Spring breeze brings warm, the hurried heart in thousands of miles lightens friendship. Last winter, COVID-19 affected the nerves of every Chinese, and the world's attention was focused on the epidemic control in Wuhan, Hubei Province. This spring, relief supplies have gathered the hopes all over the world, and friendship thousands of miles has turned into an important power in defeating the battle against the epidemic. There's a group of people who stand up for China when the public opinion is unfair to China; There's a person who stands up when discordant misunderstanding arising and takes practical actions to help fighting the epidemic.
In the epidemic decisive moment, a batch of emergency supplies landed in China. Tens of thousands of masks came to China from Armenia with greetings for the Chinese people and the words "Go China" pasted on each packing case. Those handwritings reflected his enthusiasm and concern for China and the Chinese people. They all came from the same man, Mr. Gore, who is a 2009 post-graduate of SIPA and the foreign dean of the Confucius Institute in Armenia now.
Gore remembers his Jilin University time with fresh memories. Gore applied for a Chinese government scholarship to study a master's degree of SIPA at Jilin University in 2007. With the guidance of his teachers, Gore studied hard and received his master's degree in 2009. Gore worked in the Presidential Office of Armenia since graduating from China. During this period, he took an active part in the mission of the Central Asian Chinese Friendship School which was funded by the Chinese government. He assisted in site selection, campus construction and charter drafting, etc. In order to improve the source of students and teaching quality, he stipulated that only those who passed the entrance examination could enter the school. Under Gore's active participation and strict management, the school's reputation spreads and it becomes an honor for local students and parents to study in it.
Gore learned about Chinese traditional culture and many valuable qualities from socializing with Chinese people when studying in China. “Little help brings much return. I want to return for China with practical action this time”. During the epidemic, he kept paying attention to China closely. When he saw the urgent need for shortage masks to fight for the epidemic in China, he immediately mobilized all contacts to find masks with his wife and quickly collected 10,000 masks in a short time. The 10.000 masks may be a drop in the bucket for us, but collecting 10,000 masks in a short time is a miracle in Yerevan, which has small population and small stock of drugs, and mostly relies on imports. In order to send the masks to China as soon as possible, Gore collected masks and contacted logistics companies at the same time. The second day, he put the first supplies on a plane to China at once.
Gore thought it was not enough after sending out the first batch, but there were no more masks in Yerevan for a while. He started contacting friends abroad and asking them to help him raise masks in their countries. Just one day after the 10,000 masks were sent out, Gore's friends in Egypt helped him collect another batch of masks. Meanwhile, Gore also contacted media to produce videos showing Armenian people supporting and cheering for Wuhan. In greeting to the dean of SIPA, Xiao Xi, he gave firm support to China's fight against the virus and expressed his willingness to pray for China and Chinese people day and night. He hoped China could defeat the virus and resume her spirits at an early date.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Gore is committed to promoting friendship between Central Asia and China over ten years. He introduces Chinese culture and contemporary China to the Armenian people through his websites and friends' owned media, helps Armenian overseas Chinese and Armenian living in China, which make positive contributions to enhancing the friendly relations between Central Asia and China. After the outbreak of epidemic, Gore promptly translated Chinese news into Armenian on his personal website and introduced the progress of Coronavirus research to his compatriots when facing the unfair international remarks and misunderstanding on China. He also refuted rumors and clarified facts on social media to help the Armenian understand the truth of the Chinese government's nationwide efforts to fight the epidemic. He kept in touch with Armenian students in China through the Internet, providing psychological comfort and emotional counseling, helping them buy tickets and post masks. Gore did the psychological work of teachers and students hard, and help them remove their doubts and guard against Chinese teachers and urges compatriots not to discriminate against Chinese people at Confucius Institute in Armenia. In addition, Gore always cared about the safety of Chinese teachers and gave them care and comfort, so that the teaching activities of Confucius Institute could be carried out in order.
Disease, hunger and poverty have become major challenges of human, and no one can be immune to them. A series of progressives with internationalist and humanitarian spirit, represented by Gore, are acting the concept of human community with a shared future and building a bridge of friendship between China and the world in the new era. At this very time, the friendship and kindness of the Armenian people have become the best gift to China. We will never forget that you are lovely and always care about China.
Thank you, Gore!
Thank you, all the foreign friends who love and care about China!
