Be There for Your Country

做祖国的“脊梁”、“栋梁”、“桥梁”

– Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Conferring Ceremony of the 2017 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad

——刘晓明大使在“2017年国家优秀自费留学生奖学金”颁奖仪式上的讲话

Chinese Embassy, 19 April 2018

2018年4月19日，中国驻英国使馆教育处

Dear Teachers and Students,

老师们、同学们：

Good morning!

大家上午好！

It is a real delight to join you to confer the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad. And it is exciting to attend the event for the eighth time in a row! Let me begin by extending my warmest congratulations to this year's 27 outstanding awardees. My heartfelt appreciation goes to all the teachers! Thank you for your hard efforts and guidance for the students.

很高兴出席“2017年国家优秀自费留学生奖学金”颁奖仪式。这是我第八次见证这一激动人心的时刻。首先，我谨向今年获此殊荣的27位同学表示热烈祝贺！对各位导师的辛勤付出和悉心指导表示衷心感谢！

This year's event is special. We have with us not only outstanding PHD students who come from China's mainland. We have with us a student from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. And in the audience, we are joined by many more students from Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan region. Let me extend a warm welcome to all of you!

与往年不同的是，今年获奖的不仅有来自大陆的优秀博士生，还有一位来自香港特区的同学。此外，还有一些来自港澳台地区的同学来观摩，我对你们的到来表示热烈欢迎！

In a message to overseas Chinese students last December, President Xi said, "When the young people are ambitious, capable and responsible, a country will have a future and a nation will have hope. To realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, we need successive generations of our young people to make tireless efforts." With these words, President Xi entrusted the young people with a historic mission and showed them the way forward.

大家是留英学子的优秀代表。去年12月，习近平主席在寄语海外中国留学生时说：“青年一代有理想、有本领、有担当，国家就有前途，民族就有希望；实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，离不开一代代青年的接力奋斗。”习主席的教导，不仅深刻阐述了青年一代的历史使命，更对青年一代的成长进步指明了方向。

Today, at this gathering of the best representatives of Chinese students studying in the UK, and in light of my understanding of President Xi's words, I want to express my three hopes for you.

借此机会，我想结合学习领会习主席的寄语，给大家提三点希望：

First, I hope you will be the backbone of your country. The baton of patriotism is in your hands. Generations of Chinese students in Britain have taken part in this relay over centuries. They have lived their lives like a glorious song of patriotism. Huang Kuan, a young man from Guangdong Province, was the first Chinese to have ever studied here. He began his PHD studies in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1849. In his footsteps, many more followed, including: Huang Weilu and Yao Tongbin, who later worked on the development of atomic and hydrogen bombs and man-made satellite in China; Li Siguang and Hua Luogeng, who became the founding fathers of science in New China; Qian Zhongshu and Yan Fu, who became China's leading figures in social sciences; And Huang Danian, who became China's top geophysicist and an awardee of "Touching China 2017". This list goes on and on.

第一，要做热爱祖国、薪火相传的“脊梁”。中国留英学子历来有爱国报国的光荣传统。1849年广东青年黄宽来到爱丁堡大学攻读医学博士，成为近代第一个来英负笈求学的中国学子。此后，一代代优秀留英学子用青春谱写了怀乡爱国、荡气回肠的赤子之歌。从黄纬禄、姚桐斌等“两弹一星”元勋，到李四光、华罗庚等新中国科学事业的开创者，到钱锺书、严复等社会科学泰斗，再到感动中国2017年度人物、地球物理学家黄大年，可谓英杰辈出，群星璀璨。

Such is the glory for you to carry forward. This means that you should, Always remember you are the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation; Always work for the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the wellbeing of the people; And always live your personal dreams in the process of striving for the dreams of your country.

希望大家继承和发扬他们的光荣传统，始终牢记自己是中华儿女大家庭的一员，始终把国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福作为努力方向，始终在中华民族伟大复兴征程上追求自己的人生梦想。

Second, I hope you will be the pillar of your country. An important mission is here for you to accomplish. A country's strength depends on its talents. In today's China, development is the top priority. To achieve development, people are the most important resources and innovation is the number one driving force. Therefore, China is implementing more proactive, more open and more effective policies to encourage the creation of the best minds. And that is exactly the purposes of the "Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad".

第二，要做本领过硬、堪当大任的“栋梁”。当今世界，综合国力竞争日趋激烈，归根到底是人才的竞争。今天的中国，坚持发展是第一要务，人才是第一资源，创新是第一动力，正在实行更加积极、更加开放、更加有效的人才政策。“国家优秀自费留学生奖学金”项目的一个宗旨就是激励更多优秀人才脱颖而出。

I hope you will study hard, broaden your horizon, build a solid knowledge structure and learn the cutting-edge technologies. This will prepare you for a future of significant accomplishments. I hope you will aim high. Be creative and innovative. I hope your expertise will enable you to serve your country in its economic and social development. And I hope that as you ride the waves of transformation and innovation in China, you will put your talent to best use and live your lives to the fullest.

希望大家刻苦学习，不断拓宽全球视野，优化知识结构，掌握前沿技术，早日成为可堪大任的栋梁之才；既志存高远，又投身创新创造实践，把专业知识用于祖国经济社会发展，在变革创新大潮中施展才智、建功立业。

Third, I hope you will be a bridge for your country to build closer friendship and understanding with the world. This year will mark the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up in China. It will also witness China-UK "Golden Era" shifting to a higher gear. Reform and opening-up have been a great journey, in which both China and the world have achieved much progress. Going forward, China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development. China will continue to open up and pursue a mutually beneficial strategy. China will work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind. My young friends, You have an important role to play. With your experience of studying and living both in China and overseas, you have a natural strength in bridging different civilizations and cultures. I hope you will see it as your responsibility to promote friendly exchanges between China and other countries. I encourage you to tell the stories of China and the Chinese people to the world. Through you, the world can gain a better understanding of China. In you, the China-UK "Golden Era" will have a brighter future.

第三，要做传播友谊、增进理解的“桥梁”。今年是中国改革40周年，也是中英关系“黄金时代”加速发展之年。改革开放是中国和世界共同发展进步的伟大历程。未来中国将坚持走和平发展道路，奉行互利共赢的开放战略，与各方携手构建人类命运共同体。大家既有国内成长经历，又有海外学习和生活的体验，在促进不同文明文化交流互鉴上有着天然优势。希望大家勇于担当，发挥促进中外友好交流的桥梁作用，讲好中国故事和中国人民的故事，不断增进国际社会对中国的了解和理解，为中英关系“黄金时代”添砖加瓦。

Let me quote a Chinese poem to conclude my remarks. For a leaping fish, the ocean has no bounds; For a soaring bird, the sky has no limit. For those who are courageous, hardworking and determined to realize their dreams, the stage is set. I urge you to seize the day and seize the hour. I sincerely hope that as you live your personal dreams, you will be there for your country and work for the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. I hope you will make your life worthwhile in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. And I hope your youthful vigour will drive you on as you live up to your historic missions. And I wish you great achievements worthy of our times.

“海阔凭鱼跃，天高任鸟飞。”实现梦想的舞台业已搭建，成功属于勇毅而笃行的人。我衷心期待大家以时不我待、只争朝夕的奋斗精神，在实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的实践中放飞人生梦想，在推动构建人类命运共同体的大潮中实现人生价值，用青春书写无愧于历史、无愧于时代的华彩乐章！

Thank you!

谢谢！