You dida dida me, I huala huala you

Sometime on Wednesday, an aircraft carrying relief material from China was accorded the now traditional water arch welcome at Baghdad airport, in an expression of gratitude. A similar honor was accorded to another aircraft carrying relief material from China when it landed in Brussels on March 18. China’s contributions are being recognized the world over.

As the news spread, a ChineseEnglish phrase coined by a Chinese microblogger went viral on social networking sites: “You dida dida me, I huala huala you.” It means that for everybody who ever helped us, even if the help was a few drops of water, whenever the need arises, we shall repay with rivers.

An apt example of the saying is the exchange of masks and other medical goods between China and a few countries. Between Jan 24 and Feb 11, China — where the novel coronavirus epidemic was first identified — imported 730 million masks to meet people’s needs.

Since March 1, as China gained control over the epidemic, it has exported 3.86 billion masks, as well as 37.5 million protective suits, 16,000 ventilators and more. It is also encouraging enterprises to export medical goods to help the whole world, a virtuous act compared with countries which are grabbing masks bound for other countries. Armed with expertise and experience, Chinese medical teams have been reaching every corner of the world.

To quote a popular saying, gratitude and payback are carved into the psyche of the Chinese people and we are always proud to help others. We hope that our goodwill makes us deserving of water arch welcomes and respect in other nations, not criticism from some Western politicians and media outlets.