The changing face of charity in China
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Element which is associated with being paired up with cheaper, minority suppliers represents the carrot for many companies for whom a socially responsible image is not necessarily a main priority.
Establishing methods which aim to include Chinese corporations within charitable frameworks is an incredibly important and significant thing to pursue within China, especially when one considers that from 2008, China's individual donations has surpassed the amount of corporate donations, according to a 2009 report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Even though this says something about the strength of civil society within China, ultimately the responsibility of financing aid projects or relief work should not fall upon the citizens but rather to government and big business.
Yet, at the risk of sounding contradictory, just as Western economic models, or Western models of organizational structure cannot necessarily be applied to Chinese society, business or government, neither can a Western model of charity. When Bill Gates and Warren Buffet came to China to talk to the country's new class of super rich, they were well aware of this truth.
The development of China's charity sector will depend upon grass-roots organizations during the initial growth stages. Such organizations are often hampered by governmental requirements which stipulate that a charitable organization must be affiliated with a government department prior to registering, and that varying amounts of capital are required in order to operate at both local and national levels.
These requirements were initially intended to ward off suspect groups purely seeking tax breaks, though the widespread effect has been the slowdown of the sector's growth.
Central government seems to be aware of these problems, as national charity legislation is currently going through the drafting stages, though one should be wary of expecting a complete overhaul of the system.
However, the vocal contribution of important figures such as Guo Changjiang, vice-president of the Red Cross in China, who stated that deregulation can only serve to benefit charitable groups, is certainly a welcome addition to the discussion.
The author is a freelance writer based in Beijing. viewpoint@ globaltimes.com.cn
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