Chinese Federation for Corporate Social Responsibility was set up in Beijing on Sunday, calling on enterprises to bear more efforts in corporate social responsibility.

The federation consists of 13 renowned domestic enterprises and China-based international corporations, including Nokia, Hewlett Packard, TCL and the China Merchants Bank (CMB).

With the aim to promote education and eliminate poverty in the rural area, the federation has been under preparation since April this year.

It has launched a series of projects such as rural teachers' training, one-year teaching in country by college graduates, rural students' visitation to big cities and computer network installation in rural schools.

As a long-term social responsibility project, the federation will continue its efforts to help more students receive better education in the rural areas across China, said He Zhiyi, professor of Beijing University and secretary general of the federation.

The establishment of the federation will provide a chance for Chinese and foreign firms to join hands in China's welfare and poverty-relief efforts, said Ma Weihua, CMB president and chairman of the federation.

Sun Zhenyao, president of Hewlett Packard (China) Ltd, said the company has donated computers and other high-tech facilities worth of 5 million yuan (US$625,000) to Children's Foundation of China over the past 20 years.

"We believe China will make bigger progress in poverty-relief sector," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2006)