Global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider Huawei Technologies has released its ninth sustainability report, outlining the company's achievements in sustainable development, strategy implementation and business practices in 2016.

The report, titled Connecting the Future, tracks the progress of the company in various markets as far as sustainability projects are concerned.

Speaking during the release of the report, Huawei's Chairperson Sun Yafang re-affirmed the company's commitment towards sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility, and said her team would ensure the company's strategic goals were aligned with the long term goals of society.

"We are committed to sustainable value creation, and we will not sacrifice long term economic prosperity and social welfare for our own short term interest," she said.

The report highlighted Huawei's approach and performance in various areas including bridging the digital divide, supporting network stability and security, and promoting environmental protection and building a healthy industry the past year.

In the report, which was released in June, Huawei explained how it was uniquely positioned to utilize its technology solutions to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. This was in addition to investments of more than $11 billion in R&D, which enabled the company to develop solutions for smarter public safety, education, health and transport, as well as communications networks and devices which use less energy.

"Huawei is also committed to operating ethically at all times; ensuring the safety and security of its products, providing opportunities for employee development, and supporting community development and ICT skills worldwide," Sun said.

"The company has built, and supports, more than 1,500 networks worldwide which connect more than 3 billion people."

Kenya, one of the markets in which Huawei operates, has benefitted from the company's sustainability strategy through initiatives including the Smart Healthcare project, which helped to deliver smart medical solutions to 200,000 people in Lamu County in 2016, and the Seeds for The Future Programme, which had more than 1,000 university students from across 96 countries get the opportunity to receive ICT training in China last year.

According to Kevin Tao, the Chairman of Huawei's Corporate Sustainable Development committee, the company aims to expand its areas of focus in terms of their sustainability priorities.

"We will focus on innovation in sustainable development and risk control so we can build competitiveness in sustainability," Tao said.

"We will integrate sustainability further into our business operations to create greater value for our business."

Huawei Technologies has presence in more than 170 countries and serves a third of the world's population. Since 1987, the company has served 45 out of 50 mobile operators worldwide. It was recognized among the fortune 500 international company with an employee base of more than 150,000, where 70,000 plus were engaged in R&D. A total of 30,000 plus are also non-Chinese employees with a 70 percent localization rate.

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