To help Chinese students studying in the UK better cope with the outbreak of COVID-19, on April 20th, the “Online Assistance Platform for Students Studying in the UK” jointly created by West China Hospital and the Embassy of the PRC in the UK was officially launched in London, the main venue, and West China Hospital, the branch venue. Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zhang Lin, Vice President of Sichuan University, President Li Weimin of West China Hospital, and Director Liang Zong’an of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of WCH, among other experts and representatives of students and parents studying in the UK, participated in the launch ceremony.

Liu Xiaoming, on behalf of the Embassy of the PRC in the UK, the three consulates in Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast, and more than 200,000 students studying in the UK, expressed immense respect and heartfelt gratitude toward the medical staff of West China Hospital for their contributions to the epidemic prevention and control. He said that the Chinese government, the CPC and the Chinese people are always concerned about the safety and health of Chinese students studying in the UK. The embassy will diligently implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi to protect Chinese students in the UK with a “protective umbrella and wall.” In his speech, Liu Xiaoming spoke of three expectations that he has for students studying in the UK. The first expectation is that such students cherish this rare opportunity, make good use of the platform, effectively strengthen epidemic prevention and control, as well as their ability to respond psychologically, and ensure their physical and mental health. The second is that student unions throughout the UK and in other places lead students to help each other in these hard times. And the third is that students will make good use of their time by studying online at home, devote to studies and make positivity the characteristics of overseas students in the UK, and meet future challenges with a new attitude.

President Li Weimin introduced West China Hospital and shared the hospital’s experiences in emergency response during the 2003 SARS crisis, the Wenchuan Earthquake, the Lushan Earthquake, H1N1, H7N9 and COVID-19. He encouraged students studying in the UK to gain a proper understanding of the coronavirus, actively protect themselves and adjust their attitudes during this global public health emergency. He hopes that students can successfully complete their studies and fulfill their glorious mission to contribute to the motherland.