Foreign Donations

I hate this topic, but I understand this is in the minds of some TIME readers.

1. Entitlement is bad. The U.S. government's gesture should be recognized. That's all. Also, don't forget that U.S. has said it is willing to help more if the Chinese asks for it.

2. It is true - China has a huge foreign reserve and can tap into that.

3. The collective response by Americans and corporations is huge!

4. People in the USA knows about the human elements behind this disaster because of NPR's massive reach. The connection that NPR has helped built between ordinary Americans and the Chinese people are worth 1000 times that of all donations.

To some TIME's Chinese readers - I urge you to resist going down this dumb path of thinking "paltry" or what not. Be gracious and be thankful.

'ExxonMobil has contributed $50,000 dollars to date for relief efforts.'

Although we actually should appreciate every dollor donated to the victims, this is just something too ironic to think.

The good thing to me is that I saw lots of Chinese owned companies and individuals are surprisely generous. Their donations make the Exxonmobil looks like ... well, I save my words.

BTW: I don't think it is right to make a list for comparison. Donation should come from hearts, not obligation.

I actually find that Tim Johnson's post is just as laughable as some Chinese people's reaction to American government's donation.
It's really laughable to think that Xinhua editors made fun of American government by comparing it with Saudi Arabia, since it was just news coming in the same time. I should be grateful for them recognizing American government's donation, in the headline, unless someone actually felt embarrassed by this amount. Amounts don't matter. Donations are more than money. I am grateful for both American government and companies, regardless of the amounts. China actually has sufficient resources more than all donations combined together. What matters is that American people care about those who suffered this disaster.

What's more laughable is that very few Chinese people will see his post. Those who are unhappy with the amount will continue to be and they probably will make another list of Chinese companies to "make some fun of" these American companies further; those who care about attitude more than amounts will continue to feel so and be grateful regardless of the amounts.

I must say "thank you" to American people who cared about the victims and showed their kindness. I am really grateful.

However, please stop such stupid thinking because by focusing on the amount and making the list, people just get as dumb as those they tried to portray. It's immature instead of "ever-insightful"...Grow up.

@stochastic
Ding or Amen as Americans like to say.

Let facts speak for itself. Compare Chinese government's response to Hurricane Katrina. China is the poorer country by far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

China - On September 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will offer $5 million along with emergency supplies, including 1,000 tents, 600 generators, bed sheets, immediately for disaster relief. China also offered to send medical care and rescue workers if they were needed.[5] This aid package consisting of 104 tons of supplies later arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas.[6] A chartered plane carrying the supplies arrived on September 7.[7]

@Wei
This is just mind boggling!
So do you make donations in anticipation of same or larger amount in return? Then why going through that exercise? Instead of donating that money, you better off putting that money it in the bank so you can be sure you'll have the money when you need it.

So Chinese government helped US with 5 million dollar during Katrina and US helped China with $500,000 this time. Not too bad, 10% of what China helped US. Actually, the amount doesn't matter. We have to recognize that $500,000 is what the government gives to the Chinese government. I am sure the donation from company and people in US will be huge. Thanks for all Americans who shows the gratitude toward Chinese in this time of the need.

huaren, PanZhuLian,

Speaking as an American, I personally think that this is an issue of friendship being a 'two way street'. If a rich man is hungry and goes to a poor friend's house and is fed meat, then later, when the poor friend later goes to the rich man's house, he's just fed tofu. Yes, in principle, the poor man should be 'thankful' that he is getting anything, but the situation speaks volumes nonetheless.

I'm going to turn an argument which some Westerners make on its head, and apply it to you two gents. Criticism of America's government stinginess isn't the same as criticism of the American people. Especially not with Bush still in charge...

@Zhangsan
You can make that argument if you view friendship that way. Maybe I’m alone on this. But I just feel friendship involves more than the Quid pro quo of material values. Let alone the fact that Friendship is not what people tend to describe Sino-US relation at this point, despite the well intentioned people like you.

It’s ok for people to gripe about people’s charity or lack thereof. But I prefer letting the silent fact speak for itself instead of b!+ch!ng about it, especially when you are the victim.

@zhouzhi
Well people should not be surprised by the fact that wherever there are people, there will always be trash. Especially when all the trash collectors are busy doing something else. Of course, we don’t know all the facts.

@PaZhuLian,

Actually, I think that's the universal view of friendship. The saying that 'friendship is a two way street' is a very, very old and well-known saying; alternately, Chinese people believe that friends should "有来有往". It isn't about 'quid pro quo of material values'; it's about equality of relationship and equality of treatment. If I go all-out to help a friend when he is in need, and he doesn't do the same for me when I am in trouble, then he is not a good friend, plain and simple. It is a question of reciprocity. There is nothing vulgar, material, or "俗气" about expecting your friends to make as much of an effort for you as you made for them.

