In May 2026, a video appeal by desert-control hero Yin Yuzhen from Inner Mongolia went viral on social media. Yin sought to reunite with Ronald Sakolsky, the American teacher who raised $5,000 to help her plant trees in the Maowusu Desert 27 years ago. CGTN spoke with Sakolsky, who urged delegates to the UN conference to combat desertification to open their minds enough to find common ground on solutions... the way he opened himself to Yin and shared her dream to turn the desert green again.