20-yr-old’s life casts doubts over Chinese charity

None of it was unusual for China’s nouveau riche. What ignited a firestorm was the fact that,Guo Meimei,20,under the name “Guo Meimei Baby,” had boasted on her microblog that her title was “commercial general manager” at the Red Cross,a claim that had apparently been verified by Sina,the Internet firm hosting the blog.

Since an Internet user pointed out the posts in late June,Guo and the Red Cross have been the most talked-about subjects on the Internet. The Red Cross of China,which is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross Societies,has denied ties to Guo,who some Internet users speculate got her title because she is the mistress or relative of a top Red Cross official. Some news reports said Guo was the girlfriend of Wang Jun,a much older man on the board of the firm. Wang Jun quit his post Monday.

Some people fear the scandal and increase in suspicions of corruption in charities could deal a major blow to philanthropy here.

Several recent episodes have raised suspicions about the Red Cross. Among them,was a report by National Audit Office that listed its financial discrepancies. One that drew criticism was that the group,which had a budget in 2010 of $45 million,had overpaid an equipment contract by $650,000. The group also has affiliated groups that are not legally registered at all.