Red Cross controversy threatens China philanthropy
BEIJING — A young Chinese woman who flaunted her wealth online and appeared to have links with the nation's Red Cross has sparked huge controversy and stoked widespread public suspicion over…
BEIJING — A young Chinese woman who flaunted her wealth online and appeared to have links with the nation's Red Cross has sparked huge controversy and stoked widespread public suspicion over how donations are used.The aid agency has denied any ties to the woman but web users are outraged, believing she may have received embezzled charity funds. Many have vowed not to donate ever again, fuelling concerns about China's nascent philanthropy drive."This is definitely going to have an impact," a Red Cross spokeswoman, who refused to be named, told AFP when asked whether the incident would affect the amount of donations the group receives.The scandal erupted last month when a web user uncovered the woman's account on Twitter-like Sina Weibo, full of images displaying her opulent lifestyle -- posing in front of a Maserati and sipping a drink in business class on a plane."Guo Meimei Baby", as she called herself, claimed she was the general manager of a firm called "Red Cross Commerce".The issue quickly went viral, adding to already deep-seated suspicion about state-run charities such as the Red Cross Society of China, amid a general lack of transparency and openness in the sector.The aid agency and the girl soon went into damage control mode, denying any link to each other. The organisation denied that she was related to one of its vice-presidents who shares her surname, and she said she had made up her job title.But China's state auditor then waded into the controversy, saying it had found five discrepancies in its review of the Red Cross' 2010 budget. The charity promptly insisted these were not the result of corrupt practices.In an apparent effort at greater transparency, the Red Cross opened a Weibo account on Monday. But after just four posts, it was besieged with thousands of comments, many of which just said "give back our money" over and over again.The flap has highlighted how angry ordinary Chinese get when faced with any hint of official misappropriation of public funds, as the rich-poor divide widens i
last modification 2011-07-06 06:00:09
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