Ji Xiaoyong, general manager of POWERCHINA International Group shared the experiences and practices of POWERCHINA in shaping its overseas brand image, at the 2020 Chinese Enterprises Global Image Brand Summit held in Beijing on Nov 3.

Ji Xiaoyong, general manager of POWERCHINA International Group, gives a speech at the 2020 Chinese Enterprises Global Image Brand Summit held in Beijing on Nov 3. [Photo/POWERCHINA]

Spreading anti-epidemic concepts

As a comprehensive construction investment group that provides planning, construction, investment and operations services for the global energy, power, water resources, environment and infrastructure sectors, POWERCHINA currently has six regional headquarters overseas.

Its businesses cover 125 countries across the world. Moreover, POWERCHINA has 454 overseas agencies and more than 650 overseas projects.

When the COVID-19 epidemic broke out earlier this year, the lives of more than 40,000 Chinese employees and more than 80,000 local employees became its top priority.

"Domestic headquarters made overall arrangements and carried out local epidemic prevention and controls, to ensure the safety of Chinese and foreign employees and the internal stability of the company," Ji said.

Faced with the predicament of the need for epidemic prevention and the shortage of novel coronavirus-fighting equipment and gear, all the projects undertaken by POWERCHINA ensured that Chinese employees and foreign employees enjoyed the same treatment in the distribution of epidemic control and containment materials.

They were both provided with additional care based on the customs and habits of different regions and the actual difficulties of local employees.

Amid the epidemic, foreign employees were unable to return to project sites and their livelihoods were faced with difficulties. POWERCHINA stepped in, to provide timely assistance.

"Projects, such as the China-Laos Railway, handled long vacation procedures for local employees who could not return to the project site due to the epidemic. The wages during the vacation were paid as usual," Ji added.