Survey: What Are Chinese Attitudes Towards Charity?

Survey: What Are Chinese Attitudes Towards Charity?
Oct 05, 2010 By eChinacities.com

Bill Gates and Warren Buffets, two of the wealthiest men in the world, recently came to China, inviting 50-60 people to attend a charity dinner. Though both repeatedly said they would not persuade people to donate money, according to incomplete data, half of the invited wealthy Chinese said they would definitely not be attending the event. Though not attending the event doesn’t necessarily mean China’s most wealthy don’t support charities, it’s clear that attitudes here are different. Some speculate that the reason is that since the Chinese government has control of the countries’ charities, China’s wealthy are well aware of the lack of transparency in the system and are weary of giving up money with the possibility of misuse of funds.

Chinese portal site Ifeng.com recently conducted a survey of 14,520 Chinese netizens about their views on the subject; below are some of their findings and comments.

  1. How can China develop more philanthropists?

Options

Percentage/Votes

The wealthy establishment needs to be more open

28.7%/4160

The traditional concept of inheritance needs to change

8.3%1204

People should try to be more socially responsible

19.9%/ 2883

The use of charitable funds needs to be more transparent

30.2%/ 4390

People need more personal convictions 

9.9%/ 1433

Other

3.1%/ 450

     

  1. How can we improve protection of people’s wealth?

Options

Percentage/Votes

Ensure the privacy of personal property

13.5%/1928

Increase the credibility and transparency of charitable organizations

56.5%/8048

Encourage charitable laws to be more robust

26.9%/3832

Other

3%/429

     

  1. In an open market economy, should we encourage universal charity?

Options

Percentage/Votes

Encourage

67.1%/9552

Discourage

24.6% 3489

Doesn’t matter

8.4%/ 1196

 

Comments by Chinese netizens:

2010/06/20 03:55  Fujian user ZPLWF
I want to spread the love, but where can I donate? Currently you can only donate to those government agencies. I can’t donate much, but since that is my hard earned money, I do not want the money to go those high officials

2010/06/19 22:25  Xi’an, Shaanxi user znm88888
Do people really believe that the money they donate really goes to help others? Can you believe it? Truthfully?

2010/06/21 06:28  Qingyang, Gansu user l6373296

Not many people have the ability to accumulate wealth in China on their own. Officials, gangs, groups pornography, gambling and drugs involves too many rich people. Most can’t accept that, so how can you get rich?

2010/06/22 12:55  Beijing user wgxt
If the government was more transparent, people would give more.

2010/06/22 16:29  Chaohu user 277105909
Friends – don’t you know? All units receiving charitable donations retain at least 10% of total contributions. Charities call this "management fee." None of this really make a profit!!! It’s little known that the state's statutory profit is 8%. These charities are sitting at home every day waiting for money to be hand delivered. Take 10%, start over, take 10% again and repeat. They’re waiting for people or places that really need the money, imagine how many are left!!!!

2010/06/20 11:39  Hunan user hhl1533
Three points: First, Chinese charities can not make people trust them; the source of millionaire’s, wealth is unclear; [we] ourselves are struggling to survive.  

2010/06/22 09:10 Tianjin user kenprinceboy
If you have money, I suggest donating to foreign countries that might really be able help others. If donating to China you have to make sure it doesn’t get eaten up by those officials.


Source: ifeng.com

Related links
Can Buffett and Gates Hope to Convert China's Wealthy to Philanthropy?
No Pledge of Donations Necessary, Gates and Buffett Assure Chinese Wealthy
A Good Cause: How to Donate to Charity in Shanghai

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Keywords: attitudes towards charity China china charity survey ifeng charity survey china charity

1 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

kaitangsou

Hahahah...Buffet pays about half the taxes percentage wise of his secretary...I think if he does not give away his money, how else to get rid of it?

Mar 15, 2015 15:25 Report Abuse