Online charity platforms raise 980m yuan in H1

BEIJING - China's first group of 11 online charity platforms that were approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs have received 980 million yuan ($143.5 million) of donations in the first half of 2018.

The donation increased by 30 percent year on year, according to a ministry statement issued earlier this week.

According to China's charity law that went into effect in 2016, online charity fundraising must be conducted through government-approved Internet platforms.

The first 13 such platforms were approved by MCA in 2016, but two of them withdrew later.

The platforms have altogether publicized over 11,000 pieces of fundraising information from 992 charity organizations, covering fields including education, poverty and disaster relief, medical assistance and environmental protection, the statement said.

Based on a six-month review of the platforms, the ministry suggested they step up efforts in verifying the authenticity of requests posted by individuals and expanding the coverage of their services.