Chinas rich have poor reputation: Survey

Wealthy Chinese do not have a good reputation, a survey by China Youth Daily and Sina.com has found.

New Delhi, Sept.12 : Wealthy Chinese do not have a good reputation, a survey by China Youth Daily and Sina.com has found.

The polls showed about 70 percent of 3,990 interviewees believe the well-off are immoral and not worthy of respect. Only four percent thought the rich are good, the survey said.

For the rich to become popular they need to do three things, the survey suggested.

First, they need to have a sense of social responsibility. Second, they need to be self-disciplined, and third, they need to have a caring heart.

China now has 1.5 million rich people.

"Some rich people are thought to have accumulated their wealth through illegal means, such as bribery," said Yuan Xiaoying, a post-graduate student at the Communication University of China.

Those rich who abide by the law, have a sense of social responsibility and a caring heart, the survey said.

The poll showed about 60 percent thought these kinds of wealthy people were worthy of respect.

The survey suggested many voters were better disposed toward rich people from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Western economies - rather than the mainland.

Hong Kong property tycoon Li Ka-shing was most highly regarded, followed by Bill Gates, mainland property tycoon Wang Shi and basketball player Yao Ming.

ANI