A translation of a post by Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on the social media platform WeChat, as she flew home to China. The post was shared with The Globe and Mail and has been widely referenced in Chinese state media.
It is dark outside the porthole, and the flight lights on the wings are flickering, the glimmers look particularly warm in the night sky. At this moment, I am flying over the North Pole, towards the direction of home, I will soon be thrown into the arms of the great motherland, after three years of the motherland being at the end of the world. People always feel afraid [melancholic] when they move close to their hometown, I feel the same. Unconsciously the tears blurred my eyes.
Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, our motherland is moving towards prosperity, without a strong motherland, I wouldn’t enjoy the freedom that I’ve got today. The old scenes flash, as if a generation has passed, but they are still vivid. For the past 1,028 days, there have been moments of confusion, where I hesitated and was unable to make decision.
For the past 1028 days, I wandered day and night, even if a million words cannot describe what I went through. For the past 1,028 days, everyday repeated itself but I had no idea where would be my home. “People who have not cried in the middle of the night are not qualified to talk about life.” Falling into the abyss again and again, entering into the dark night again and again, all these experiences made it hard for me to fall asleep and the feelings have been imprinted on my bone and engraved on my heart.
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Tears and complaints cannot resolve the sorrow, the sadness over the change of seasons cannot get me out of the mud. Instead of struggling in the hardship, turning the heart to the sun to get out of the haze and smog will be more helpful. Some wind and waves are hard to avoid and they are dangerous, but only facing it will enable us to sail to a place that’s far away. Some arrivals might take longer time, but after the twists and turns the boat will eventually be anchored to the shore.
Many times I ran, many times I fell, only this time I feel strong; Countless departures, countless homecoming, but this one brought tears to my eyes. There is always a light to give me warm, and there’s always a star, in the vast universe, there to provide me hope. I feel grateful in every way. We pray for peace, and fortunately, we are born in a time of peace. We worship the greatness, and what’s precious is that we are born in a great country.
Growing up in the period of reform and opening up, I witnessed and experienced how great China and the Chinese people are under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. All our compatriots have worked hard for years to make our motherland prosperous and strong, the people towards common prosperity, and have made great contributions to the peace and development of the world.
Thanks to my dear motherland, thanks to the Party and the government, it was the gorgeous Chinese red, that ignited the fire of faith in my heart, lit up the darkest moment of my life, and led me to the long journey home.
Thank you dear family, for accompanying me to experience the wind and rain, witnessing the years, and helping deal with all my joy and sorrow. Your distant company assisted me to go through the layers of hills; It was your silent guardian that led me through the thorns.
Thank you dear friends, there is a romance called fighting side by side, there is a purity called spare no pains, there is a boldness called zero care for personal danger, when I look back to the old days, I found those days full of friendship that look like still and deep water, and the responsibility even at the centre of thunderstorms.
Thanks to my dear colleagues, although we have been apart for a long time, your sincere encouragement and persistent persistence have made us stand together through thick and thin, and our arduous journey has been magnificent, and our sincere original aspiration has become stronger with time passing by.
Thank you all for caring about me and you, even if I have never met, your deep affection, sincere greetings and deep blessings, just like a rainbow, a piece of colourful sky on the rough road.
At midnight, it is the moon in the bottom of my heart, the River water, and every minute of my three year stay in a foreign country that form the destination of my soul. Before boarding the plane, it was already cold enough in Vancouver to put on heavy clothes. At this time, the motherland is in autumn, the sky is clear, the air is warm, I’m looking forward to a year of good scenery, and then enjoy the different colours of nature. Wish the motherland happy birthday! The way home, despite all twists and turns, is the warmest journey in the world.