IN BRIEF (Page 8)

School aid

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Hua Tang Ito-Yokado, a Sino-Japanese retailing joint venture has joined hands with the Charity Federation of Beijing to establish the Hua Tang Ito-Yokado Education Fund with an initial investment of 1 million yuan.

The fund will focus on providing financial support to needy primary schools in rural areas of Beijing.

In the previous 10 years, the chain retailer donated more than 5 million yuan for various philanthropic programs in China.

Reducing greenhouse gas

American International Group (AIG) has donated about $4 million for projects in China and the United States that it says will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

AIG's Chinese agriculture projects in China are located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Sichuan province. "The location of these projects reflects AIG's desire to contribute to alleviating the poverty in rural areas as well as addressing environmental challenges in western China," says Olin Wethington, chairman of AIG Companies in China.

New school

A donation of 400,000 yuan by an insurance company chairman and his family has established the new Fengbei Mingyuan Primary School in Zhanjiang city of Guangdong province.

The money came from the Mingyuan Charity Fund, a private philanthropic foundation founded last September by Ma Mingzhe, chairman of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company Co Ltd, and his family with initial investment at 20 million yuan. Fengbei Mingyuan Primary School was the fund's first project.

Xinjiang earthquake relief

The Red Cross Society of China sent 50,000 yuan to the earthquake-stricken areas in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region recently.

The money will be used to buy food and clothes for the local people. The society is calling on local corporations for further donations for resettling the disaster-stricken families.

All aboard the Smile Train

The US-based Smile Train Foundation recently signed a contract with Soong Ching Ling Foundation on cooperation to offer support for children born with cleft palates in China.

Smile Train will not only provide free surgery but also grant them school scholarships. The Soong Ching Ling Foundation will provide local consulting support and help its US counterpart find right candidates.

(China Daily 05/03/2008 page8)