How Chinese Companies Have Responded to COVID-19

(Photo : REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)

As Beijing recovers this week, following the outbreak of COVID-19, people from there, and even outside of Beijing, still encounter so much uncertainties about the manner the situation will go forward over the coming days, weeks, and months.

What's clear though, is what's described as the "overwhelming corporate response" in the whole of China, as it joins the worldwide battle with the coronavirus pandemic.

Evidently, every local condition is different. However, believably, there are opportunities for businesses to learn from the other companies in "the regions that there are weeks to come, to respond to COVID-19.

Seemingly, China is seen in the early phases of an economic recovery. This was according to an analysis of high-regularity data on substitutions for the people and goods' movements, as well as production and assurance. And, as this rebound could possibly be weak if a new wave of local viruses will emerge, various firms already moved beyond disaster response to plan for both the recovery and post-recovery recovery and post-recovery.

ALSO READ: Schools Moving Classes Online Due to Coronavirus Fears

The Chinese Firms' Steps to Recovery

Recovering from a crisis may be quite a challenge. But it's never impossible. Just like some of the businesses in China that have started with their rebound plans and initiatives. Below are some of the effective ways, other businesses affected by COVID-19 might want to try:

They continue working so the supply chains remain running

It is normal that the first that the first corporate response to the impacts of COVID-19 has concentrated in "supply chain logistics," not only given in the farfetched depth experience of China Inc. in this field but because, it is crucial too, to guarantee that there is sufficient supply of materials which include disinfectant, protective suits, surgical masks and safety goggles for the frontliners now more popularly called the health workers. 

For instance, corporations such as Bank of China, Alibaba, China COSCO Shipping Corporation, ByteDance, Baidu, Tencent, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Envision Energy, Xiaomi, and PingAn, among others, have all donated big volumes of food, healthcare, and other supplies to the affected places. Meanwhile, manufacturers such as Foxconn, SAIC-GM-Wuling, BYD, and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., have all set up temporary assembly lines for the production of additional disinfectants and masks.

The Firms Battle Misinformation or Fake News

In this digital age, misinformation, rumor, and fake news can travel as fast as the widespread COVID-19. A lot of businesses are currently offering new tools for the sharing of reliable information and counter myths and misconceptions.

For instance, Baidu drafted a map layer other than the standard Baidu Map App, showing real-time locations of both suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases so that people can get rid of the more-affected locations.

Qihoo 360, on the other hand, introduced a platform that a traveler can use to check if anyone in his recent plane or train trips is tested positive. This way, he can take the proper self-quarantine procedures, or visit the hospital should symptoms occur.

Companies Take Advantage of Social Media

Since social distancing has now appeared to be more of an order than requests by the authorities anywhere, not just in China but in the other parts of the world, work from home has also been highly recommended by most companies at present.

Specifically, many firms have taken advantage of social media platforms like WeChat, to keep in touch with their business partners and employees.

Cosmo Lady, for one, being the largest lingerie and underwear company in China, started a program targeting to increase in sales via the said platform, enlisting workers to promote to their respective social circles. 

Businesses Virtually Help People to Return to School or Work

The COVID-19 outbreak has made China a so-called "testbed for education and work." In relation to this, millions of workers are currently using tools such as Alibaba's DingTalk, Tencent's 'Meeting' and 'WeChatWork', ByteDance's 'Feishu', and 'WeLink' by Huawei, for their internet-based workplace collaboration.

The said tools have all added new features these previous weeks which include online health check-ins, industry-specific solutions and an increased quota of video conference call times and participants. Momentarily, universities, colleges, and schools in China have remained closed indefinitely to prevent the virus from spreading fast and further.

To minimize the effect of school postponements, online academic platforms like Zuoyebang, Liulishuo and Onion Academy are currently offering online classes for free, to school students across the nation. More so, Tencent Education and DingTalk have also launched online classes, allowing the educators to conduct online courses from their respective homes.

Companies are Sharing tech Solutions for the Acceleration of Medical Responses

Some companies have developed or shared their tech tools to back readiness and response to the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as the future epidemics. For instance, for the expansion of the supply of capacity specifically of virus detection products, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has also considerably simplified the procedures in approving the test kits, as well as the "gene-sequencing systems."

Furthermore, Alibaba Clouds has started offering the "AI computing capabilities" to various public research organizations, free of charge, in support of the virus gene sequencing, protein screenings, and the latest drug R&D.