Indicates the type of a location. Location Type Defined by CCTVPLUS Indicates the role that a specific instance of a description takes among all descriptions. Description Role Defined by CCTVPLUS The role in the overall content stream. Part Role Indicates a kind of content rendition. Content Rendition Defined by CCTVPLUS CCTV Newscontent Co.,Ltd. CCTV Newscontent Co.,Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No access Chinese mainland CCTV Newscontent www.cctvplus.com +86-10-83949886 +86-10-63978447 contact@cctvplus.com 2026-09-10T02:30:11Z 2026-09-10T02:30:11Z 2026-09-09 2014-11-06T09:22:45Z China Central Television China Other Recent China-Long March/US Doctor Son of US-born doctor inspired by CPC's dedication to helping poor shares father's story The son of a U.S.-born doctor who journeyed to China and joined the latter part of the Red Army's historic Long March after being inspired by the cause of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has reflected on his father's remarkable tale. With this year marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March, the story of George Hatem, a U.S. doctor known in China by his Chinese name Ma Haide, remains one of the most enduring episodes of this time period. In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hatem's son Zhou Youma looked back on his father's experiences and shared what motivated him to work for the CPC. Hatem was born in 1910 in the United States and came to China to study epidemic diseases when he had just received his medical degree at the age of 23. On the recommendation of Soong Ching Ling, a former honorary president of China and wife of Chinese revolutionary and statesman Sun Yat-sen, he went onwards to northwest China's Shaanxi Province in 1937, where he joined the CPC. In 1949, Hatem became the first foreigner to gain Chinese nationality. He was appointed as an advisor for China's health ministry one year later. Through his work, Hatem helped build and strengthen the country's public health system until he passed away in Beijing in 1988. Looking back on his father's life, Zhou spoke of how moved he had been by the plight of the most impoverished people in the early days, which made him wish to contribute to the cause of the CPC. "My father also suffered a lot, and he knew the taste of hardship for poor people. After meeting Soong Ching Ling, a prominent Chinese political figure, and her friends in Shanghai, he saw what the real poor in China looked like. At a silk factory in Shanghai, he saw 11-or-12-year-old female workers spinning silk in hot alkaline water. Their hands had been soaked in water for years. Some even had broken bones. My father was a doctor, and he felt heartbroken. Why did children suffer so much? My father believed that the country and government at that time should change," he said. "Soong Ching Ling and her friends told him that there was a kind of people in China who helped the poor. They were called the Communist Party of China. Why did my father stay in the Red Army? He said he was willing to work with the military led by these outstanding leaders to help people live a better life. He walked a long journey, but what he suffered was only a small part of the Long March, or in his words, only one tenth," he added. Zhou also recalled other aspects of his father's work beyond medicine, noting how he had become a trusted international advisor to the CPC. "Apart from medical services, my father also did a lot of work on foreign affairs. He translated the news he heard on the radio into English and French, then his Chinese peers translated them into Chinese and published it in newspapers. Every morning, there was a note on the table of Chairman Mao Zedong, which was made with the help of my father," he said. Chinese/English/Part Mute Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Various of picture of George Hatem, U.S. doctor 2. Various of passport of Hatem 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, dubbed in English) Zhou Youma, son of Hatem (partially overlaid with shots 4-5): "My father also suffered a lot, and he knew the taste of hardship for poor people. After meeting Soong Ching Ling, a prominent Chinese political figure, and her friends in Shanghai, he saw what the real poor in China looked like. At a silk factory in Shanghai, he saw 11-or-12-year-old female workers spinning silk in hot alkaline water. Their hands had been soaked in water for years. Some even had broken bones. My father was a doctor, and he felt heartbroken. Why did children suffer so much? My father believed that the country and government at that time should change. Soong Ching Ling and her friends told him that there was a kind of people in China who helped the poor. They were called the Communist Party of China. Why did my father stay in the Red Army? He said he was willing to work with the military led by these outstanding leaders to help people live a better life. He walked a long journey, but what he suffered was only a small part of the Long March, or in his words, only one-tenth." ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 4. Various of old photo of Hatem 5. Decorative plates featuring famous figures ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 6. Various of old photos of Hatem 7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, dubbed in English) Zhou Youma, son of Hatem (starting with shot 6): "Apart from medical services, my father also did a lot of work on foreign affairs. He translated the news he heard on the radio into English and French, then his Chinese peers translated them into Chinese and published it in newspapers. Every morning, there was a note on the table of Chairman Mao Zedong, which was made with the help of my father." 8. Various of medals, bust of Hatem