China to probe "dodgy donation" from US
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-12 15:12

China Charity, the country's largest charitable organization, will send officials to the United States to investigate a batch of donation that includes expired medical equipment and stained bedding and clothes.

A China Charity official, who declined to be named, was quoted by Sunday's Beijing News as saying that the organization has contacted the donator, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, the State of Utah, immediately after finding out the four containers have expired medical equipment, tubing, dirty bedding and used surgical clothes inside.

Officials will be sent to the United States to look into how this happens, said the official, adding that the US side has offered cash to buy the same amount of donated goods to remedy the situation, and related talks are underway.

The four containers of donation is valued at 4 million US dollars, with two sent to Wuhan, capital of central Hubei Province, one to Hefei, capital of central Anhui Province, and one to Beijing.

They are meant for building clinics in orphanages and all of them are found to have shoddy goods and will be returned to the United States, said the official.

Richard Hunter, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong, was greatly surprised at the questionable donation, saying that the church only donates high-class goods and their past donations to China have no such problem of used goods.

The church donates humanitarian services to over 100 countries and regions around the world. It has sent officials to Beijing on Saturday to look into the case.