Private Generosity Beats Public in 2010 Tally

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Social Sciences Academic Press jointly issued a blue paper on charity in China, reporting that the total donations in the nation reached RMB 70 billion last year. This is a marked increase from the RMB 54.2 billion reported in 2009. About RMB 4.2 billion were donated by 110 state-owned enterprises administered by the central government, with Shenhua leading the pack with RMB one billion. The gross is unimpressive however when compared with the prodigious profits these companies rake in every year. The private sector is showing greater philanthropic zest than the public sector. Of the 36 donations exceeding RMB 100 million in 2010, half were from private businesses. The blue paper reveals that the National People's Congress has put legislation governing charities into its working list, and preparatory work has started with the legislature's Law Committee.