China Mobile launches 1st Chinese telecom charity

Oct. 27, 2009 (China Knowledge) - China Mobile Ltd<941><CHL>, the country's largest mobile phone operator, has set up a RMB 100-million foundation, the first private foundation of a Chinese telecom carrier, the China Daily reported yesterday.

The foundation, called China Mobile Charity Foundation, is dedicated to charitable programs for disaster relief, education, environmental protection and helping disadvantaged groups, said Zhang Chunjiang, vice president of China Mobile, adding that it will support the company's charity initiatives and disaster relief programs.

An education program in arid regions of central and western China launched by China Mobile and China Education Development Foundation will be the first major project to be sponsored by the new charity. The company said it will spend some RMB 35 billion building libraries, buying computers and training school headmasters.

State-owned China Mobile has a long history of contributions to charity and disaster relief, according to the English-language newspaper.