masks, hand sanitisers for 800 under-resourced families in Hong Kong.
  • LehmanBrown is providing free advice to existing clients on staffing situations, managing cashflow, re-forecasting their financials etc.
  • Oxford Immunotec Global PLC, a global, high-growth diagnostics company announced they are planning a new initiative to commemorate the coming World Tuberculosis Day, bring the benefits of the T-SPOT®.TB test to mainland China and assist with differentiating tuberculosis (TB) from other respiratory infections. Oxford Immunotec will donate tests approximately valued at RMB 3 million (£330,000) to Chinese hospitals through a non-profit organization, Bethune Charitable Foundation, in support of their efforts to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus.
  • PwC China has donated RMB 1 million (£1.1m) in cash, medical supplies and provided professional services to combat the virus. 60K medical masks sourced by volunteers have been distributed in 5 hospitals in Wuhan, ZhongXiang and HuangGuang, as well as over 1800 sets of medical protective gown from overseas to supply 18 first-line hospitals.
  • RECKITT BENCKISER, the makers of Dettol and Lysol, has donated cash and antibacterial products worth more than RMB 55m (£6m) to help stop the spread of respiratory infections. This includes an initial donation of RMB 600,000 worth of soap and sanitizer products to help meet the cleaning and disinfection requirements in Wuhan’s hospitals, a second donation of RMB 20m worth of disinfectant supplies to minimise the further spread of the virus, a cash donation of RMB 30m to support frontline health workers in the promotion of hand washing as an effective method to break the chain of infection, and a RMB 5m cash donation via RB owned Mead Johnson (“MJN”) to support expectant mothers in Hubei Province. MJN’s donation is focused on initiating an all-around aid program ‘Embrace Life’ in partnership with China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, Chunyu Doctor, and NCP volunteer network to support the vulnerable expectant mothers in Hubei Province.
  • Elsevier, a part of the RELX group, established a free Covid-19 information center, providing the most updated Covid-19 related information and the outbreak development in China.
  • Shell China donated RMB 2 million (£220,000) to support the prevention and control of new coronavirus pneumonia and provided 30 tons of medical alcohol to hospitals in the impacted cities in Hubei. Moreover, 100 UV Air Disinfectors were donated to Lei Shen Shan Hospital in Wuhan.
  • Smith and Nephew have donated surgical masks and S&N products that worth RMB 1.85 million (£203,000).
  • Smiths Medical has donated 400 Syringe Pump 9 (value at about RMB 2 million, £220,000).
  • Standard Chartered Bank China has donated RMB 1million (£110,000) to Shanghai Charity Foundation to support its “Special Initiative to support disaster relief of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP)”. The donation will be used to purchase medical resources urgently needed in Hubei Province, especially for masks, suits and other protective supplies. The donation will then help alleviate the shortage of such gears critical for protecting doctors and nursed fighting with NCP in hospitals in Wuhan.
  • Swire Group donated RMB 10 million (£1.1m) to China Red Cross to combat Coronavirus. Donations will be used to purchase medical equipment. Meanwhile, Hubei Swire Coca Cola Ltd donated RMB 1.5 million, and provided 500,000 bottled water to the medical staff in Wuhan.In addition, 20,400 bottles of ‘BingLu‘ brand waters were donated in conjunction with Coca Cola China, Hubei Swire Coca Cola Ltd, foundations and Yunbao emergency support group.
  • Venture Education donated a total of RMB 17,500 to support the coronavirus relief effort, including donating  protective medical clothing to a hospital in Wuhan  (武汉市 急救中心.)
  • Wood is calling for donations from employees and stakeholders and purchasing face masks to supply to all employees.

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