On 25 September 2009, the Building Regional Responsible Competitiveness workshop was held in the coastal city of Yantai. This was the first meeting of its kind and was designed to highlight the local government’s experience with promoting CSR in China. Jointly organized by the China WTO Tribune, the Sino-German Corporate Social Responsibility Project and the Shandong Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce, more than 40 representatives from central government bodies such as MOFCOM, SASAC, AQSIQ, and representatives of local and regional government departments, industrial associations, academia, research institutions, and industry participated in the workshop.

The day’s discussions focused on the exchange of ideas and practical experiences with the promotion of CSR by local government departments. Participants came from 11 provinces, municipalities and cities at prefecture level, and examined current challenges and possible solutions, as well as accomplishments, to CSR in the region. Participants gave their commitment to extend cooperation and intensify future discussions on CSR and reached a consensus to jointly establish regional responsible competitiveness as a contribution to sustainable development.