Lawmakers are debating new legislation to encourage the development of the charitable sector and repair a tarnished image, as Luo Wangshu and Cao Yin report.

On March 4, the day before the start of the annual session of China's legislature, a reporter asked the country's top legislators why they planned to review the final draft of a new charity law in preference to "more important" legislation.

Given the weighty subjects under discussion at the annual gathering, the question was appropriate, but it also revealed the mainstream Chinese view of philanthropy: For many people, charity is irrelevant to their lives.