Charity law takes root in right earnest

Fourth, charity trusts will attract social assets to promote the cause of charity. Chapter 5 of the Charity Law says charity trusts can help open technological paths for the preservation and appreciation of the money and assets donated. According to China's Trust Law, the assets and earnings of charity trusts can only be used for charity.

Other improvements in the law include granting donors the right to supervision, accountability for fraud, and confiscation of donations that have been misused.

There are no real differences between China's Charity Law and the British Charity Law issued in 1601 and revised several times. Charity organizations and activities in Western countries are much more developed because they began several centuries ago. In contrast, legislation on charity in China has just started.

The law emphasizes the importance of regulating charity work and according priority to legislation on aspects such as donations and other types of aid with the aim of promoting charity.

With the continuous development in charity work and improvement of the legal system, the authorities are likely to further revise some other facets such as the status of a legal person, business positioning of charities and the nature of their right to property.

The Charity Law is the government's suitable and positive response to the demands of social development, as it promotes not only social work to help the poor and people in need, but also altruism and morality.

The author is a researcher at the National Institute of Social Development, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(China Daily 03/26/2016 page5)