Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia enjoys reading, cooking during self-isolation

By Habib Toumi
Riyadh: China’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Wei Qing has given an outstanding example of the meaning of self-isolation at home to help in the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

Ambassador Chen Wei Qing posted a tweet saying he was staying at home in response to an invitation by Saudi Arabia’s health minister Dr. Tawfiq Al Rabee.

“In response to the invitation of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq Al Rabee to sit at home and contribute to health security, I am sitting at home. I am reading the Saudi novel “The Price of Sacrifice”; I do sports; I try to cook and drink coffee (do not forget to wash your hands constantly). What do you do at home?” He posted in Arabic on his microblog account.

The ambassador posted four pictures supporting the activities he mentioned, showing him reading the Saudi novel, exercising on a treadmill, showing off his culinary prowess and drinking his coffee.

The minister reacted by inviting everyone to contributing to the safety of Saudi Arabia by staying at home, while other users lauded the ambassador’s attitude, praising him for showing the way in the fight.

One user said he was ready to provide several titles that the ambassador could read during his self-imposed isolation, an offer that the Chinese diplomat accepted with great pleasure.

To a user who wrote that he did not know how to cook, the ambassador said that it was not a sel-isolation requirement.

Several users expressed joy and pride that China could handle the coronavirus plight with “robust commitment, massive energy and great success.”