Hisense
Consumer electronics and household appliances
Founded in 1969, it is now a global conglomerate in the business domains of consumer electronics, communications, multimedia, home appliances, information technology and real estate. Acquired the Toshiba TV business in 2017, and Slovenian appliance maker Gorenje in 2018.

Overall

Owned CHN
Rating F
About the Ratings

Company Ownership

Hisense Co Ltd
CHN
Government of the People's Republic of China
owns 100% of Hisense Co Ltd
CHN
Communist government
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the Chinese Communist Party, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army. In recent years China has been consolidating it's state-owned assets and inviting private investors to invest (often family members of high ranking government officials), however in most cases the government retains control and majority ownership. We have listed State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) simply as subsidiaries of China's government, although in reality company ownership is often more complex.

Company Assessment

(Last updated Jan 2023)
Hisense Co Ltd
Criticism
Forced labour in China
The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including brands owned by this company. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 report estimates (somewhat conservatively) that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps.
Source: ASPI (2020)
10.5% for supply chain practices in China
The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 10.5/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).
Source: IPE (2023)
Workers rights in China
A 2023 report by China Labor Watch investigated labour conditions in China's consumer electronics sector using three stages of research: analysis of social media posts, case studies through online research, and in-person factory investigation. Labour abuses identified in factories supplying this company include illegal use of student interns, high labour intensity, and poor food and living conditions.
Information
F grade at Behind the Barcode
F grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Government of the People's Republic of China
Criticism
Investing in single-use plastic waste
This company is the world's 2th largest equity owner of companies producing single-use plastic waste, according to Minderoo Foundation's 2021 Plastic Waste Makers Index. Institutional asset managers and global banks are providing billions of dollars to companies that produce polymers from fossil fuels, as much as 100 times more than they provide to companies trying to shift to a circular economy. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest, most urgent threats facing our planet and our health.
Human rights abuse
Amnesty International's 2020 report on China states "The year was marked by harsh crackdowns on human rights defenders and people perceived to be dissidents, as well as the systematic repression of ethnic minorities. The beginning of the year saw the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, which killed more than 4,600 people in China. People demanded freedom of expression and transparency after authorities reprimanded health professionals for warning about the virus. At the UN, China was strongly criticized and urged to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang. Stringent restrictions on freedom of expression continued unabated. Foreign journalists faced detention and expulsion, as well as systematic delays to and refusals of visa renewals. Chinese and other tech firms operating outside China blocked what the government deemed politically sensitive content, extending its censorship standards internationally. China enacted its first Civil Code, which received thousands of submissions by the public calling for legalization of same-sex marriage. Hong Kong’s National Security Law led to a clampdown on freedom of expression." Follow the link for further details.
Treatment of Uyghurs
Amnesty International's 2021 report 'Like We Were Enemies in a War', outlines how Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region face systematic state-organized mass imprisonment, torture and persecution amounting to crimes against humanity. Muslim ethnic groups are being forced to abandon their religious traditions, cultural practices and local languages.
Human rights abuse
According to Human Rights Watch: "China's one-party authoritarian state under the Chinese Communist Party systemically curbs fundamental rights. Under President Xi Jinping, in power since 2013, the government has deepened repression at home and sought to muzzle critics abroad. It has arbitrarily detained human rights defenders and lawyers, tightened control over civil society, media, and the internet, and deployed invasive mass surveillance technology. The government imposes particularly heavy-handed control in the ethnic minority regions of Xinjiang and Tibet. The government's cultural persecution and arbitrary detention of a million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims since 2017 constitute crimes against humanity. In Hong Kong, the government imposed draconian national security legislation in 2020 and systematically curbed the city's freedoms. The government initially covered up the Covid-19 outbreak and later hindered international efforts to investigate the virus's origin."
Information
Wikipedia profile
Follow the link to see Wikipedia's article on the government of the People's Republic of China.
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Company Details

Type:
State-owned enterprise
Employees:
60,000+ (2014)
Subsidiaries:
Hisense Australia Pty Ltd
Television and home appliance retail distributor
Hisense Australia was established in 2006 and its Chinese manufactured TV and home appliance brands are distributed through more than 1000 retail stores nationally.
Gorenje dd
Home appliances manufacturer
Established 60 years ago, exports global home appliance brands of Gorenje and Asko (which was acquired in 2010), as well as regional brands to more than 90 countries. Also has Portfolio Investments including ecology-related services, toolmaking, engineering, catering and trade. Gorenje brand household appliances were introduced into Australia in 2014. Acquired by Hisense in 2018.
Asko Appliances (Aust) Pty Ltd
Home appliance supplier

Contact Details

Address:
Qingdao, Shandong, China
Website:
www.hisense.com

Products / Brands

Hisense Australia
Hisense Televisions
Hisense Soundbars
Hisense Dishwashers
Hisense Fridges & Freezers
Hisense Washing Machines & Dryers
Hisense Heating & Cooling
Hisense Air Conditioners
Hisense Sero Tablets
Toshiba Televisions
Asko Australia
Asko Dishwashers
Asko Fridges & Freezers
Asko Microwaves
Asko Ovens & Cooktops
Asko Washing Machines & Dryers
Asko Rangehoods
Gorenje Fridges & Freezers
Gorenje Ovens & Cooktops
Gorenje Washing Machines & Dryers