In the 13th China Charity Award list, the textile sector secured four slots: three entrepreneurs and one apparel company. This is not a coincidence: while outsiders still perceive textiles as a traditional labor-intensive industry, leading players have already demonstrated with billions in donations that social responsibility is becoming a new yardstick for corporate competitiveness.
Industry Profile of Philanthropic Investment
The cumulative donations of the honorees are striking: Heng'an Group founder Xu Lianjie personally donated over 1.1 billion RMB, with the group's total exceeding 2.1 billion; Bosideng and its foundation donated a total of 1.55 billion RMB in cash and goods, covering 600 counties; Xu Ri Group's public welfare investment in poverty alleviation, education, medical care, and other fields exceeded 3.5 billion HKD; Dayang Group, under Chairman Li Guilian, invested over 150 million RMB cumulatively. Together, these figures surpass 7 billion RMB, far exceeding the average corporate philanthropy level in other industries.
Notably, the donation directions show high consistency: education support, rural revitalization, and poverty relief are common priorities. Bosideng's 'Warm China' initiative, running for over 20 years, donated down jackets worth more than 26.5 million RMB in the 2024/25 fiscal year alone. Li Guilian established a charity fund in 2008, added 10 million RMB in 2019, and continues to invest over one million RMB annually. This long-term, systematic approach contrasts sharply with sporadic donations.
Industrial Logic Behind Philanthropy
The philanthropic enthusiasm of textile enterprises is not purely morally driven. From an industrial economics perspective, it reflects deep-seated needs during the industry's transformation and upgrading. On one hand, textiles directly relate to people's livelihoods, and brand image and social reputation directly influence end-consumer choices. Bosideng's donation of down jackets is both a charitable act and a visual communication of brand warmth, effectively strengthening emotional connections with consumers.
On the other hand, charitable investment is becoming a soft power for attracting talent and stabilizing supply chains. Dayang Group integrates philanthropy into corporate culture, covering employee assistance; Xu Ri Group's charity fund also focuses on industry talent cultivation. Against the backdrop of rising labor costs and recruitment difficulties, such 'internal welfare' significantly boosts employee loyalty and reduces turnover. For buyers, a supplier's philanthropic record is becoming an important reference in ESG assessments—a socially responsible company tends to be more reliable in environmental protection and labor rights.
Policy Direction and Industry Demonstration Effect
The Ministry of Civil Affairs emphasized 'demonstrative leadership' in its commendation decision, sending a clear signal: the state encourages leading enterprises to incorporate philanthropy into long-term strategies. For small and medium-sized enterprises in textile clusters such as Keqiao, Shengze, and Nantong, the philanthropic paths of leading companies offer replicable templates. However, philanthropy is not exclusive to large enterprises; SMEs can start with small initiatives like community support and employee mutual aid to gradually build their own systems.
Furthermore, as one of China's most globalized manufacturing sectors, textiles' charitable actions also serve a 'people-to-people diplomacy' function. Xu Ri Group's philanthropic footprint spans many regions, Bosideng has benefited 1.923 million people—these actions enhance the international image of 'Made in China'. In the future, as ESG disclosure requirements tighten, charitable investment will shift from a 'bonus item' to a 'required question'.