The Chinese wealthy are often ridiculed for a perceived lack of
social responsibility but two separate reports to be published soon
show that the wealthy are more willing than ever to help the
needy.
According to the 2006 Hurun Report's Chinese Philanthropists
List, compiled by Briton Rupert Hoogewerf and set to be released
today, the total amount donated by the top 50 Chinese to good
causes to the year ending March was 3.75 billion yuan (US$462
million).
That's almost three times the amount donated by the same group
over two years from April 2003 to March 2005 which stood at 1.35
billion yuan (US$166 million).
The number of major donors grew from 50 in 2005 to 100 this year
and six of them have contributed more than 100 million yuan (US$12
million) each since 2003.
"The rich Chinese are becoming more and more generous,"
Hoogewerf said yesterday.
He said the top donor this year was Shenzhen entrepreneur, Yu
Pengnian, who had given eight times more than last year's biggest
contributor Huang Rulun, founder of the Jinyuan property and
investment group. He donated 286 million (US$35 million).
Second and third on the list are Yang Lan, Sun TV chairwoman,
and Huang.
Hoogewerf also said the wealthy are giving more regularly,
creating more sustainable charity projects and looking to use the
money more efficiently.
According to another report compiled by the Beijing-based
Public Welfare Times and due to be made public next
Tuesday, donations made by Chinese entrepreneurs last year rose by
up to 40 percent over 2004. The exact amount was not revealed.
Two individuals, who were not identified, gave more than 100
million yuan (US$12 million) each in 2005 which is a record said
the study. It's not identical to the Hurun Report.
"The most noticeable feature of our 2006 Charity Ranking List is
that Chinese business people are showing greater enthusiasm for
giving," said Liu Youping, the newspaper's chief editor.
He said yesterday that the results show the rich businessmen in
China are more concerned about public welfare and increasingly
aware of their social responsibilities.
Chinese authorities have been making appeals for charity as 25
years of spectacular economic growth have created an estimated
1,000 people with assets in excess of 100 million yuan (US$12
million) while tens of millions live on less than a dollar a
day.
Also, international funds, once an important source of support
for the poor, are drying up as China is in transition from an aid
recipient to donor, said Ge Daoshun, a researcher with China
Academy of Social Sciences.
"So we need the rich to donate more than ever," he said.
(China Daily April 11, 2006)