This is the second part of a two-part series on Chinese philanthropists and their efforts abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Part 1 focuses on overseas philanthropic actions by Chinese donors and their impact, this, part 2 examines implications for international philanthropy and development beyond the pandemic period. — Written by Liu He The Dawn of a New Era? Before the COVID-19 era, limited Chinese philanthropic activities abroad were evident — particularly in response to crises. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami saw the first wave of foundations engaging in overseas humanitarian rescue and post-crisis construction, but those activities were limited to a handful of state-owned…

This is the first part of a two-part series on Chinese philanthropists and their efforts abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Part 1 focuses on overseas philanthropic actions by Chinese donors and their impact, part 2 examines implications for international philanthropy and development beyond the pandemic period. — Written by Liu He The Newcomers? Waiting at Cotonou Airport was Benin’s Minister of Health, Benjamin Hounpatin, greeting not a state visit by foreign leaders but medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation. The shipment contained 20,000 diagnostic kits, 100,000 masks, and 1,000 sets of protective suits, with additional deliveries scheduled…

The Red Cross Society of China and Trust in Philanthropy — Written by Edward Cunningham and Yunxin Li The 2019-nCoV Coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan has grown to become one of the largest national crises to affect China in recent years. As with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the philanthropic response to such need has been dramatic, and largely positive. Chinese…

Assessing the “New Era” of Chinese Philanthropy — Written by Ben Jacobs, China Policy Analyst Over the past decade, Chinese society has experienced a massive expansion of both extreme wealth and charitable giving. According to Forbes magazine, China had 66 billionaires (USD) in 2007,[1] a number that nearly quintupled to 319 billionaires in 2017.[2] Over the same period…

How the 19th Communist Party Congress Can Influence Chinese Philanthropy — Written by: Yifu Dong, Research Assistant, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation As we have shown in our earlier discussion on the newly introduced Charity Law and review of China’s most recent Charity Day, the Chinese state is playing an active role in determining the rules and shaping the direction of philanthropy in China. Consequently, the upcoming 19th Communist Party Congress will…

By Yifu Dong, Research Assistant, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

By Edward Cunningham, Director, Ash Center China Programs