As a backbone of Harbin Electric Corporation’s overseas expansion and a leading force in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, Harbin Electric International (HEI) has journeyed across mountains and seas with its partners, always keeping in mind the mission and responsibilities of a central state-owned enterprise (SOE) and integrating itself deeply into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road. The company weaves overseas social responsibility initiatives, localized operations, and community-focused support for local livelihoods into the entire life cycle of its overseas projects. Through practical measures, it builds bridges for win-win cooperation between China and its partner countries, and through heartfelt actions, it conveys the warmth of Chinese enterprises. In doing so, HEI continues to burnish the responsible image of a major Chinese central SOE, staying true to its founding aspiration: “Build one project, benefit one community.” At overseas project sites, HEI stands shoulder to shoulder with local people. Through joint energy development, mutual learning among civilizations, and mutual support, it has built the image of a Chinese central SOE that is responsible, committed, and mindful of friendship.

Türkiye’s ZETES III Project: Building a Bridge of Cultural Friendship

2026 marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Türkiye. As a representative of Chinese central SOEs with deep roots in the Turkish market, HEI uses engineering cooperation as a link and mutual learning among civilizations as a bridge. It is both a “doer” in project construction and a “messenger” of China-Türkiye friendship. In 2025, HEI invited more than 50 teachers and students from Türkiye’s Eren Holding to Harbin for a study and exchange program. The visitors toured production lines to see for themselves the formidable strength of HEI’s manufacturing and were immersed in the finest of traditional Chinese culture.

Teachers and students from Eren Holding visit HEI

Bhikki Power Plant Long-Term O&M Project in Pakistan: Deep Localization, and a True Partner Committed to Building Local Capability

In the long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) project for the Bhikki Power Plant in Pakistan, HEI has pioneered an innovative localization model: of the 140 members of the O&M team, only two are Chinese employees, and all the rest are local or other non-Chinese staff. Through systematic technical training and a mentoring approach in which experienced staff guide and support newcomers, HEI has passed on core O&M skills to its Pakistani employees without reservation, ensuring the plant’s stable operation and the continuity of technical expertise over the long term. This deep commitment to equipping local people with lasting skills means the benefits of cooperation truly stay in the community. Working side by side, Chinese and Pakistani employees have also forged strong bonds as mentors and apprentices, and as comrades in arms.

HEI organizes cross-border exchange and training for Pakistani local project management personnel

Emergency Earthquake Relief in Türkiye: Mutual Support Across Borders—A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

In early 2023, two powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquakes struck Türkiye in succession. Buildings in many areas were reduced to rubble, and countless families lost their homes. In the face of this sudden disaster, HEI, which was building a project in the country at the time, stepped forward immediately. The project team mobilized resources from all sides, providing commuter buses and essential supplies for the Blue Sky Rescue Team that had traveled from China to keep the rescue routes open. Project staff also spontaneously raised urgently needed supplies for local disaster victims. Standing together with the Turkish people in a time of life-and-death trials, HEI showed through concrete actions a deep friendship that goes beyond business cooperation, one of the most vivid and moving testaments to China-Türkiye friendship.

HEI actively participates in post-earthquake rescue work in Türkiye

Construction of the Minas-San Francisco Hydropower Station in Ecuador: Winning Hearts Through Livelihood and Public Welfare Initiatives, and Acting as an Envoy of Mutual Learning Among Civilizations

During the construction of the Minas-San Francisco Hydropower Station in Ecuador, HEI has created nearly 2,700 jobs for local people and helped train a cohort of engineering and technical talent. It has also integrated itself actively into local communities, investing in local education and sports through charitable initiatives. In addition, the project team carefully relocated and protected 141 plant species and a large number of rare animals within the station area. This progression from engineering construction to people-to-people bonds and on to ecological protection has brought tangible benefits to local residents and allowed China-Ecuador friendship to take root among the younger generation and community members.

The 3×90 MW Minas-San Francisco hydropower project undertaken by HEI in Ecuador

Syrdarya II Project in Uzbekistan: Meeting Local Livelihood Needs and Spreading the Warmth of China

During the construction of the Syrdarya II project in Uzbekistan, HEI has taken an active part in local charitable causes. On Children’s Day 2025, project staff handed out ice cream to local children to celebrate the holiday. Before the new school term began, the project team donated school uniforms to students at a primary school near the site. During Uzbekistan’s Independence Day in 2025, the team visited 20 families in need and brought them gifts of vegetables. In the winter of 2025, the team organized a care campaign for 100 elderly, frail, sick, and disabled residents of the communities around the project. Over the course of 2025, the project also supplied 2,990 cubic meters of scrap timber to neighboring communities for home repairs and firewood. These efforts have not only built a positive corporate image for HEI locally but also strengthened its friendly relations with local government and residents.

Staff of the Syrdarya II project in Uzbekistan hand out ice cream to children in the local community on Children’s Day

Hassyan Project in Dubai, UAE, and Manzanillo Project in Mexico: Putting Green Development into Practice and Protecting Ecosystems Overseas

At the Hassyan project in Dubai, UAE, the site lies within a nature reserve and posed real ecological challenges. HEI carried out a carefully planned coral relocation program, transplanting nearly 29,000 coral colonies and releasing over a thousand fish back into open waters. It also built real-time water and air quality monitoring stations, installed silt curtains to contain construction-related pollution, and ran dedicated monitoring and protection during the sea turtle nesting season. These measures minimized the project’s impact on the marine environment, and the case has won a number of international recognitions. At the Manzanillo project in Mexico, HEI implemented a wildlife and plant rescue plan. It transplanted native tree species, donated several thousand trees, set up a professional team to monitor and rescue wildlife, and ran environmental education and outreach campaigns, creating safe habitats for rare species and building a biodiversity protection network.

The Hassyan project team in Dubai, UAE, relocated and nurtured nearly 29,000 coral colonies within the construction area and moved all the fish in the lagoon to the open sea

The Manzanillo project management team in Mexico rescues a trapped crocodile and returns it to the wild