I arrived in Beijing in the middle of January, 2020, a fateful time for China and the whole world. Having been in China for a while, I was familiar with China and its people’s ability to work together through difficult odds.

However, the resilience Chinese people showed in the difficult situation created by the coronavirus pandemic gave me a whole new level of respect for the country and its people.

When the news came that people were getting ill in Wuhan, everybody was worried, especially because people weren’t sure what the future might be. I was extremely moved by the extraordinary courage shown by the Wuhan people and the support they received from all four corners of China during this time. Quarantine is not a easy for most people. But having to go through checks of temperature, reducing contact with others while also being more conscientious about travel were steps that most people seemed willing to take.

So many foreign residents commented on the positive attitude of Chinese people during quarantine; not to mention the medical professionals and volunteers.

The smiling older ladies who volunteered to check residents outside their communities, the nurses with indented faces from wearing a medical mask all day, the younger foreign girl who helped to scan temperatures, all will stay in my memory for a long time.

The generous actions of these kinds of people, based on a community-based and never-say-never attitude, no doubt saved the lives of countless others.

It is my belief that China is a much misunderstood country. It is certainly true that China has undergone a lot of changes in the last forty years.

But China is an extremely modern nation in many aspects; with great infrastructure, and Chinese people are great at solving problems.

Under the circumstances, no one could have done a better job of fighting the pandemic than China.

I am continually touched by the kindness of Chinese people, their openness and generosity in tough times. The situation with COVID-19 is now much safer in China, and people feel happy to go to work and go outside. However, there is definitely a feeling of solidarity between people in China for having gone through this together.

I am now prouder than ever to call China my second home.