China Philanthropy News
November 20, 2007
Issue 009

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China Philanthropy News is produced by Grantmaker Without Borders (Gw/oB) as a service to grantmakers and donors interested in philanthropic engagement with China. For more information on Grantmakers Without Borders, visit www.gwob.net. To suggest a posting or to subscribe or unsubscribe to China Philanthropy News, send an email to john@gwob.net.

CONTENTS

Gw/oB HAPPENINGS
1) Gw/oB brings back China Philanthropy News after long hiatus

Current NEWS
2) Now is the time to begin charity at home
3) Li Ka-shing leads the drive for philanthropic work in China
4) Gates Foundation to launch HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in China
5) Hurun Report 2007 China Philanthropy List
6) Full steam ahead for 'charity' even as brakes are applied to NGOs
7) Chinese government praises NGOs' role in making environment friendly policies
8) More than hard cash, NGOs need soft skills
9) Rural China: Missing the barefoot doctors
10) Trafficking in China
11) 3,000 people contract HIV each month in China

Useful RESOURCES
12) Institute for Population and Development Studies: Imbalanced sex ratio at birth and comprehensive intervention in China
13) GTZ: Authoritarian yet participatory? Governance in the PR China in times of change
14) Diakonia and Eurodad: China and the end of poverty in Africa-towards mutual benefit?

Latest BOOKS
15) China and the Developing World: Beijing's Strategy for the Twenty-First Century, Joshua Eisenman, Eric Heginbotham, and Derek Mitchell (eds), M.E. Sharpe, March 2007

- Gw/oB HAPPENINGS -

1) Gw/oB brings back China Philanthropy News after long hiatus
With this edition, Grantmakers Without Borders is pleased to bring back China Philanthropy News, which has been on hiatus for over a year. Human resource capacity issues had prevented Gw/oB from publishing CPN this year. Recently, a new intern has started working with Gw/oB and will produce CPN on a monthly basis. Gw/oB is delighted to be able to bring back this publication and hopes it will prove a valuable resource to readers.

- Current NEWS -

2) Now is the time to begin charity at home
At a time when the gap between rich and poor is growing in Chinese society, it is time to start focusing on charity at home and helping those in need, according to the China Daily news. Charity, once condemned as a tool of the elite to exploit people, is now emerging as a positive contribution to society. Careful to make the distinction between 'charity' and 'welfare', the latter remains under the domain of the government, while NGOs are increasingly seen to take on the role of charity provider. New laws on tax benefits are inclined to motivate corporations to giving more. As reported in China Daily.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/31/content_6218630.htm

3) Li Ka-shing leads the drive for philanthropic work in China
Li Ka-shing, one of the richest men in Asia, is taking the lead on developing a culture of philanthropy in China. Still a burgeoning concept and viewed with caution by the government, there still lacks a comprehensive legal framework and social environment for philanthropy to develop. However, Li, who has pledged one-third of his fortune, estimated at $10.9 billion, to his foundations, will fund philanthropic projects around the world. In China, Li has concentrated his efforts on education and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars building up a university near his hometown. Slowly, the government is opening up to the idea of philanthropy. For his part, Li calls on others to transcend traditionally negative associations about philanthropy. As reported by the Associated Press.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22693164-36375,00.html

4) Gates Foundation to Launch HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign in China
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced that it plans to launch a $50 million HIV and AIDS prevention campaign in partnership with the Chinese government and non-governmental organizations, with the aim of referring people with high-risk of HIV infection to voluntary counseling and testing centers. As reported by the Wall Street Journal.
online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119498884415691768.html

5) Hurun Report 2007 China Philanthropy List
This lists the top 100 philanthropists in China for the year 2007. As reported in Hurun.
www.hurun.net/listen61.aspx

6) Full steam ahead for 'charity' even as brakes are applied to NGOs
A high-level international symposium on charity legislation held in Beijing this summer underscored the Chinese government's determination to mobilize charitable giving even as the authorities were tightening their surveillance and control of the informal NGO sector. Bringing together foreign and national experts as well as academic researchers and practitioners, the symposium took the opportunity to explore the growth of the charity sector in China, addressing topics from the tax law on charities to the challenges of developing philanthropy in the country. Yet there is still progress being made, with the registration of three international organizations to open representative offices in China, as well as the gradual growth of "second generation foundations". These are started largely by Chinese individuals, many from the corporate sector, who are contributing to the emergence of a new breed of private grantmaking organizations. As reported by China Development Brief.
www.chinadevelopmentbrief.com/node/1222

7) Chinese government praises NGOs' role in making environment friendly policies
NGOs engaging in environmental protection in China have been hailed by the government for their contributions and impacts on helping to develop environmentally friendly policies. In a two-day conference in Beijing on Chinese NGOs, issues such as how to mobilize people to join in the effort for environmental protection, how to reach environmental targets and increased networking among different stakeholders were discussed. As reported by People's Daily Online.
english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6293643.html

8) More than hard cash, NGOs need soft skills
As NGOs are on the rise in China, this article explores how the private sector can engage to not only provide financial support, but also organizational and business skills that will enhance their long-term efficacy. Many NGOs can benefit from this mutual exchange; corporate volunteerism, capacity building and donor relationships are all aspects where both private companies and NGOs are able to exchange experiences. Not only would this strengthen the capacity of organizations, but help corporate donors tailor their giving more to the needs of the NGOs. As reported by the South China Morning Post. Report attached.

