Doing the right thing

Co-productions are no guarantee

The Chinese art of mythmaking

However, with the growth of affluence, charity needs to become less of an exhibition and more of a social responsibility.

A philanthropist can reach out to someone in his village, in his country or foreign land. The bottom line is: He should treat those he helps with dignity and not use them as extras in a circus. They are financially poorer, but they should not be belittled with condescension disguised as a cheap show of sympathy.

Chen is being embraced by fewer and fewer people, because his penchant for simply doling out money conforms to an old ideal, which is quickly becoming outdated, vulgar or even downright offensive.

Whatever his motivation, Chen has the right to do what he likes with his money.

Calls to investigate him for alleged illegal earnings, as some have made, are malicious. Simply because he throws money around in bad taste does not mean he has made his money illegally.

While it is indeed difficult to make the proverbial first pot of gold fair and square, one should not automatically conclude that every entrepreneur is guilty of the so-called original sin.

If you don't agree with the way Chen conducts his charity, just ignore him.

But he may need to re-examine his priorities and consider whether posing with a huge pile of cash is everyone's idea of correctness.

He is not going to become a Bill Gates overnight by staging such stunts, but I strongly suspect he would have made an impressive showman had he been given the opportunity early in life.