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Rich philanthropists 'acting in poor taste'

China Daily, March 25, 2011

Very public face of giving

Despite the promising future of philanthropy, much of China's charity work remains underdeveloped and falls into Chen Guangbiao's pattern of direct donation.

A recipient is overcome with emotion as philanthropist Chen Guangbiao hands out cash to farmers in earthquake-stricken Yingjiang county, Yunnan province, last week.

On a five-day trip to Japan, Chen donated 1 million yuan ($24,690). He also handed out about 2 million yen ($24,735), giving 1,000 yen and 100 yuan - and his business card - each to Japanese students who were collecting donations on the streets.

The most controversial incident involved posed photos of Chen pulling a woman from the rubble. The photos were spread online quickly and generated harsh criticism from Internet users at home.

Chen, 42, declined to elaborate on the "rescue". "The media attention on that is abating," he said. "I don't want to put it back in the spotlight."

Chen left Japan, citing the risk of radiation from the damaged nuclear plant, and flew straight to Yunnan's Yingjiang county, where he donated 230,000 yuan in one day. Again, he posted photos online.

Some of the money went to volunteers who were helping the earthquake survivors. Chen told China Daily that when he was giving money to villagers, someone told him the volunteers couldn't afford to return home, so he gave them money, too. The Nanfang Daily newspaper reported that the volunteers were specifically asked to hold up the money for a photo.

Xu Yongguang, secretary-general of the Narada Foundation, labeled Chen's actions "violent charity" - sacrificing the dignity of recipients to meet his own needs. Defenders praised him for giving when many wealthy people don't.

"I'm being high-profile not to promote myself. I've been high-profile since I was little," Chen told a group of more than 40 executives of charitable foundations on Sunday in Beijing. "If I did not talk about the good deeds I've done, I would feel pent up."

Chen said he believes that his way of "violent charity" is what China needs, and he gives that way to push the development of philanthropy forward.