Chinese consumers and workers want transnational companies to exercise more social responsibility following scandals, a survey revealed on Friday.

The survey by the Guangdong provincial situation study and investigation center, polled more than 3,000 respondents - including consumers as well as employees of transnational companies in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen cities - on the companies' image in China, reports Saturday's China Daily.

About 70 companies were involved, including well-known brands such as drinks giant Coca-Cola and telecommunications major Nokia.

Close to 90 percent of those polled agreed that the companies had made significant contributions to the country's economic development.

However, only about 22 percent of those polled said that the companies had fulfilled their social responsibilities in accordance with profits they had made in China, says the paper.

Almost 80 percent of the respondents also said there was discrimination against Chinese employees within multinational companies.

Feng Shengping, a researcher with the study and investigation center who led the study, said multinational companies should attach more importance to improving their corporate image among consumers, so they can better integrate into the economy and society.

"The public is paying more attention to whether multinationals are performing in accordance with the law, and whether they realize due social responsibility," Feng said.

"Transnational companies, which were once regarded as exemplary businesses for the Chinese economy, have, to some degree, lost their image among consumers, following a series of business scandals in recent years," he said.

More than 570,000 foreign-invested companies have registered in China since 1982, bringing investment of US$665 billion, the researcher said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2008)