05.15.08

China’s Earthquake Donation Effort (5.15.2008)

Posted in Chinese Nationalism, Media/Internet, Olympics, The Second Tier at 12:11 by SHTig

Chinese are coming together to extend moral support, cash and blood to help the victims in the Sichuan disaster.  It’s a heartening thing to witness.  So much blood was collected on Wednesday 5.14 in Beijing and Shanghai, that the blood collectors had to turn people away. 

Sina.com is keeping a list of companies that have donated RMB 1,000,000 or more.  It’s good to see lots of major Chinese corporates kicking in some cash.  Several foreign companies with a presence in China are big donors too (Mary Kay, Intel, GE, Carrefour, IDG (venture capitalists putting their money to great use!)).

The French retailer and target of Chinese nationalist fury over the Olympic Flame controversy, Carrefour, has donated RMB 2 million (US$290,000) in earthquake relief.  Chinese ‘netizen’ response is mixed.  One site has mixed postings of thanks and others pointing out it’s a pittance considering Carrefour “broke the hearts of all Chinese people”, with one posting a picture of a french baby giving the bird, cynicism was expressed here from a user named “son of a bitch little Japan (狗日小日本)  that Carrefour wouldn’t have made the donation if not for the boycott of its stores in China earlier this month.  But lots of commenters kept it positive with thanks, and one here saying this proves Carrefour is a friend not an enemy of China. 

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