At 14:28 on May 12, Wenchuan county of Sichuan province was stricken by M8 earthquake. This out-of-the-blue disaster caused tremendous damage and losses to people’s lives and properties. Houses collapsed and families separated. The disaster struck a sympathetic chord in all Chinese people, including all NORINCO employees. On May 14, the NORINCO headquarters formally donated RMB 2 million to Wenchuan, and launched a “Proposal to Donate for Earthquake Mitigation and Disaster Relief” to all employees, calling on them to carry out the mutual-help spirit of “one person in need, all people help out”, to give a helping hand to the victims and make their contributions to help them live through that difficult time. The proposal received active responses from both the party members and common employees in the company, and the leaders took the lead in taking out their wallets. Leaders or workers, party members or ordinary people alike, all actively made donations because their love is the same in face with adversities. Some made a second donation, and those who were on business trips asked colleagues to donate on their behalf. Employees overseas were also concerned with the disaster at home and expressed their compassion and assistance through donation. By May 19, a total RMB 617,480 was donated by employees and retirees of the headquarters, overseas offices, and Beijing subsidiaries, all making a contribution with no exception.

Now all the donations have been donated directly to Sichuan Red Cross.