My China Album 2020 launched at Chinese embassy in Washington on Sept 29

My China Album 2020 was released on Tuesday at the Chinese embassy in Washington to share stories on people-to-people relationships between the US and China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the outbreak has disrupted people's lives, the project demonstrates that the two peoples are standing together to combat the novel coronavirus.

My China Album is a story-sharing event cohosted by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, and China Daily, to showcase the friendship between the two peoples through photographs and accompanying stories.

The friendship between China and the US has been tested during the pandemic, and My China Album 2020 demonstrates that the two countries' peoples are embracing each other through a difficult time.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by Aug 2, 2020, China had provided the United States with 26.5 billion face masks, 330 million protective suits, 31 million pairs of goggles, 610 million pairs of surgical gloves and 11,500 ventilators. Scientists, the business community, students — people in different occupations in the two countries all have teamed up to fight the pandemic.

Zhong Nanshan, Chinese epidemiologist and the public face of China's efforts to halt the virus' spread, acknowledged the collaboration between American and Chinese medical experts.

"We have video conferences with Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals to discuss the lessons and practices in combating the virus. These communications are significantly important," Zhong said.

Ian Lipkin, epidemiology professor at Columbia University, went to Guangzhou and Beijing in late January to contribute his expertise in containing the virus. He worked closely with Chinese scientists and leaders of the Ministry of Health.

As of May 4, the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) and CGCC Foundation had donated 2,688,494 pieces of personal protective equipment to 50 hospitals and clinics and 19 government agencies in 20 states across the US.

A group of Chinese students from Santa Clara University in California donated thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment to the local community in April.

"We live in a global village, and we have a shared future. To defeat the common enemy (coronavirus), we need to solve it together," said Judith Li.

The American people also have demonstrated robust friendship by helping China, cheering on Chinese, and showing the world a real picture of China fighting the virus.

Megan Monroe, an art teacher from California working in Wuhan, shared stories on TikTok about her life in Wuhan since the first day of quarantine. Her daily videos showed the world how Chinese people coped with the challenges and how the city endured through the most difficult time.

"I just want to spread that positivity to people all around the world who are dealing with the same thing," Monroe said.

Jesse Appell, a stand-up comedian, hosted a charity comedy show in Boston in February and raised $12,000 to provide 60 boxes of medical supplies for Wuhan.

"Even though I can't be in China, my heart is still there," he said.

President Xi Jinping said at the extraordinary G20 Summit on COVID-19 in March, "At such a moment, it is imperative for the international community to strengthen confidence, act with unity and work together in a collective response."

On April 6, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai published an article in The New York Times that said: "This is the time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support. China and the United States need to lead international efforts in collaborative research into treatments and vaccines."

In April, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Chinese government donated 1,000 ventilators to New York.

"This is a big deal and it's going to make a significant difference for us," he said.

With many more stories to be told, the My China Album 2020 will reflect the ongoing connections established between people in China and in the US.

My China Album 2020 is the second in the series. Last year, the Album celebrated the 40th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations by sharing precious photographs and stories.

This year, My China Album is a treasured record of Chinese and American people helping each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. My China Album will continue to capture many more stories in the coming year to showcase the friendship between the American and Chinese peoples.