BEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters): China was upset by a shipment of donations from a U S church to Chinese orphans containing expired medical equipment and stained bedding, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said today.
China Charity had contacted the donor, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, after four containers were found to contain goods which also included used surgical clothing, Xinhua news agency said.
"We have made representations with the U S side and asked them to take measures" to remedy the situation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
"Charity work is a very noble and immaculate undertaking.
I do not hope for any noble, immaculate undertaking to be contaminated by this batch of dirty goods," Qin said without further comment.
The medical supplies, valued at 4 million dollars, were meant for clinics in orphanages in Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei, Hefei, capital of nearby Anhui province, and Beijing, Xinhua said.
China Charity would send officials to the United States to look into how this happened, the agency said, adding that talks were under way after the U S side offered cash to buy the same amount of donated goods.
Richard Hunter, spokesman for the church in Hong Kong, was surprised the donation contained shoddy goods and was quoted by Xinhua as saying previous donations to China had no problems.