Study on Tobacco Donations in China: An Analysis Based on Tobacco Industry Literature

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the philanthropic donations of the tobacco industry in China under the guise of charity, providing recommendations for national tobacco control efforts and policies.

Methods: By analyzing the section titled “Overview of Nationwide Public Welfare Activities in the Tobacco Industry in 2020” from the literature 2021 China Tobacco Yearbook, the study summarizes the donation activities of the Chinese tobacco industry in 2020, including donation fields, types, amounts, and recipients.

Results: In 2020, the total public donations by the Chinese tobacco industry exceeded 3.6 billion RMB. The majority of these donations were made in the name of corporate donations, with a very small proportion involving personal donations encouraged by the company from its employees. The main fields of donation included: poverty alleviation (53.2%), pandemic relief (18.3%), rural development (9.6%), education and culture (6.8%), among others. Key donation projects encompassed: poverty alleviation initiatives in impoverished counties, COVID-19 pandemic relief, care for left-behind rural children, and assistance for economically disadvantaged university students. The main recipients were government departments at various levels (provincial, municipal, prefectural, district, and village), government foundations (including healthcare institutions and schools), and non-governmental organizations such as local charitable associations, charitable foundations, the Red Cross, youth development foundations, education foundations, development foundations, child welfare foundations, the China Legal Aid Foundation, the China Western Talent Development Foundation, and the China Poverty Alleviation Foundation, among others.

Conclusion: Tobacco companies in China engage in donations across numerous sectors, with recipients covering many government departments, public institutions, including educational and medical units, as well as various levels of public welfare organizations and individuals, including children and adolescents. These donations span multiple social welfare areas, including healthcare and education. Through such donations, tobacco companies aim to cultivate a positive image, utilizing it as a corporate marketing activity, which poses potential negative impacts on the public, particularly children and adolescents. As a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, China urgently needs to enforce strong legislation and enhance regulation to ensure a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco sponsorship and donations, ultimately reducing tobacco use and achieving the goals of the “Healthy China” tobacco control initiative.