By Zheng Chenguang

An article in the 'China Daily' says it's necessary to put more pressure on those who pledge money to ensure they follow through on their promises.

A list of China's top philanthropists will be released in Beijing on April 24. The site will also expose those who failed to oblige their pledges this year.

The article says publicizing acts of philanthropy not only helps people realize the extent of donors' benevolence, it also encourages more charitable activity in future.

But some people use philanthropy ranking lists as a tool to fish for fame and profit. They first make a high-toned announcement of their donation to victims of a certain disasters only to forget their words partly or wholly.

Some of them just look at a donation as a free ad for themselves, or their company.

In 1998, half of the 600 million yuan pledged to relieve the worst flood in a century never materialized.

The article says they do this because of a legal loophole in the ranking list of philanthropists. It says punitive measures should be enforced for those who lie. The goverment and the public should also take actions to track down pledged donations.