Increased public awareness of the role played by charity is vital in the development of philanthropic undertakings in China, says a signed article in People's Daily. An excerpt follows:

More than 3,000 foreigners who benefited from Chinese financial aid attended a charity function in Tianjin last Thursday.

Jointly sponsored by organizations including the China Charity Federation, the Red Cross Society of China, China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Ministry of Education, the State Administration of Sport and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, the event attracted much public attention as one of China's largest charity activities aimed at offering help overseas.

Charitable activities have been on the rise in China in recent years. Unofficial donations for Indian Ocean tsunami victims reached a record high of 600 million yuan (US$74 million) in 2005. Domestically, Project Hope has changed the fate of many children. But a great deal still needs to be done, as only about 10 per cent of donations come from ordinary Chinese people.

Insufficient legal guarantees and a lack of institutional support are important reasons for this poor situation, which is worsened by a lack of charity education and the absence of a culture of giving.

Many think that charity is not an issue for ordinary people, believing that it should only concern the government and the rich. Meanwhile, some companies and rich people think that giving to charity is not good for their business development. Others think that there is no need to offer aid to other countries and regions when our domestic problems have yet to be solved. All of these have failed to recognize that charity is also a demonstration of an enterprise's social responsibility and a person's core values.

The cultivation of a philanthropic concept cannot solely depend on people's compassion. Education is vital in this regard. But education on this important issue is sadly lacking in our schools.

Increasing public awareness of charity is also important.

(China Daily May 24, 2006)