China Law Blog

The China blogs and other law and tax firms have been donating money and raising cash. You make money out of China. Has CLB actually donated anything other than put a link to the Red Cross?

@Naz Chuang

Please see the definition of INKIND SUPPORT
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/inkind.html

Not to mention it is more than okay for any individual, Chinese or foreigner, giving nothing on this.

If people want a list of local bloggers writing about the events here, Ryan is keeping one updated at Lost Laowai.

If Harris & Moure state that they have made donations, will you ask them how much, Naz?

You are disrespectful.

Although Peter's question is valid, it is also beside the point. Harris & Moure provides a needed and wanted service to (both "foreign" and "Chinese"?) companies in China and in turn charges a fee. (Presumably, the firm also provides employment to Chinese citizens, pays rent to a Chinese landlord, hired a Chinese contractor to renovate their office and more, while facilitating many other "foreign" companies in doing the same, but I'll just stick with the service they offer for this point.)

Since their clients want and benefit from Harris & Moure's service, describing the firm (or "foreigners" in general) as "just taking [from China] all the time" is simply not an accurate portrayal of their role in China.

Even worse, it is an unproductive mindset, in both an individual and national context. It suggests a victim mentality, triggers questions about nationalistic/xenophobic tendencies, puts all parties on an adversarial footing, shuts down communication and, as Peter notes, is just disrespectful. None of this helps China -- either in dealing with this specific emergency or in fulfilling its potential on the world stage in the 21st century. Nor does it help the world. Or Naz Chuang for that matter.

When the next US disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina or the San Francisco earthquake happens, should Lenovo and Haier be confronted on whether they made donations? To their credit, Lenovo donated equipment and technical support to Katrina relief efforts. But what would be accomplished by Americans antagonistically demanding an accounting on the basis of "what are these foreign companies doing to help the US after taking so much money from US consumers"? And how would it be seen by Chinese?

Or approach it another way: Naz Chuang, are you posing your question to every Chinese company that is not publicly trumpeting a donation to the Sichuan disaster aid? If not, is your reason "Because they are Chinese" or "Since they are Chinese, they must be helping", and is that appropriate?

Should we all spend our time keeping score and regarding "foreign" companies or "foreigners" (in whatever country) as predatory vultures who a) are worthy of suspicion and contempt until they (repeatedly) demonstrate their virtues, and b) should be tolerated only until we can replace them with home-grown talent/products/service providers?

Does that get us anywhere we want or need to go?

Naz, I have to say that you are disrespectful.
It does not matter whether this company has made the donation or not. The law does not say that every company in China must donate under the disaster of this kind, right?

We as Chinese take this as a responsibility to donate and help our own people. Meanwhile, we thank everyone for their kindness giving and help, also we appreciate the help provided by the governments from all over the work, and thank those people who show their caring and sympathy.
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May the death rest in peace, may the suvivors be strong and live on.
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With Love, from Huifen @ Shanghai