"If you understand the spirit of ancient China and why foreigners have such a great respect for both China's government and people, you'll also understand why Chinese today are able to tackle such formidable foes -- poverty, hunger and the borderless battle with the coronavirus," Dr. William N. Brown said.

Brown, from the United States, is a business professor at southern China's Xiamen University. He moved to the coastal city with his wife and sons in 1988 and became the first foreigner to obtain permanent residence in Fujian in 1992.

When the epidemic broke out, Brown was in California, taking care of his 90-year-old mother-in-law. But he stayed tuned for developments regarding the epidemic in China.

Dr. William N. Brown and his wife pose with Xiamen Airlines crew members. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With novel coronavirus spreading across the globe, Brown tried to share his feelings and reflections in his residence in China and in the US to see why China can take the high ground in the fight against the epidemic.