Private companies in China had donated 138.4 billion yuan (US$20.3 billion) as of late 2008 for social programs through the China Guangcai Program, established in 1994, sources close to the program said on Monday.

With nearly 20,000 projects nationwide, the program has helped more than 10 million people out of poverty, said Quan Zhezhu, vice chairperson of the China Society for Promotion of Guangcai Program.

"In the past 15 years, the program has fully exercised the unique advantage" of the private sector and made "fruitful achievements in poverty alleviation," said Quan.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2009)