Social donations in China reached an unprecedented 70 billion yuan (10.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2010, more than double the amount donated in 2009, said a report published by a government think-tank on Tuesday.

The Internet and mobile technology have expanded donation channels and made it easier to donate, as many people donated through online services and mobile phone messages in 2010, according to a report on Chinese philanthropy published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Donations worth one million yuan or above amounted to 33.6 billion yuan, or nearly half of the total donation amount, according to the report. The report also noted that an increasing number of wealthy entrepreneurs donated to disaster relief funds.

Last year's philanthropy debates, which centered on whether it is the responsibility of wealthy people to donate, caught the public's eye and raised Chinese awareness of philanthropy, according to the report.

The report showed the rapid proliferation of China's social philanthropic organizations, which increased in number from 431,000 in 2009 to 439,000 by the end of 2010, with the number of volunteers exceeding 31.24 million.

In addition,a government-run lottery raised 48.9 billion yuan for public welfare funds, up 5.6 percent from the previous year, according to the report.

The report stated that relevant rules and laws must be quickly changed and the government's role should be consolidated in order to boost China's philanthropic efforts.

In addition, a list of 173 philanthropists whose personal donations reached at least 1 million yuan was released in Beijing on Tuesday. Cao Dewang, president of a glass company based in the southern city of Fuzhou, topped the list.

Total donations from listed philanthropists amount to nearly 7.43 billion yuan.

Another list of 707 companies whose donations reached at least 1 million yuan was also published. Their total donations hit 11.6 billion yuan last year.

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