Unleashing market forces in China has resulted in the decline of the welfare system that characterised the era of the centrally planned economy. Inequalities are unfolding between the urban and rural sectors, between the new entrepreneurs and the traditionally privileged working class, and between the rich coastal provinces and the backward inner provinces. Millions of Chinese peasants have migrated to East and South China to find work in new production facilities established by foreign funded enterprises. In countless cases, these workers are subject to appalling working conditions with long working hours, poor wages and scarcely any safety regulations.

Taking into account a broad range of stakeholders who may affect or be affected by corporate action, the perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) carries the promise of a win-win situation for all. The issues of CSR in China are highly topical. Prime time news media stories and international NGO campaigns highlight them frequently, and each year, millions of Chinese workers take part in massive protest actions to express their grievances.

Western companies are investing heavily in the formulation and implementation of CSR policies in relation to their operations in China and in the performance of social audits of their Chinese partners and suppliers. Meanwhile, Chinese realities remain a far cry from CSR ideals.

This is a conference well overdue, bringing together CSR experts and scholars focusing on China's internal developments and integration with the global economy, in an effort to create a critical and qualified assessment of viability of the CSR approach to the realities of contemporary China.