One last comment; facts very, very rarely speak for themselves.

Whether or not China and the US are friends is another discussion entirely.

@PaZhuLian

The answer lies in a simple question.

Does the US invade Iraq only to save its people? You know the US has spent billions of dollars and several thousand of solidiers lost their lives.

Are the Earthquake in Sichuan China and Cyclone Nargis at Myanmar that both killed more than 100,000 people supernatural phenomena?

Please recognize the following similarity:
(1) Earthquake in Sicuan May 13, 2008 killed 100,000 Chinese.
(2) Hurricane Joan 1987-88 during the Contra-Sandinistas era in Nicaragua killed 180,000 people.
(3) The Christmas Tsunami 2004 in Aceh Indonesia killed 1,000,000 people.
(4) Hurricane Katrina at Mississippi Delta killed 2000 Americans.
(5) Cyclone Nargis in Myanamar May 3, 2008 killed more than 100,000 people.
(6) Mount Pinatubo Volcanic eruption in June 13, 1991 Phillippino Independent Day, and destroyed U. S. Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Bases.

What are they in common?

All four (6) recent record-breaking disasters involved the United States trying to stage civil wars in those countries, and Katrina initiated a new racial civil war in the United States. The volcanic eruption at The Phillippines occurred when the old treaty expired and they were negotiating for new treaty for those bases.

Everyone knows that the Tibetans in Sicuan have demonstrated, protested and riots recently in March and April 2008 under the direction of the Dalai Lame supported by the United States. Therefore the United States and Dalai Lama are directly responsible for the earthquakes and must be punished. Those disasters are certainly supernatural. Do you think it is time for the Americans to get out of the other countries and mind their own business?

In addition, the 1991 Myanmar Nobel Prize Laureate Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi must be arrested for causing the Cyclone Nargis which have killed so many people. Until she was arrested and executed, the disasters to Myanmar will not stopped. The Dalai Lama who has also received the Nobel Prize must also be arrested and punished for casusing the Sichuan disasters.

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Norway is nothing more than a political machine working for the Americans. It has never awarded the Peace Prize to a deserving person(s). Instead, they have created more unrest and political bias to our world. The Nobel Peace Prize must end now. Otherwise all members to the Nobel Peace committee will be punished harshly. Disasters which will be be much bigger than the ones in Myanmar and Sicuan will soon hit Norway, United States and Scandanavia because they cause disasters.

Revenge make be made in addition to donation!

Mr. Elegant,

The paltry contributions made by the US government in this disaster seems to fit a perverse pattern. The US government was a miser in the Tsunami disaster a few years back and was subject to the disapprobation of European governments. It's quite embarrassing for the goverment to be so tight-fisted. What happened in previous disasters? Did the US refrain from giving more substantial contributions?

Bush gov't spent all the aid money on wars already

PaZhuLian.

What an excellent idea! We should suggest that Chinese government does so in certain cases.

@Zhangsan
If your friendship has always been a one way street (material or otherwise), that means he/she is not really your friend. You can gripe and moan and make a big deal about it, or you count your loss and move on. I think I would choose the latter. But that just me.

BTW, I could be wrong. But I thought whether or not the US and China are considered friends at the government level is the premise of this whole 2-way-street argument, isn't it? Of course I'm already feeling silly arguing about now. Come to think of it. Isn't the term "national friendship" kind of like an oxymoron?

Notwithstanding the above, there is 倍儿铁friendship at private level between two peoples. That's where can you find goodwill that flows both ways. Ok, there. I did my disclaimer.

Like many said before, WE thank the US government for helping out, and we will also remember the help and its amount. period.

".... China actually has sufficient resources more than all donations combined together. What matters is that American people care about those who suffered this disaster..."

US sure does have more resources, next time, Hey, Yankees, don't bitch about your back yard fire... i will give you a buck or two.

Although it is true that Chinese should be grateful to every donated cent received, US$500,000 from the U.S. government is truly regarded by mose Chinese people with whom I discussed as very stingy even a joke,compared with US$5m from India and RMB50m from one unnamed individual donation today.

The donation from US government is really regarded as politial symbol/obligation, rather than a true caring for victims.

I am not saying US government should donate more, but these actions are pulling its image lower and lower among ordinary Chinese people, which is no good even for US long term interest.

So the only thing I can say is that shortsighted-ness of some US politicians.

@joeFKCNN

Oh sorry, I am Chinese not American. China actually has sufficient resources more than all donations combined together. Donation is more meaningful as a gesture. Sure we will remember the amount, but I think it's meaningless to make it a big issue(as some Chinese and Tim Johnson did). You remember what it did and next time do the same to it, that's all, although I don't recommend revenge in this way. It's just low...Hey, we don't want to be as bad as the Bush government, do we?