RGE Group consists of natural resources development companies such as Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), Sateri Holdings, and Pacific Oil & Gas. Sukanto Tanoto’s companies, which conduct business on a global level, include holdings in China, Brazil, and other countries. In addition, his philanthropic efforts have assisted people in multiple nations, including China.
An advocate for closer ties between people living in China and their counterparts overseas, Mr. Tanoto received the Jinghua Award at the Overseas Chinese Affairs meeting in Beijing, China, in May 2014. The award recognizes overseas Chinese who have made significant contributions to developing the Beijing municipality.
Sukanto Tanoto received the award from the Deputy Secretary of Municipal Party Committee and Mayor Wang Anshun.
Sukanto Tanoto was granted Jinghua Award, a Special Recognition Award for overseas Chinese who had made important contribution to the development of Beijing Municipality.
Over the course of many years, Sukanto Tanoto has been committed to the development of the Beijing municipality. He was the largest donor to the Water Cube National Swimming Center, an Olympic venue at the 2008 Beijing Games. His contribution totaled about $5 million. He also made the largest single contribution during the SARS epidemic.
Born on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to Chinese parents who had emigrated there from the Fujian Province, Sukanto Tanoto has gained prominence in the Indonesian and Southeast Asian business world while maintaining positive relationships with China and other countries. For example, the RGE Group of companies has invested over $6 billion in China and created more than 10,000 jobs.
Moreover, the nonprofit Tanoto Foundation, which Sukanto Tanoto and his family established in the early 1980s, continues to assist Chinese students in their quest to obtain a high-quality education. The foundation assists in the development of Chinese schools in rural areas such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet, which lack sufficient resources. The foundation has also contributed significantly toward disaster relief and infrastructure reconstruction in China following several floods and earthquakes in recent years.