"International Iron Roosters" stint on quake relief

"International Iron Roosters" stint on quake relief
May 22, 2008 01:29
guestlovechina	Have you ever heard of the phrase "Iron Rooster"(铁公鸡）? It is a Chinese slang that refers to a stingy person. Now, the phrase becomes very hot at Chinese websites and blogs. An Australian news agency reported on the "International Iron Roosters". Source: The Australian http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23729926-12335,00.html Foreign firms in China 'stint on quake aid' By Rujun Shen in Beijing \| May 20, 2008 AFTER making heaps of money in China's vast market, heartless foreign corporations have failed to pay a cent towards earthquake relief – or so claimed text messages buzzing between Chinese mobile phones today. The only snag is that every company named in the texts, from McDonald's to Louis Vuitton, has contributed cash, food or rescue equipment, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the firms themselves. "These 'international iron roosters' have struck it rich in China but not made donations," said one text message, using a Chinese phrase for a stingy person. "If you are a Chinese person with a keen sense of justice, please boycott their products and food," read another text message, listing the same companies. But the calls to action were not just xenophobic.

May 22, 2008 01:29

guestlovechina

Have you ever heard of the phrase "Iron Rooster"(铁公鸡）? It is a Chinese slang that refers to a stingy person. Now, the phrase becomes very hot at Chinese websites and blogs.

An Australian news agency reported on the "International Iron Roosters".

Source:
The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23729926-12335,00.html
Foreign firms in China 'stint on quake aid'

By Rujun Shen in Beijing | May 20, 2008

AFTER making heaps of money in China's vast market, heartless foreign corporations have failed to pay a cent towards earthquake relief – or so claimed text messages buzzing between Chinese mobile phones today.

The only snag is that every company named in the texts, from McDonald's to Louis Vuitton, has contributed cash, food or rescue equipment, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the firms themselves.

"These 'international iron roosters' have struck it rich in China but not made donations," said one text message, using a Chinese phrase for a stingy person.

"If you are a Chinese person with a keen sense of justice, please boycott their products and food," read another text message, listing the same companies.

But the calls to action were not just xenophobic.

May 22, 2008 01:31

GUESTLOVECHINA

A smattering of complaints about foreign companies on Chinese blogs were drowned out by the outrage directed at domestic firms rumoured to have been tight-fisted.

Vanke, China's biggest listed developer, became the top target for bloggers, who accused it of forcing employees to limit disaster relief donations to just 10 yuan ($1.44).

Press reports subsequently carried forceful denials from Vanke, but bloggers were not deterred from attacking Wang Shi, the company's chairman, who is known for climbing Mount Everest.

"He has crossed all the world's tallest peaks, but he can't even take a step towards a tomb in Wenchuan," read one posting that circulated on Chinese blogs. Wenchuan is the city at the epicentre of last week's quake that killed more than 30,000.

Mr Wang was personally visiting the scene of devastation in Sichuan province and the property developer would help with reconstruction, China Business News said on Tuesday.

Blogs are notorious for eliciting extreme views. The body of opinion in Chinese stores appeared far more moderate.

Carrefour, for one, was crowded with shoppers, many pleased that the supermarket giant had donated more than 3 million yuan to disaster relief.

May 22, 2008 11:48	#2
COOLSPRINGS Points: Join Date: May 19, 2008 Status: Offline	Frence Carrefour has successful business as franchse retailing giant. I think the generocity more or less is attributed to the influence from chinese wives of its managers.

May 25, 2008 23:05

LEONARDO
Points:
Join Date: May 21, 2007
Status: Offline

Well, the matter involves in the corporate social responsibility. It is no wonder that Chinese bloggers condemned the foreign corporations. Corporations must learn to make enough contributions to the local communities. Foreign corporations have taken heaps of profits from China annually. How much have they given back to Chinese consumers in return? The donations several foreign corporations gave to the affected people are only a tiny fraction of its profits that they made from Chinese market. So did some domestic corporations.

May 26, 2008 04:43	#4
GUEST7610	USA, the richest country in the world, only donated 500,000 $ to Chinese people affected by the earthquake. Saudi Arab donated a large amount of money.

May 27, 2008 10:36	#5
GUEST54109	China is rich now, trillion dollar reserved. China is proud. It doesn’t need outside help. Corporations not charitable institutions. Corporations created for profit.

May 27, 2008 17:50

YINDUFFY
Points:
Join Date: Aug 8, 2007
Status: Offline

Making a press statement about how much money you are donating is ridiuculous. Is there a competition? If a specific project were specified, more money would be forthcoming.
Is the CCP paying cash for the bottled water, the tents, the food I saw loaded on trains,the gasoline for the heavy equipment? Has the CCP seized the goods? If so what good is money?
If a private organization was contracting for relief supplies tell us and we would donate money to them to best help those in need.
Here in the U.S. I have gotten emails from Chinese-Americans trying to decide which agency they should forward the money to. No one would write a check to the CCP any more than they would write a check to the Generals in Burma.

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