According to records released last week, the top donation to the William J Clinton Foundation from Hong Kong or China is a gift of between US$500,001 and US$1 million (HK$3.9 million to HK$7.8 million) in the name of Patricia A Hotung - believed to refer to Patricia Anne Shea, wife of Eric Hotung, the 82-year-old billionaire philanthropist.

Eric Hotung is the eldest grandson of Robert Hotung, an early leader of the Chinese community in Hong Kong.

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The William J Clinton Foundation supports the former president's charitable activities across the globe, which include fighting malaria and AIDS.

Well-known figures in Hong Kong and the mainland gave donations totaling as much as US$2.32 million.

Ma's company, Alibaba.com Corp, donated between US$100,001 and US$250,000. State-owned companies were also among the most generous, with China Overseas Real Estate Development giving between US$250,001 and US$500,000. China Overseas Real Estate Development is the overseas arm of China Real Estate Development Corp, a real-estate conglomerate formerly under the Ministry of Construction that was set up in 1981 as the the mainland began pursuing housing reforms.

Some money given to the foundation went to the construction of Clinton's presidential library - which has led some analysts to draw connections between hefty donations to Clinton's pet project and attempts to curry favor.

China International Industry & Commerce Co, a state-owned construction firm, gave between US$25,001 and US$50,000. Another donation of that size was made in the name of Po Chung - believed to refer to the Hong Kong businessman who set up DHL's Asian operations in 1972.

Shandong-based Laiwu Steel Group, commodities trader Noble Group and Hutchison Whampoa (0013) group finance director Frank Sixt gave between US$25,001 and US$50,000. A Hutchison spokesman said Sixt's donation was on behalf of the Li Ka Shing Foundation.

Patrons giving Clinton's charity between US$10,001 and US$25,000 include Tung family shipping firm Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (0316), local developer Sino Land (0083) and Stanley Ho Hung-sun's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau (STDM).

Hutchison Whampoa and Wing Hang Bank (0302) gave between US$1,001 and US$5,000 to the charity.