Hong Kong Public Cold to Call From Red Cross to Donate to Northern China’s Flood Relief

Local residents struggle in deep fast moving water as they make their way toward rescuers in a boat in an area inundated with floodwaters near Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, south of Beijing, on Aug. 3, 2023. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Recent torrential rains from Typhoon Doksuri have caused severe flooding in Beijing, Hebei Province, and other areas. In the past, whenever mainland China faced natural disasters, the Hong Kong community readily extended financial support. However, the Hong Kong public’s sentiment toward the mainland has grown increasingly indifferent in recent years. This time, even the devastating floods in Northern China have failed to evoke spontaneous donations from citizens.

Hong Kong Residents Unwilling to Donate Anymore

Ms. Cheung, a resident, stated, “Wherever there are natural disasters, it’s due to human mismanagement!” Although she sympathizes with the affected populations, she is reluctant to contribute money that could potentially support an authoritarian government. Mr. Lee, another citizen, echoed her sentiment, vowing not to donate a single cent, stating, “Mainland China has exploited the generosity of Hong Kong people for many years, and we won’t be fooled again.”

Citizens’ response to donation appeals has been predominantly cold, with online comments often reflecting mockery, such as “A world superpower doesn’t need money from Hong Kong” or “Even the largest difficulties are insignificant when divided among 1.4 billion people.” Some Hong Kong residents criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for treating disasters as a cause for celebration rather than concern.

Notably absent this time are large-scale donation campaigns organized by pro-Beijing groups. Sunny Chiu Chu-pong, former Sha Tin District Councilor, took to Facebook to mockingly question why no patriotic officials, businessmen, or artists have initiated fundraising efforts. “The governing team of the ‘6 ministries and 15 bureaus,’ including the Chief Executives, Deputy Chiefs, and Directors, should lead by example and donate three months’ salary to support the nation, and rally Hong Kong citizens to contribute.”

Since the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill protests and the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, the Hong Kong public’s attitude towards the mainland has drastically cooled. Even during the floods in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, in July 2021, there was a lackluster response to donation appeals.

Former Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Lew Mon-hung commented that Hong Kong’s patriotic fervor waned with Beijing’s erosion of the “one country, two systems” promise. The once-mutual goodwill between the mainland and Hong Kong has soured due to the deteriorating political environment in the city. Combined with pandemic effects and Beijing’s tendency to withhold disaster information, the willingness to contribute to disaster relief has been further hindered.

HK People Donating 20 Billion Claimed as ‘Falsehood’

Looking back in history, a century ago, Hong Kong donated funds to assist mainland China in times of crisis. On Nov. 22, 1917, the Legislative Council passed a resolution to donate HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,798) to regions affected by floods in Northern China.

During the 1991 Eastern China floods, Hong Kong raised HK$470 million (approx. US$60.15 million) in relief funds within ten days. Later statistics showed that the Hong Kong government contributed HK$50 million (approx. US$6.4 million), while citizens donated HK$600 million (approx. US$76.79 million)

One of the largest instances of Hong Kong donations was during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. According to the official CCP mouthpiece, “Ta Kung Pao,” donations from various sectors in Hong Kong reached an astonishing HK$20 billion (approx. US$2.56 billion), setting a global record.

However, in May of this year, a mainland Weibo user shared news of Hong Kong’s generous HK$20 billion (approx. US$2.56 billion) donation during the Wenchuan earthquake, only to be reported for “spreading rumors.” The user’s account was penalized, claiming they had disseminated “false information.” Weibo’s “Debunking Rumors” section asserted that as of Sept. 30, 2009, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan had donated a mere HK$3 billion (approx. US$0.38 billion).

Chinese Red Cross Faces Mockery Amid Donation Appeal

On Aug. 2, the Beijing Red Cross issued a public notice requesting donations from the public, citing widespread flooding and the urgent need for flood prevention and disaster relief. However, the comments section under the donation appeal was mainly filled with derogatory language or symbolic donations of just one cent.

To deter “malicious donations,” the Red Cross discreetly raised the minimum donation amount on Aug. 3 from 0.01 yuan to 1 yuan. Observant netizens quickly noticed this change.

A Weibo user named “Tomato Scrambled Eggs” responded, “No matter how much money is donated, it represents the goodwill of ordinary people. Who decides what’s a ’malicious donation'? What kind of mindset comes up with such a term?”

Many citizens believe that the government influences and controls the Beijing Red Cross. Numerous corruption scandals involving donated funds have undermined the organization’s credibility since 1998, hindering further contributions.

Former dissident Lin Shengliang from Shenzhen remarked that people around the world have awakened. China used to receive tremendous global support for disasters such as the 1998 flood and Wenchuan earthquake,  but then people realized that most of the funds had been embezzled by corrupt Chinese officials, and the pandemic had also opened their’s eyes to how the regime has controlled its own people.

Zhuozhou Residents Also Urged to Donate

The Chinese authorities initiated a “Flood Release to Protect Beijing” project, designating several areas in Hebei for floodwater retention, with Zhuozhou being one of the hardest-hit regions.

According to reports by Pangpai News, the Hebei Provincial Party Committee Secretary openly declared, “Hebei should act as Beijing’s moat for protection,” which sparked public anger. The report has since been deleted.

Nonetheless, the situation in Zhuozhou remains dire. The local Party Secretary, Mayor, and Emergency Management Bureau officials were absent from disaster command and control for several days after the flooding.

Conversations between flood victims and rescue teams within the “Zhuozhou Information Hub” WeChat group revealed that rescue efforts received little support from the local government. Rescue personnel had to arrange their accommodations and meals, with government officials failing to engage in discussions. All disaster relief operations were coordinated between rescue workers and residents.

However, several days later, local officials issued public appeals for donations through official accounts.

Mainland netizen Li Tiechui remarked, “After waiting four days, the first notice from the Zhuozhou official account is about a fundraising effort. It’s truly embarrassing!” Another netizen commented, “Asking for donations for a man-made disaster? Even if we donate, it will only end up in their pockets.”

Mr. Yi from Shandong commented to The Epoch Times that the government donated to Sudan the other day but ignored its people. Yet they dare to ask the everyday folks for donations.”

Meanwhile, on the Red Cross website’s donation achievement board comment section, a netizen with the username “SmallFarmers” left a message, “I believe that when disasters strike, the Red Cross should open its warehouses for relief efforts, not just its bank accounts.”

Issues with Billions in Reconstruction Funds in Henan

The Henan Provincial Audit Office recently released a report disclosing issues with some billions of yuan allocated for post-disaster reconstruction over the past two years.

According to various mainland media reports, on July 28, the Henan Provincial Audit Office published the “Audit Work Report on Provincial Budget Execution and Other Fiscal Revenues and Expenditures for the Year 2022.”

The report revealed that in the aftermath of the unprecedented flood disaster in July 2021, which affected Henan Province, using some billions of yuan for post-disaster reconstruction in the following two years was questionable.

Among these, 242 projects had issues with engineering quality, involving 73 counties and districts, with an investment of 3.346 billion yuan.

Another 24 projects were delivered for use without undergoing acceptance inspections, involving a completed investment amount of 563 million yuan.

Twenty-two projects falsely reported commencement and completion, involving an amount of 1.283 billion yuan.

The report also specifically mentioned problems in multiple locations, including Qi County, and one provincial-owned enterprise, about the improper use of 405 million yuan allocated for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

In response, many netizens condemned Henan officials for embezzling disaster relief funds.

One comment read, “Manipulating disaster relief funds through various means, their hearts are truly dark. No wonder Henan had issues like banks going bust in towns and villages. Some officials in Henan are truly shameless...”