Jackie Chan queried on donation pledge
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Kung fu star Jackie Chan is facing questions after the headmaster of a school rebuilt in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake said the school didn't receive a penny of the donations the actor had promised.
Liu Yachun, headmaster of the new Beichuan Middle School, told reporters that Chan failed to fulfill his commitment to donate part of the box office earnings of his martial arts movie "Little Big Soldiers."
The film earned 153 million yuan (US$22.3 million) in the Chinese mainland this year.
The original Beichuan Middle School became a symbol of the Sichuan earthquake when more than 1,000 students and staff members died or went missing in the southwest China disaster. The school's reconstruction received most of its financing from overseas Chinese and was completed on Wednesday.
Liu said Chan announced his intention to donate the movie earnings when he and other celebrities visited the school on the anniversary of the earthquake in May last year.
The announcement gained Chan flattering coverage in the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po the next day.
The Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Foundation of China, which took charge of charity work for the school, lists donors on its website.
But the list shows no contributions from either Chan or his Beijing charity fund, reported yesterday's Shanghai Overseas Chinese News. A foundation spokesperson said the group had sent notice letters to remind Chan of his promise, but received no reply.
Dang Qun, general secretary of Chan's Beijing foundation, acknowledged that Chan's foundation didn't donate any money to the school.
Chan's agent was not available for comment, reported the newspaper.
The donation accusation added to a rash of recent bad publicity for Chan.
This month, Chan drew a hail of criticism after he tweeted his seemingly supportive opinion on Philippine police in the Manila bus hijack that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.
A few months ago, a shampoo that hired him as its ambassador was suspected of causing cancer.
