Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

LI KE, executive vice president of China’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer BYD based in Shenzhen, yesterday donated  500,000 BYD shares listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange to Peking University Shenzhen Hospital for the establishment of a blood disease research institute at the hospital.

The shares were valued at about 160 million yuan (US$23.68 million) based on yesterday’s closing price of 321.35 yuan per share.

The donation will be used to establish the Anzhen Li Institute of Hematology, which is named after Li’s mother, and to improve the ward environment, medical equipment and laboratory facilities of the hospital’s hematology department, the hospital said.

The donation also aims to support the hospital to carry out related work in blood disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, basic research, clinical research and talent training while focusing on cutting-edge technologies such as accurate diagnosis, targeted treatment, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and new types of immunotherapy.

According to Li, also vice chairperson of BYD Charity Foundation, the donation is a tribute to the meticulous care her mother had received during her stay in the hospital’s hematology department.

Li’ mother was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 and received treatment at the hospital. With the doctors’ greatest possible efforts, her survival was extended from three months to 27.

Li said she deeply felt the treatment limitations of blood diseases.

“I hope that the charity project can help the department to continuously explore new technologies and innovative treatments and bring greater hope for patients with advanced tumors,” Li said.

On Sunday evening, BYD released an announcement that the company had received a notice from Li that she intended to donate 500,000 of her BYD shares, which were unrestrictive shares, to BYD Charity Foundation. The donation will be used for blood disease-related charity projects at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital.

Before the donation, Li held over 10.92 million BYD shares. She still holds 10.4214 million BYD shares after the donation.

Public information shows that Li is a veteran at BYD. She joined the company in 1996, one year after it was just established. Li had served as marketing manager, sales general manager, and executive director and CEO of BYD Electronics, a subsidiary of BYD.

BYD is listed both on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock exchanges. The firm’s total market value exceeded 1 trillion yuan June 10, marking the first time for a Chinese automaker to be ranked among the top three global auto firms in terms of market capitalization.