CNOOC started a poverty-relief program in Linshui County , Baoting County and Wuzhishan City of Hainan Province from 1995.

There is a total population of 560,000 in the three counties (cities). Half of the population is Li and Miao Minorities. Due to historical and geographical reasons, the economy of these areas has developed very slowly with a yearly income of RMB500-600 per capita and about 70,000 people among 30,000 families only have a yearly income per capita below RMB300.

Through thorough investigation and careful consideration, the CNOOC poverty-relief program rapidly followed the concept of “ Poverty relief through developments” with emphasis on three aspects: Increasing the investment in countryside infra-structure, applying more effort in science and education in the program, and developing pillar industries. It also stressed that the poverty relief projects must be in compliance with the principle of “Combining the long term and short term projects together and using short term projects to support long term projects".

Since 2002, CNOOC has provided a yearly fund of 2 million RMB to the each of the three counties (cities) set up a poverty relief foundation. By the end of 2006, CNOOC had totally invested 39 million RMB to help build teaching buildings, dormitories, dining halls, model ecological and ‘civilization demonstration' villages and exhibition centers for local products, and helped local farmers to build houses and bring dropouts back to school. The company has also dispatched county-level cadres to the regions to oversee the fund operations.