David Fullbrook: China, the new kid on the charity block

From the IHT:

In terms of overall giving, China is still far from the top of the international league tables. In the days after the tsunami, Beijing pledged $62 million and added $20 million more at the Jakarta aid summit a week later. Donations from ordinary Chinese come to about $35 million…

But the seeming modesty of China’s contribution shouldn’t obscure the larger significance of its response, for its neighbors and for China itself: In its first real move in the international aid game, the country has marked itself as a serious player. “Before, people in China cared more about things in China, not about the whole globe,” said Wang Guang Liang, a retired mechanical engineer. “But now they know differently, because they can get so much information.”

Thanks to the Internet and mobile phones, editors, reporters and readers, too, can dip their toes into an ocean of information barely conceivable a few years ago. This is the first time that a major foreign disaster has filled newspapers and television news bulletins.

CDT EBOOKS

Subscribe to CDT

SUPPORT CDT

Unbounded by Lantern

Now, you can combat internet censorship in a new way: by toggling the switch below while browsing China Digital Times, you can provide a secure "bridge" for people who want to freely access information. This open-source project is powered by Lantern, know more about this project.

Google Ads 1

Giving Assistant

Google Ads 2

Anti-censorship Tools

Life Without Walls

Click on the image to download Firefly for circumvention

Open popup
X

Welcome back!

CDT is a non-profit media site, and we need your support. Your contribution will help us provide more translations, breaking news, and other content you love.