CRI听力:Live Call-in with Clare Pearson on the Philanthropy Dinner of Buffet and Gates in Beijing

Last night, two of the world's richest men sat down to dinner with 50 of the richest businessmen and women in all China: Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft and Warren Buffet, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway hosted the dinner in Beijing as part of their visit to China.

The two men are here to learn about philanthropy in China, and they're also hoping to get some of China's billionaires to sign onto their 'Giving Pledge'—This involves the super rich agreeing to donate most of their wealth to charity either during their life time, or after their death. Something Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have both agreed to do.

During the dinner at Beijing's Chateau Laffitte Hotel, Gates and Buffet discussed how they recently got 40 wealthy families in the US to participate in their Pledge.

The two business tycoons also stressed that China will need to find its own approach to philanthropy, appropriate to its own unique situation.

So far, Chinese businessman and founder of Huangpu Renewable Resources, Chen Guangbiao, has publicly agreed to the pledge.

To tell us more about the state of charity in China, is Clare Pearson. She is a lawyer and is also editor of The Charitarion, the first philanthropic magazine which highlights the issues around Corporate Social Responsibility.

Q Buffet and Gates have said part of the goal of their trip is to learn more about philanthropy in China—what is China's culture of philanthropy? Is there a lot of charitable giving? Is it usually so public?

Q How effective do you think Buffett and Gates will be in getting rich Chinese to donate their wealth—or is this more an issue of raising awareness about how the rich can help change the world?

Q There is currently no inheritance tax in China, no clear legislation controlling Charity and as yet very little transparency are these factors that inevitably affect people wanting to donate their money to Charity?

Q When there are big disasters like the Haiti quake, flooding in Pakistan and of course earthquakes nearer to home we have seen the kindness and generosity from the Chinese in terms of resoureces, donations and relief work. From your perspective how can the Chinese be encouraged to give on a continual basis and not just as one offs?

Q Chen Guangbiao, founder of Huangpu Renewable Resources has ageed to donate all of his wealth after death—do we know if any other businessmen have signed on to the giving pledge?