22 years ago, in May, I was transferred from an army barracks in a remote mountain region to the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing. That day, I felt so moved by a love for my country that I ran all the way to Tiananmen to gaze earnestly upon what was, to me, my Holy City.
I could not have imagined that on that day, 22 years later, at the moment when Beijing's 13 million inhabitants were locked in a fight to the death against SARS, I would once again stand alone, before Tiananmen Gate. I saw Tiananmen, its gleaming guard posts standing majestically, the five-starred red flag still flying high above the square, and I could not help but look to the sky and cry:
"My homeland, Beijing, I have never loved you more than I do today…"
On that day, I entered the command center of the military's huge anti-SARS campaign—the vanguard in the battle against SARS. At all times, I was fully aware that the beacons of war were lit, and I keenly felt how precious life is.
In light of this, I would like to tell you of Beijing's decisive life-and-death battle against SARS under the leadership of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
—He Jianming
