New Flap Emerges From Chinese Billionaire’s Charity Lunch

A new row has arisen over Chen Guangbiao’s ill-starred Manhattan luncheon for homeless people, with the flamboyant Chinese philanthropist claiming a New York charity gave him a fake United Nations certificate of honor at the event last month, the South China Morning Post and Bloomberg View write.

Mr. Chen, a recycling magnate known for charity-related publicity stunts, said the China Foundation for Global Partnership promised him the U.N. award after he donated $30,000 to the organization. The certificate bearing the name “United Nation” and declaring Mr. Chen the “world’s most prominent philanthropist” and a “global peace and goodwill ambassador” caught the attention of the U.N., which disavowed the award this week in a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

Accusing the foundation of deceiving him, Mr. Chen has demanded his money back and threatened legal action. The charity denied the accusation, saying in a statement Tuesday that it did not claim to represent the U.N., and that the philanthropist provided it “with a pre-made certificate which had the United Nations logo and asked us to present to him” at the Central Park luncheon. The event ended in anger as $300 cash handouts Mr. Chen had promised to give his homeless guests did not materialize.