China just issued this year's charity blue book. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences concludes the country's charitable donations exceeded 33-billion yuan in 2009. A three-point-five percent increase from the year before. However, the country's generosity ranks near the bottom in a list including the US, Britain, Brazil, and India.

Q1. Thirty three billion yuan looks like a huge sum, but we still have a low ranking in terms of philanthropy. Explain that to us.

A1. Well, this situation is indeed, quite complicated. Chinese philanthropists might feel a little discouraged by the ranking, considering what they've done. But in fact, we are seeing more people in the country making generous donations. Charity donations reached thirty-point-nine billion yuan in 2007, and in 2008, it was thirty-two-point one billion.

However, money isn't the only thing that counts. The blue book ties it in with GDP. China's charity donation counts for only 0.01% of the country's GDP, much lower than developed countries like Britain and the US. In the US, it's two-point-two percent. Experts say the low percentage may have to do with China's underdeveloped donation system, which still needs to be regulated. And we must also take into account the money that goes to projects of other charitable causes.

For example, infrastructure construction and the building of religious places. Experts say this money far exceeds the cash paid to charity organizations. Also, philanthropy in the country is taking on various forms, such as shareholding donation and online donation.

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