[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
 
Case review
[4] Although the first-instance verdict in the Jiang Ge case has been reached, the turmoil has not subsided. According to reports from *China Philanthropist Magazine*, on March 10 this year, Weibo user "Writer Chen Lan" questioned Jiang Ge's mother, claiming that "Jiang Qiulian used the Jiang Ge incident to conduct a large number of illegal and non-compliant fundraising activities, exploiting public sympathy for the victim to loudly proclaim that she did not need to disclose the details of donations," and accused her of "fraudulent and deceptive fundraising." "Writer Chen Lan" claimed that the total amount of donations received reached one million yuan. This accusation plunged Jiang Qiulian into controversy.

 
 

[5] On March 13, Jiang Qiulian posted a video online, breaking down in tears: "I really don’t know how much everyone has helped me with, or where it all came from... I also don’t know how this money was spent. I have many expenses without receipts." At the end of the video, she even shouted to the camera: "I beg you to investigate me!"
 
[6] Undeniably, the legal costs of the Jiang Ge case were substantial. For a case involving foreign elements like this one, the expenses were particularly high. The day after the first-instance verdict, Jiang Qiulian and her attorney Huang Leping revealed at a media briefing in Beijing that the total expenses for the case amounted to around 1.2 million yuan. This figure is not unreasonable, given that translating over 2,000 pages of Japanese professional criminal evidence alone was a significant expense.

Of course, the cost of litigation is not just about translating foreign evidence. Jiang Ge's mother also said: "The expensive cross-border lawyer fees, translation fees, travel expenses, and other costs are like a mountain pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe!" It is no exaggeration to describe the years she has spent seeking the truth for her daughter's death as "overwhelming pressure." Despite Jiang Ge's mother's tearful appeals, some netizens remain skeptical. The views of "writer Chen Lan" represent the thoughts of a portion of the public.

 
 

 
Charity Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 26
Organizations or individuals without public fundraising qualifications may, for charitable purposes, cooperate with charitable organizations that have public fundraising qualifications, allowing such charitable organizations to conduct public fundraising and manage the funds and goods raised. 
 
 
Article 73
Charitable organizations with public fundraising qualifications shall regularly disclose to the public their fundraising status and the implementation of charitable projects.
If the public fundraising period exceeds six months, the fundraising status shall be disclosed at least once every three months, and within three months after the conclusion of the public fundraising activity, the full fundraising status shall be disclosed.
If the implementation period of a charity project exceeds six months, the project implementation status shall be disclosed at least once every three months, and within three months after the project ends, the full project implementation status and the use of raised funds and materials shall be disclosed.

 
 

 
[1] The author's perspective
First of all, it is certain that Jiang Ge's mother does not fall under the category of organizations or individuals with public fundraising qualifications as stated in the above legal provisions. That is to say, the public's act of directly transferring money to her personal account is defined in Chinese law not as a "donation" but as a "gift." Therefore, Jiang Ge's mother has no legal obligation to disclose the details of her expenditures.
 
 
Some members of the public may find this hard to accept. Because charitable fundraising typically involves larger amounts and numbers of people and leverages people's sympathy, the law imposes stricter regulations. However, Jiang Ge's mother's act of receiving money does not conform to the form of fundraising, so it naturally cannot be forced into that category. For now, it can only be defined as a "gift." In fact, it is difficult to verify how Jiang Ge's mother actually spends the money, so defining her behavior as "fraudulent fundraising" is quite challenging.
 
The Jiang Ge case has caused a nationwide sensation, and every new development sparks heated discussion. We understand the emotional loneliness, physical exhaustion, and financial hardship of Jiang Ge's mother. The willingness of netizens and the public to contribute financially has indeed greatly helped her. It is evident that this kind of online appeal is a very effective method—not only does it bring in money quickly, but it also avoids the many restrictions stipulated by the Charity Law, and recipients of such aid have no obligation to disclose. However, precisely because of this, it is easy to give others a handle for criticism. In the long run, we need to regulate online donations to promote the healthy and long-term development of public welfare and charity, so that those truly in need can receive a helping hand from society.