ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why the concepts of “philanthropy” and “celebrity” had no meaning in the PRC prior to the adoption of market-based economic reforms and a policy of opening up to the rest of the world in December 1978. It considers the rapid expansion of mediatised celebrity philanthropy in the PRC since the mid-2000s, and the way in which this expansion has been driven, on the one hand, by acute humanitarian disasters, and on the other, by supportive government policies as the party-state has reconfigured its mode of governance. The chapter presents case studies from China which call for a reconsideration of criticisms that celebrity philanthropy is irredeemably “elitist” and “depoliticising”. It challenges these assumptions with reference to celebrity-inspired but fan-driven charities, and celebrity-endorsed shark-protection campaigns led by international NGOs and Chinese non-profit organizations (NPOs). Discussions of celebrity-endorsed environmental communication often replicate the general parameters of debates on celebrity philanthropy.
