The Choice: An Austrian journalist and educator who told China's story to the world

"Fifty years ago, my plan was to stay in China for a little while only to study and research. But in the end I put down deep roots here for the long term. I feel that I belong to this country, too, and that I have a stake in its future. With the support of comrades and friends, I have forged deep and genuine bonds with China. China is my home," Wei Lushi writes in her memoir.

Born in Austria, Ruth F. Weiss arrived in Shanghai in 1933 as a correspondent for a Vienna newspaper, embarking on a six-month study tour of China. When the tour came to an end, she decided to remain in the country. With the help of a friend, she secured a new job. It was also around this time that she adopted her Chinese name, Wei Lushi.

In Shanghai, influenced by Soong Ching Ling, Agnes Smedley, Rewi Alley and others, Wei gradually developed a deeper understanding of the Chinese revolution and resolved to devote her life to China's revolutionary cause and nation-building.

In 1946, she went to the United States to work at the United Nations Secretariat. She returned to Beijing in 1951 and officially became a Chinese citizen in 1955. She subsequently worked as an English-language expert at the Bureau of International Press, the predecessor of China International Communications Group, and as a German-language specialist at China Pictorial.

She later served as a member of the 6th and 7th National Committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), actively participating in deliberations on state affairs.

Wei Lushi passed away in Beijing on March 6, 2006. She held a deep and genuine affection for the Chinese people and devoted her entire life to China's international communication efforts, making significant contributions to fostering mutual understanding and friendship between China and the rest of the world.

Supervisor: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Xu Wen

Copy editors: Zhou Jun, Wang Mingyan, Chen Chen, Zhang Yuying

Videographers: Wang Hongyuan, Zhang Siqi, Tao Xinyang

Cover: Jia Jieqiong