Daabaa Surprise 01

A Chinese billionaire couple have faced a deluge of criticism for donating $15 million to one of the richest and most prestigious universities in the US, with Internet users saying it would be better spent on students in China.

Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, the husband-and-wife duo behind real estate giant SOHO China, are giving $100 million to fund disadvantaged Chinese students at top universities across the globe.

The first stage of the programme was last week's gift to Harvard, widely regarded as one of the world's best universities.

Pan is not only one of China's wealthiest people but also one of the country's most-celebrated "Big V" bloggers, with nearly 17 million followers on Sina Weibo, at times drawing attention from the authorities.

China is the largest single source country for international students in the United States, providing more than a quarter of all foreign students, according to the Institute of International Education.

Many of those young people's studies are funded by their families, but Zhang told the Wall Street Journal that the firm's "SOHO China Scholarships" will be aimed at encouraging less-well-off Chinese students to apply to study abroad.

Nonetheless some users of Sina Weibo, a Chinese Twitter equivalent, sharply criticised Pan and Zhang, questioning the couple's motives and arguing that disadvantaged students within China are more deserving of help.