Tzu Chi gets nod to set up charity in China

Answering questions at a regular press briefing, Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs had formally approved the application by Tzu Chi to establish the charity foundation in China.

The new organization is the first foundation chaired by a legal representative who is a non-resident of the mainland, Fan said, adding that the foundation will fall under the jurisdiction of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs.

The establishment of the foundation is expected to play an active role in promoting cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges in charitable affairs, she said.

The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, founded in 1966 by Master Cheng Yen, a nun, is one of Taiwan’s four major Buddhist sects, with its head office located in Hualien, eastern Taiwan.

It is actively involved in social services, medical care and education, and disaster relief around the world.

Tzu Chi is funded by donations from the private sector, and its workers are mostly volunteers. Tzu Chi has offices in 40 countries.

The organization’s first contact with mainland China was in 1990 when the central and eastern regions were devastated by serious flooding.

Tzu Chi’s relief programs helped flood victims in Henan province with NT$13.6 million in timely aid, built 945 housing units for homeless flood victims in Anhui province in 1991, and constructed 1,530 housing units for displaced families in Jiangsu province in 1992.

Since then, Tzu Chi’s relief work in China has expanded to cover 17 provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

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