Sharing armor for the fight against a common foe

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has quickly adopted decisive and effective prevention and control measures, and has now achieved positive results, setting a benchmark for the international community to fight the epidemic.

People around the world have shown their concern about the situation in China and many friendly countries have reached out to China and expressed support in various ways for China's efforts to combat the epidemic. Although Mauritius is far away from China, all sectors of the country are paying close attention to China's fight against the epidemic. The friendship shown by the Mauritian people and government is unforgettable.

In a letter of condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth stated that Mauritius would stand in full solidarity with China and he lauded President Xi's personal leadership in harnessing all possible efforts and human endeavours to combat and eradicate this epidemic. Mauritius knows that the Chinese people are indomitable and tenacious and the Mauritian people are confident in the abilities of China to surmount this major difficulty. When I met with Prime Minister Jugnauth, he spoke highly of the decisive measures taken by the Chinese government to fight against the epidemic, and thanked China for its efforts to ensure the safety of Mauritian citizens in China. He has repeatedly emphasized that China and Mauritius have deep friendship and his confidence that the Chinese government and people will be able to overcome the challenge and resume normal production and life at an early date.

Mauritian Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Nandcoomar Bodha, Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage Avinash Teeluck, Minister of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training Soodesh Satkam Callichurn have also expressed their condolences and support to China and the Chinese people in various ways. They have expressed their confidence that China will be able to bring the epidemic under control, and affirmed that Mauritius will always stand beside China. Their words of hope and confidence made us feel the sincerity and respect of the Mauritian people for the Chinese people.

An ancient Chinese poem goes: "Fear not the want of armor, for mine is also yours to wear." In the face of the epidemic, those Mauritian friends who lived or are living in China are also using their own methods to express love to China. In their hearts, China is their second home. At this difficult time, they want to work side by side with the Chinese people.

Hosany Sumayyah, a Mauritian woman who came to China to study more than 10 years ago and now works at Wenzhou Peace International Hospital, and her Pakistani husband, who is also working at the hospital choose to stay in China and join the volunteer team. They provide medical assistance services at a tollbooth on the highway leading to Wenzhou. Every day, they screen thousands of vehicles for people with abnormal body temperatures. Deenraj Kush Dhoomun, a Mauritian student who has been studying in Wuhan for 10 years and is currently studying for a doctorate in medicine, also chose to stay in Wuhan and he encourages everyone around him. Hans Seesaghur, a graduate of Wuhan University, used to live in Wuhan for 13 years and is currently the China chief representative of the Shanghai branch of the Mauritius Economic Development Board Representative Office. He recorded a video to affectionately cheer up the Chinese people. He said that Wuhan had many heroes including those who sacrificed themselves to help others and those who devoted themselves to offer assistance.

It is the overflowing love for China that makes them stay. It is the deep love for China that puts them into battle. An ancient Chinese poem goes: "Though separated by a mountain, we'll share the same clouds and rain. The bright moon belongs not to a single town." In Mauritius, there are many Chinese families who have lived on the island for several generations. Some members of these families no longer speak Chinese, and some have never been to China, but their hearts are still closely linked to their ancestral country, and they took action to provide what support they could.

Nearly 200 overseas Chinese from Heen Foh Lee Kwon Society and Luyi Gang Xinhua Xuexiao in Mauritius sang the song Let the World Be Filled With Love in Chinese, shouting "Wuhan, come on! China, come on!" to cheer on their compatriots. The United Chinese Association initiated a blessing activity and shot videos to cheer up Wuhan. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Mauritius-China Friendship and Cultural Association, the Leung Mutual Society and other associations collected donations. The New Chinatown Foundation organized a special symposium on the novel coronavirus epidemic and the chairman of the foundation, J P Lam specially shaved his head to show support for the medical workers who have done the same for the sake of convenience while they work. The Chinese newspaper Hua Sheng Bao published reports to support China and wrote that China will surely win the fight against the epidemic. So far, the Chinese community has raised donations of about 150,000 yuan ($21,600) and donated 15,000 masks to support the motherland's fight against the epidemic. "When you are suffering, we feel the same. Even though we are thousands of miles apart, our hearts are connected. We pray for our brothers and sisters in China. May this suffering end as soon as possible." These are the blessings from the bottom of the hearts of the overseas Chinese.

It is gratifying that with the joint efforts of all the Chinese people and the support of the people from friendly countries, including Mauritius, the epidemic in China is being effectively controlled. A Chinese saying goes: "All men on the Earth are brothers." In the global village, we are all one family, and we have close relations with each other. In the face of common nontraditional security challenges such as the novel coronavirus, it is difficult for any country to survive alone. While fighting against the epidemic, China is also reaching out to other countries in need. We believe that a rainbow always comes after the storm.

The author is the Chinese ambassador to Mauritius. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.