Copy Reference “Don't worry!” Xaiyakone Tammavong stressed to his parents in Laos. “We're safe in Wuhan. The measures taken by the Chinese government have been very effective. I feel the situation improving with each passing day.” Every day, Tammavong shares a video call with his parents to tell them about life in China amid the country's ongoing fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. After the outbreak, Tammavong and five other students from Laos, Chansouk Lee, Noy Kongpheng, Apo Vueyiaxiongnoy, Seng Arthit Phimvilay and Khonsavanh Vilaisak, chose to stay in Wuhan because they were confident in China's capacity to contain the spread.
“I was able to attend Wuhan University thanks to support from my family and from Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA),” declared Lee. “I want to repay them all by studying hard.” Lee's words represented common sentiments of all the Lao students. Instead of returning home for winter vacation, they chose to stay at Wuhan University to improve their Chinese skills and enhance their overall performance in the coming semester.
When the COVID-19 epidemic abruptly broke out, the situation looked depressing. However, heartwarming care from their teachers and classmates at Wuhan University as well as from friends from POWERCHINA cheered them up.
POWERCHINA contacted staff of Wuhan University overseeing the students from Laos to check on their condition. The Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Plant called every Lao student to urge them to take necessary preventative measures to ensure their health and safety. A WeChat group was established to share information and tips on epidemic prevention and control.
As the campus has been locked down, the Lao students have maintained a busy study agenda every day. In his spare time, Seng Arthit Phimvilay plays the guitar. “Chinese optimism and enthusiasm have greatly inspired me.”
“Wuhan is a city of heroes,” Apo Vueyiaxiongnoy wrote in his diary. “I enjoy the happy times with the city and its people. In this tough time, I want to stand together with them.”
“So many people are braving the storm like warriors in China,” declared Khonsavanh Vilaisak, who arrived at the university last year. “Their touching stories have kindled confidence in my heart. Over the past few days, I heard news that more and more patients are recovering and being discharged from hospitals. That's good news.”
“Under the Belt and Road Initiative, POWERCHINA invested in the hydropower project that changed the look of our hometown, and then sent us to study in China,” Tammavong stressed. “China is suffering from the COVID-19 outbreak, and we cannot just stand idle.”
With the construction of the Nam Ou River cascade hydropower project funded in large part by POWERCHINA, a scholarship program benefiting people living along the river was also launched. The POWERCHINA scholarship provides financial support for 16 Lao students seeking undergraduate degrees at China's Wuhan University. So far, 14 Lao students in three batches have enrolled at the university.
With support from the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the Lao government, the Laos-China Friendship Association and the municipal government of Vientiane recently jointly held a donation campaign to support China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Many Lao employees of Chinese companies in Laos donated generously and made impressive efforts to help China.
