Ali El Abdallah joins Chinese Ambassador Chen Chuan Dong in honoring Dr. George Hatem and attending a seminar on China’s victory in the War of Resistance

Ali El Abdallah joins Chinese Ambassador Chen Chuan Dong in honoring Dr. George Hatem and attending a seminar on China’s victory in the War of Resistance

From left: Chinese Ambassador Chen Chuandong, Mr. Joe Hatim, Dr. Amin Labbous,
Mr. Ali Mahmoud El Abdallah

The President of the Lebanese-Chinese Business Association, Ali Mahmoud El Abdallah, participated in a seminar attended by His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Chen Chuan Dong, focusing on China’s victory in the War of Resistance and honoring the Lebanese-born doctor George Hatim (known in China as Dr. Ma Haidi). The event, hosted in the town of Hammana, the birthplace of Dr. Hatim, included the presence of Hammana’s Mayor Dr. Amin Labbous and a gathering of dignitaries and prominent figures.

During the event, speeches were delivered on China’s victory in the War of Resistance, and activities included placing flowers at the statue of Dr. George Hatim, concluding with a cocktail reception in Hammana Public Garden.

Dr. George Hatim and Leader Mao Zedong in Yan’an in 1944

Ambassador Chen Chuan Dong stated: “My colleagues from the Chinese Embassy and I visited Hammana to pay tribute to Dr. Ma Haidi and explore his history in his birthplace. We watched a commemorative video together, highlighting Dr. Ma Haidi’s extraordinary life during the global fight against fascism, the Chinese national liberation struggle, and the development of China’s health sector. I was deeply moved and profoundly felt Dr. Ma Haidi’s internationalist and humanitarian spirit.

“In 1933, Dr. Ma Haidi’s passion as a young doctor for healing people and saving lives inspired him to practice medicine in China. After witnessing the atrocities of aggression against China, and the dedication and shared suffering of the Red Army led by the Chinese Communist Party, he joined the Red Army and devoted himself to the just cause of China’s People’s War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the global war against fascism. I was deeply struck by Dr. Ma Haidi’s love for both Lebanon and China. Born in the United States, he cherished his Lebanese roots, returned to his homeland to study, and in China shared hardships with his Chinese colleagues and adopted a Chinese name. He once said, ‘I am immensely happy to participate in this great liberation cause.’ After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he fulfilled his wish and became the first foreigner to obtain Chinese citizenship. In China, he is honored as the ‘Pioneer of Healthcare in New China.’”

Chen Chuandong: Humanity at a Crossroads

The Ambassador added: “This year marks the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the People’s War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the global war against fascism, also known as World War II. As a major battlefield in the global anti-fascist war, China, after 14 years of national resistance and at a heavy cost of 35 million casualties among soldiers and civilians, achieved a historic victory against Japanese aggression and declared complete victory in the global war against fascism. In this grueling struggle, the Chinese Communist Party played a central role. The Chinese people shared a collective hatred for the invaders and resisted together. Amidst all this, international friends like Dr. Ma Haidi contributed their support, fighting for justice over evil.

“This struggle was for independence and national liberation, dismantling colonial systems and achieving sovereignty for many countries, including China and Lebanon. It was also a struggle to establish a global order centered on the United Nations, an international system based on international law, providing institutional guarantees to maintain global peace and stability.

“Eighty years after the end of World War II, wars and armed conflicts continue, and the Middle East bears their consequences. Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are still violated. The international situation is unstable and complex, with rising unilateralism, protectionism, and dominance. Peace, stability, and development worldwide face numerous challenges. The post-war international order, fundamentally the UN, faces ongoing attacks and severe tests. Humanity is once again at a crossroads. We must draw deep lessons from history, resist the return to the law of the jungle in international relations, uphold the vision of shared, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, strengthen shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all humanity, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humankind. China and Lebanon, and their peoples, have long shared friendship and mutual assistance, which has created an exemplary model of honest interaction and cooperation among nations and civilizations. China strongly supports Lebanon in preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue providing assistance within its capabilities to develop its economy and improve the lives of its people.”

Ali Mahmoud El Abdallah: Dr. Hatim’s Story as a Historical Testament to Our Relations with China

Commenting on the occasion, Ali Mahmoud El Abdallah said: “First, I want to thank His Excellency Ambassador Chen Chuan Dong for honoring the Lebanese-born doctor George Hatim, and for China’s loyalty to the memory of a doctor who believed in the justice of Chinese causes. This reflects the loyalty of Chinese civilization to its historical friends. Dr. George Hatim, or the Chinese hero Dr. Ma Haidi, is a living testament to the depth and grandeur of Lebanese-Chinese relations, extending beyond economic, commercial, and cultural cooperation to the core of shared human values connecting Lebanon and China.

“This great man left his birthplace Hammana carrying a rich Lebanese legacy of knowledge, dedication, and faith in humanitarian causes, finding fertile ground in China to dedicate his life to serving its major causes and people. Dr. Hatim’s journey is a story of belief—in the humanitarian aspect of the Chinese resistance and revolution, and in the justice of its cause. From a successful doctor in Shanghai to a prominent member of the Chinese Communist Party and Chief Medical Advisor to the Red Army, and the first foreigner to receive Chinese citizenship, he became a symbol of boundless solidarity. He understood, as we businessmen understand today, that true partnership is built on trust, mutual benefit, and a deep commitment to the welfare of people.”

He concluded: “Dr. Hatim’s experience reminds us that Lebanese-Chinese relations are not a product of today but rooted deep in history, woven by extraordinary individuals like George Hatim, who laid strong foundations of mutual respect and human empathy. Today, at the Lebanese-Chinese Business Association, we continue along this path, aiming to strengthen economic, commercial, investment, and cultural cooperation with China, inspired by this man who turned challenges into opportunities and borders into bridges of communication. He is a model to emulate, motivating us to work harder to enhance our strategic partnership with China, a sincere and loving partner.”

Dr. George Hatim, or “Ma Haidi” as he was known in China, will remain an immortal legend in the record of Lebanese-Chinese relations. He left Lebanon in 1933 for Shanghai, where he was moved by the suffering of the Chinese people and engaged in humanitarian work. This pivotal turn led him to the revolutionary headquarters in Yan’an, where he met the historic leader Mao Zedong, becoming his personal physician and close friend, as well as a friend of Zhou Enlai. His achievements extended beyond medicine; he established health systems in resistance areas, led campaigns against epidemics such as leprosy and syphilis, and served as the voice of the Chinese Communist Party to the world via Xinhua News Agency. Dr. Hatim was later honored as the first foreigner to obtain Chinese citizenship in recognition of his extraordinary contributions. He remained devoted to China until his death in Beijing in 1988 at the age of 78. According to his will, part of his ashes was scattered over the Yan River, which runs through Yan’an, the base of the revolution, and part in the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery in Beijing, symbolizing his eternal connection to the land to which he dedicated his life and achievements, which transformed modern medicine in China.