Sanxikou subdistrict in Qingtian county, Lishui, established an online platform for its overseas Chinese in 2019. The platform promoted the realization of mutual help between the subdistrict and its overseas Chinese population and helped solve the difficulties overseas Chinese encountered in making contact with officials in Qingtian to their handle affairs.

"We set up 13 WeChat groups, covering all the overseas Chinese families in all villages," said Wang Haiqing, the secretary of the Party working committee of Sanxikou subdistrict. "The 13 WeChat groups are like 13 mini overseas Chinese villages."

Amid the epidemic outbreak, the village-stationed cadres and Party member volunteers released information about the villages and epidemic prevention and control through the platform, enabling overseas Chinese to learn immediately about the changes in the villages and raise awareness of self-prevention against COVID-19.

Sanxikou subdistrict has contacted more than 5,100 overseas Chinese, issued 263 care packages to overseas students and solved over 20 emergency cases of epidemic prevention and control since March.

The platform also facilitates the return of overseas Chinese business and investment. An overseas Chinese in Italy surnamed Ye learned about the details of Qingtian's investment policies through the platform, then went back to Qingtian and invested in the Venice town project. He also helped Qingtian county to get in touch with 13 overseas Chinese communities to support the construction of Qingtian's counterpart, Pingchang in Sichuan province.

The online platform maintained and enhanced the warm feelings of overseas Chinese for their hometown and raised their enthusiasm for supporting its development. Since the establishment of the platform, more than 50 overseas Chinese have donated nearly two million yuan ($285,825) for their hometown's rural revitalization.