Screenshot of Foreign Students NCP Infection Prevention Video produced by Zhejiang Normal University

"Stay or leave?" That is the question for many international students studying in China's universities with the Confucius Institute Scholarship during the outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus.

Those who choose to stay in China are trying their best to offer help to people in need, comfort those abroad who are panicky over the mysterious new epidemic and reduce prejudice and discrimination against Chinese and other Asians around the world.

Júlio Cézar Kattah Resende Ferreira, a student who studies Chinese language in Hebei Normal University, North China's Hebei Province, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he chose to stay in China to show his support for China, and he, as an international student, has the responsibility of representing his country - Brazil in supporting China.

"In Brazil, many people think that the epidemic in China is very terrible due to their lack of information about the novel coronavirus, which made me decide to stay here to prove that the situation is not that bad and I am living well in China," he said.

Since the outbreak of the deadly virus, ethnic Chinese and other Asians living or studying in some countries have been targeted by abuse. Fear of the new coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) has fueled racist sentiment targeting Chinese and other Asians.

To avoid ethnic discrimination against Chinese and other Asians amid the virus crisis in Brazil, Kattah made a video to describe the real situation in China for his Brazilian compatriots, and he conveyed the same message when being interviewed by some Brazilian media. "I told them not to spread fear nor believe fake videos or fake data. China is taking efficient measures," he said and hoped his compatriots would send their blessings to China after watching his video.

Different from Kattah, who is mainly in charge of editing and translating videos about the NCP and helping staff to purchase food for students who stayed in school, Cameroonian Yonkeu Nya Francis and Zambian Chilufya Chilufya, two postgraduate students studying in Zhejiang A&F University in East China's Zhejiang Province with scholarships to the Confucius Institute, assist the school's mentors by volunteering to take temperatures, distribute masks to students, and contact students who travelled abroad.

As volunteers at school, both of them told the Global Times on Wednesday that they are satisfied with the series of measures taken by the Chinese government. "I can feel the positivity and solidarity of Chinese people during the fight against the deadly virus. Our school is implementing 24-hour closed-off management measures for our safety. Many teachers gave up their winter holiday to maintain the stability of the campus and support us," Yonkeu Nya said.

He chose to stay in China because he applied to be a volunteer this winter holiday before the outbreak of the NCP. "I did not want to miss the opportunity to help others this winter just because of the epidemic. I update my life in China through WeChat or call my family who are worried about me," he said.

For Chilufya, returning home requires him to go to the train station and airport where there are a lot of people so there's a higher risk of being infected with the disease.

He thought staying at school and working with the staff to fight the disease was safer and more meaningful. "I miss hotpot and want to enjoy a good meal of hotpot when the epidemic comes to an end. I also want to visit West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province in spring," he said.

新闻链接：http://enapp.globaltimes.cn/?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0#/article/1180195

（来源：环球时报）