Recently, Chen Xingjia, a well-known figure in the public welfare sector formerly recognized as the "internet-famous county party secretary," has faced controversy regarding his personal income. Some voices pointed out that his annual salary from the Shenzhen Henghui Foundation exceeded 700,000 yuan, sparking discussions about the reasonableness of compensation for public welfare practitioners. On January 18th, Chen Xingjia released a video announcing he would "pass the baton" to younger individuals, cease receiving income from the foundation, and had reached a cooperation agreement with Yu Minhong: New Oriental Education & Technology Group has appointed Chen Xingjia as the General Consultant for New Oriental Education, Oriental Selection, and New Oriental Cultural Tourism, with an annual salary of 1.5 million yuan. Concurrently, Yu Minhong will join the Henghui Public Welfare Foundation, committing to donate no less than 1 million yuan annually.
In an interview with the Economic Observer in December 2025, Chen Xingjia stated that public welfare requires professionalism, and professionalism deserves commensurate value in return. Modern public welfare is no longer simply about "showing kindness"; it is an extremely complex social engineering project that requires top-tier talent in management, finance, project execution, and communications. If we hope to use first-class talent to solve the most challenging social problems, we need to offer market-competitive compensation that matches their professional capabilities and responsibilities. Otherwise, the sector will be unable to attract and retain talent, ultimately harming the interests of those it serves.
Transparency is the cornerstone of trust. The public's concern is not that public welfare workers receive salaries, but that the compensation might be non-transparent or unreasonable. Our salary structure is determined by the board of directors based on industry standards and my role's responsibilities, and it is strictly disclosed in our annual reports. A major donor insisted three years ago that if Henghui did not implement a salary increase for all staff based on their contribution value, they would cease further donations; this donor even made a special contribution specifically for Henghui's employee salary expenses. It was with this donor's strong support that Henghui's board convened specifically to discuss and establish a new compensation management system.
I believe that as long as the compensation system is fair, transparent, and can withstand scrutiny, it should be accepted. The value of public welfare workers should not be subjected to "moral blackmail." Demanding that they "work on passion alone" is unrealistic and unfair. They also need a decent standard of living to be able to devote themselves fully to this high-intensity, high-pressure work. Public welfare workers choose this path out of a sense of mission, but this does not mean they must live in poverty. The ultimate value of a public welfare worker is reflected in the magnitude of positive change they create for society.
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