9) Rural China: Missing the barefoot doctors
For the past three years in rural China, per capita income has been on the rise. For 60% of the 1.3 billion that continue to reside in these rural areas, however, this increase has done little to offset the rising economic burdens of health care and education they must face. Many villagers have been pushed into further poverty because of medical concerns; many are unable to afford the rising costs of health care. Weak attempts at local insurance or reimbursement schemes are disrupted by corruption at the local levels. Education, though now free under the compulsory nine-year policy, is undermined by poor quality and non-tuition expenses. Urban migration on the rise will only exacerbate these rural problems, as well as redefine urban challenges. These problems will only increase over the coming few years, and China will need to spend more time to dealing with them. As reported by The Economist.
www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9944734

10) Trafficking in China
A statement released by the US State Department draws attention to the issue of human trafficking in China, both within and across borders. Children, women and men have all been trafficked for the purposes of labor, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse. Many women have been trafficked from border countries, most notably DPRK (North Korea); internal trafficking is also a recognized problem, and various NGOs and international organizations have worked to shut down brothels, hotels, karaoke bars and other areas where this has been a known problem. As reported by States News Service. Report attached.

11) 3,000 people contract HIV each month in China
According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as of September of 2007, an estimated 220,000 people from 31 provinces and municipalities reported having HIV; of those, a approximately 55,000 have gone on to develop AIDS. While the number of HIV/AIDS cases on the mainland has continued to increase, the rate of growth has slowed. As reported by China Daily.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-11/06/content_6232706.htm

- Useful RESOURCES -

12) Institute for Population and Development Studies: Imbalanced sex ratio at birth and comprehensive intervention in China
This paper reviews studies on girl-child survival in China and corresponding intervention activities of the Chinese government. This paper analyzes the current situation, trends and regional variations in sex ratio at birth and excess female child mortality, and discusses proximal, conditional and fundamental causes of deteriorating environment for the survival of girls, as well as the subsequent demographic and social implications. To protect women's rights and promote gender equality, the Chinese government has introduced a series of laws and regulations on equal rights regarding economic and political participation, education, property inheritance, marriage and old-age support. These policies and interventions have substantially enhanced women's social status in China. This paper also points out potential research areas for the future, while discussing prospects for the future improvement in girl-child survival. Study attached.

13) GTZ: Authoritarian yet participatory? Governance in the PR China in times of change
Despite vast economic change in China over the last decades, political change remains slow. There are however opportunities for engaging in political participation at the local level. This paper explores strategies to enhance participatory development in China. It gives a background on political participation in China, the structure of China's institutions and emerging spaces for civil society engagement. In particular, the paper discusses the case study of a participatory process in a forest protection programme. From this case study, the paper also summarizes the lessons that can be learned on participatory democracy in China. Study attached.

14) Diakonia and Eurodad: China and the end of poverty in Africa-towards mutual benefit?
In November 2006, China hosted the Third Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) attended by 48 African countries. This unprecedented high level meeting demonstrated the increased cooperation between China and Africa in recent years. Undisputedly, Chinese policies, including trade and investments and its role as a donor and creditor, will have an important impact on the future of developing countries in Africa and the joint global challenge to combat poverty. The purpose of this report is to contribute to an increased knowledge and understanding of China's role in Africa. The target group is foremost Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the world engaged in various types of development work. The focus of the report is Chinese development assistance policies, such as China's role as a donor to Africa, an area not so much written on in comparison with trade and investments. The report explores Chinese views on China's role as an important player in development policies and what responses China has to concerns expressed by external stakeholders about the increased Chinese cooperation with Africa. Study attached.

- Latest BOOKS -

China and the Developing World: Beijing's Strategy for the Twenty-First Century, Joshua Eisenman, Eric Heginbotham, and Derek Mitchell (eds), M.E. Sharpe, March 2007

(This review was taken from the China Digital Times that presented this book review by Joshua Kurlantzick from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's China Program)

Over the past two years, China has emerged onto the global stage, with China's growing relations with Africa, Latin America, and other regions forcing Beijing to confront issues ranging from local governance to global environmental standards to peacekeeping to international aid policies. Until recently, China, which had for two decades pursued a defensive foreign policy, had little impact in these areas of the world. China-watchers had little idea if Beijing was developing coherent strategies and tools in its emerging foreign policy. China itself often seemed caught by surprise by intense local reaction to China's growing power - reactions both positive and negative - in nations like Zambia, where anger at poorly-managed Chinese investment has led to widespread protests against China.

In the new book China and the Developing World: Beijing's Strategy for the Twenty-First Century (M.E. Sharpe, released Mar 2007), editors Joshua Eisenman, Eric Heginbotham, and Derek Mitchell, and a range of authors, offer the first in-depth examination of China's policies toward Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, South Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Each essay focuses on China's relations with one region, and offers a relatively exhaustive survey. The section on Southeast Asia, which synthesizes Chinese and Southeast Asian sources, is one of the strongest. It debunks conventional wisdom that China's growing presence in that region necessarily means a diminishment of American influence. Taken together with the thoughtful introduction, the essays also expose common themes in China's strategy towards the developing world, including China promoting the idea that Beijing, as a non-Western power, offers a unique kind of cooperation with the developing world, that China will embrace regional multilateral groups while the US focuses on bilateral relations, and that China will offer an alternative to the conditionality and standards of Western and multilateral lending institutions.

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