Foreign firms stint on quake aid -- or so it's said

By Rujun Shen

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - After making heaps of money in China's vast market, heartless foreign corporations have failed to pay a cent towards earthquake relief -- or so claimed text messages buzzing between Chinese mobile phones on Tuesday.

The only snag is that every company named in the texts, from McDonald's to Louis Vuitton, has contributed cash, food or rescue equipment, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the firms themselves.

"These 'international iron roosters' have struck it rich in China but not made donations," said one text message, using a Chinese phrase for a stingy person.

"If you are a Chinese person with a keen sense of justice, please boycott their products and food," read another text message, listing the same companies.

But the calls to action were not just xenophobic.

A smattering of complaints about foreign companies on Chinese blogs were drowned out by the outrage directed at domestic firms rumored to have been tight-fisted.

Vanke, China's biggest listed developer, became the top target for bloggers, who accused it of forcing employees to limit disaster relief donations to just 10 yuan

($1.44).