Diplomatic corps praised for help

China has made great strides in bringing the novel coronavirus outbreak under control, but it has done far more than simply imposing lockdowns, said Xiong Ziqing, a 21-year-old exchange student living in the United States.

"Border controls have become a lot tighter and the imposition of social distancing has become tougher, but the world needs to take heed of other measures and other approaches China has taken as well," he said at the Vision China event.

Xiong shared his opinions on "social distancing", a measure taken by countries and regions to try to control the spread of the virus.

Classmates who used to sit close to one another now meet in a virtual classroom and stage fright has given way to "camera fright". Describing his recent life in the US, Xiong said there are fewer people out, but queues at banks and supermarkets are longer than usual because of social distancing.

A fourth-year student at Shanghai International Studies University Xiong is on an exchange program at Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

But despite the obvious benefits, social distancing "cannot be regarded as a magic potion that rids the world of this scourge once and for all", Xiong said.

He said one of the main benefits of distancing is that it reminds us of the value of sharing, caring and communicating with others.

Xiong, like many Chinese students, chose to stay overseas during the outbreak. As a Chinese exchange student in the US, he said China's stance has been one of reaching out rather than distancing.

Health packages－often including face masks, disinfectants and drugs－have been dispatched by China's embassies and consulates in the US.Reports and advice on personal health have also been issued daily, including lectures on disease prevention which are livestreamed to suit those in different time zones.

"When Chinese nationals could not get home, home came to us," he said. "So much thought seems to have been put into this outreach that it would be virtually impossible for any Chinese student here to feel that they are isolated far from home.

"The pandemic cannot sweep away friendship, goodwill and exchanges of ideas and knowledge,"Xiong said, adding the use of video conferences and social media apps has shown people's instincts to sympathize, communicate and work together regardless of time and distance.

"Distancing is first and foremost a way of taking care of ourselves and treating those we love in a responsible way," he said."But more importantly, gathering or reuniting at a distance shows who and what we really love and care about."