China's charities have seen progress in organization, service,
public awareness, government support and international cooperation
since the opening-up policy was adopted, a leading charity official
said Sunday.
Fan Baojun, president of China Charity Federation (CCF)
said in Beijing at the opening of the Business and Civil Society
Forum that in recent years, charity organizations had boomed and
formed nationwide networks.
Membership of the CCF had increased to 137 since it was first
established in 1994, and CCF members covered almost all provinces,
regions and large and medium-sized cities, some even stretching to
county-level areas and residential communities.
In the meantime, he said, fields of charity service were
enlarged and charitable organizations had played an irreplaceable
and supplementary role in solving social problems. In 1998 when
much of China suffered from serious flooding, charities collected
billions of yuan in donations from home and abroad.
Fan said public awareness of charities was growing and the
government's support in law and policies was stronger. In 1997,
China for the first time regulated donor companies and enterprises
enjoyed tax breaks, which were written into law in 1999.
The government was developing charities as part of the social
security system during the 10th Five-Year Plan period
(2001-2005),which fundamentally positioned charities in the
national economy and social development.
In September, the government further regulated tax breaks for
donors. "This policy will greatly help charitable causes," Fan
said.
He said Chinese charity organizations had rich experience of
cooperation with foreign organizations and companies in
administration, fund management, and legal support. The "Smile
Train" project, jointly launched in 1999 by CCF and the US-based CA
company, has offered free operations to 48,900 cleft lip sufferers
from 30 provinces and regions, with a total investment of 123
million yuan (US$14.8 million).
(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2003)