China to enhance charity supervision

China will further push forward the development of charity organizations and increase supervision over the use of charity funds, the central government announced on Thursday, amid mounting public distrust over the use of charity funds.

The guideline, made public by the State Council, said that developing charity organizations with functions of poverty relief will be a key target for authorities.

The guideline also stipulated that charity organizations must put donations to use in programs they were advertised for. There should be no delays or change in the purpose of use without the consent from the donors.

The central government will also encourage the exploration of charities that raise funding through online channels.

Li Liguo, minister of civil affairs, said in a work conference on the implementation of the guidelines on Friday that there are still a number of challenges that the country's charity causes face, including the lack of channels for public participation and standard procedures for charity activities.

"Some charity organizations are facing criticism from the public, which damages the credibility of (other) charitable causes," he said.

Li said the authority will encourage all parties in society to take part in charitable causes, and charity organization that help poverty relief efforts will be prioritized by the government.

The authority will research the possibility of new types of charity activities, including charitable trust and online fund-raising, he said.

The guideline is the first of its kind carried out by the central government on charitable causes.