Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in December, PKU students from all over the world have been doing their part to help China through donations of money, medical supplies and equipment, and through offering emotional support.

On February 14, 2020, the Peking University Alumni Association of Japan launched a donation drive for the fight against the novel coronavirus in China. They worked to amass a large quantity of face masks and sanitizer, then sent them to the center of the outbreak in Wuhan. In addition to the donation drive, the association also took 350,000 Yen from its dues and donated that money directly to the Peking University Education Foundation to support the battle against the coronavirus.

On February 13, Chinzai Rentsen, the vice-chair of Mongolia National Chamber of Commerce, solicited charitable contributions to help with the current situation in China. The Mongolia National Chamber of Commerce donated a total of 140,000,000 Mongolian Tugriks to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Mongolia and expressed their hope that China will pull through this difficult period soon.

2nd from the Left - Chinzai Rentsen, Mongolian PKU alumni

On February 6, LEEN and Marwan, two Peking University students from Jordan, called on the public to help Wuhan through WeChat. Eagerly responding to the appeal, students from Syria, Palestine, and many other countries extended a helping hand, putting together medical supplies for Hubei. As an intern at China Arab TV, LEEN also made a short video of some international students rooting for the Chinese people and expressing their belief that everything will be fine if we join forces against the novel coronavirus.

Similarly, on February 10, South Korean students Hong Lyn (洪麟), Jang Yoon-jeong (张允瀞), and Oh Hyun-jung (吴贤重) made an appeal on WeChat to raise funds and supplies for people in hard-hit areas as well. The care and effort they put into their fundraising is touching and greatly appreciated.

Aside from donations, our international friends have also done other important work. With the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus across the country, rumors about this epidemic went viral too. To fight the fake news and help people learn the truth about the novel coronavirus, Sunny from Bangladesh refuted rumors about COVID-19 in a TV interview:

After the outbreak of the coronavirus, people in my country have been scared because Bangladesh is densely populated and COVID-19 would almost certainly quickly get out of control. In my country, many websites share fake news about COVID-19, which impacts those of us living in China, and those Chinese people working in Bangladesh.

I write about COVID-19 and spread awareness to make people less afraid of COVID-19. I have been in China for over 3 years, and am living in Beijing through this epidemic, so people believe what I say about it. Some of my work went viral, and someone from the media invited me on their TV program.

We discussed COVID-19 and the situation in China. I dispelled some of the misinformation about COVID-19, provided real data, and talked about the efforts of the Chinese government. I showed them the recovery rate for COVID-19, and how it is better than many other diseases like H1N1. I hope the truth about this disease will reduce the panic surrounding the epidemic.

PKU

With all sorts of assistance coming ceaselessly from around the world, it is sure that the battle against the novel coronavirus will be filled with hope and confidence.

Thank you all for your kind supports in this special period that make spring come closer to this land.

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International PKU Students Rally to Help China Fight Coronavirus

Writer: Wang Nini

Editor: Amanda Hu, Trevor

Designer: Pu Hairui

Source: International Students Division, Office of International Relations, PKU