ABSTRACT
The Belt and Road (BRI) has enjoyed widespread support in the developing world, especially in African countries, where nearly all nations have been suffering infrastructure problems and a lack of resources to address them. The BRI has the potential to significantly benefit participating nations by tackling infrastructure gaps and fostering economic growth through massive loans that can finance the building of infrastructure in many areas. This chapter explains why and how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting can be a tool for Chinese enterprises participating in the BRI to manage risks and gain legitimacy. CSR in this context refers to the incorporation of an enterprise's social and environmental responsibilities into its operations and core business plan in collaboration with important stakeholders, in accordance with a definition that has been widely accepted in the literature. The background regarding how China has developed solidarity and fostered cooperation with African countries will be introduced, and the rationale for CSR reporting as a tool to mitigate BRI risks will be established. The CSR reporting practices of Chinese Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) in African host countries are then discussed in detail.
