Ebola shows up China's lack of philanthropic culture
Ranks of the country's wealthy and the success of its corporations are growing rapidly but donating to good causes has yet to take off
China has contributed over US$120 million to fight the spread of the Ebola virus, but its billionaire tycoons - it has more than anywhere outside the United States - have, publicly at least, donated little to the cause, underscoring an immature culture of philanthropy in the world's second-biggest economy.
As the ranks of China's wealthy and the success of its corporations grow, donating to good causes has yet to take off. China sits towards the bottom of the list of countries where people give money to charity, volunteer or help a stranger, according to The World Giving Index, compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation.
Donations to charities totalled US$16.1 billion last year, shows government data, recovering from two straight years of declines. For comparison, Americans gave more than US$335 billion, according to the National Philanthropic Trust website.
Many big Chinese firms have invested in Africa - China is Africa's leading trading partner - and several operate in West Africa, where Ebola has killed nearly 5,000 people.
The World Food Programme (WFP) last month called on Chinese firms and tycoons to donate more to fighting Ebola. "No one's been willing to do anything big yet," said Brett Rierson, the WFP's China representative.
Charity experts say Chinese construction firms with projects in Liberia, Guinea or Sierra Leone - the three countries most affected by Ebola - could donate building materials and labour.
"Building firms could easily step in and say: 'we'll help you clear roads and put in emergency roads and clinics'," said Gary Rieschel, managing partner at Qiming Venture Partners. "If they put their shoulders behind moving some of the infrastructure for health care, they could be incredibly valuable."