On 9th of March 2018, the China Daily published, on its flagship edition, UK edition, website and app, a signed article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming entitled 40 years of achievements spur us on in new era. The full text is as follows:

2018年3月9日，《中国日报》旗舰版、英国版及其网络和手机客户端同时刊登驻英国大使刘晓明署名文章《庆祝四十年伟业，开启新时代征程》，全文如下：

40 Years of Achievements Spur Us On in New Era

庆祝四十年伟业，开启新时代征程

Francis Bacon said: "Histories make men wise." In the case of China, history has always been a source of wisdom and strength for this oriental civilization with a time-honored history of 5,000 years. The year 2018 is a memorable year and a good time to draw on historical achievements. Forty years ago, the third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China started the courageous endeavor and still on-going process of reform and opening-up in China.

英国思想家培根说，“读史使人明智。”作为一个拥有5千多年悠久历史的东方文明古国，中国向来注重从历史积淀中汲取滋养和力量。2018年是一个值得纪念的年份。40年前召开的十一届三中全会开启了中国改革开放的新时期。

A line-up of grandiose accomplishments. I was doing my MA in the United States in the early 1980s shortly after my first overseas posting in Africa. China was only a couple of years into reform and opening-up, and I could never forget the shock at seeing the huge gap between China and the US then. The ensuing four decades painted a completely different picture. China maintained an average annual growth rate of more than 9 percent and became the world's second-largest economy; China's share in the world economy increased from 2.7 to 16 percent; its per capita GDP rocketed from around $100 to over $8,000; 800 million Chinese were lifted out of poverty. The fact that China has accomplished in 40 years what had taken the Western industrialized countries several hundreds of years to achieve is truly a miracle in human history.

这40年是一幅波澜壮阔的历史画卷。上世纪80年代初，中国改革开放刚刚起步，我结束在非洲常驻工作后不久就到美国留学。当时中美两国发展水平差距非常大，那种反差和震撼给我留下深刻印象。此后，在短短数十年间，中国经济保持年均9%以上的持续高增长，跃升为世界第二大经济体。占全球经济比重从2.7%提升到16%，人均国内生产总值从100多美元增加到8000多美元，8亿人摆脱贫困。中国用实际行动创造了人类社会发展史上的奇迹，用40年时间走完了欧美发达国家数百年的发展历程。

A symphony of glorious courage. The 40 years of reform and opening-up is a great new revolution. The CPC has led the Chinese people to take on difficult issues and navigate treacherous rapids, "cutting a path through the mountain rocks and building a bridge across the rapid currents". With these courageous efforts, China has continuously released and developed the productive forces, and succeeded in blazing a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

这40年是一部辉煌灿烂的时代乐章。40年来，中国共产党团结带领中国人民进行改革开放新的伟大革命，逢山开路，遇水架桥，敢于啃硬骨、涉险滩，不断解放和发展社会生产力，成功开辟了中国特色社会主义道路。

From the rural household contract responsibility system to the urban economic system reform, from the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone to the accession to the World Trade Organization, from opening the coastal and border areas to developing the western inland region, and from pilot free trade zones to the Belt and Road Initiative, China has continued to remove institutional barriers to development. These vigorous measures of reform and opening-up have helped release and boost social vitality and invigorate the Chinese nation. China is now more confident and capable than at any time in history to realize national rejuvenation.

从农村联产承包到城市经济体制改革，从创建深圳特区到加入世界贸易组织，从沿海沿边开放到西部大开发，从自由贸易试验区到“一带一路”建设，改革开放一次次破除妨碍发展的体制机制障碍，解放和增强社会活力，使中华民族焕发出勃勃生机。今天的中国比历史上任何时期都更有信心和能力实现中华民族的伟大复兴。

Unprecedented integration in the world. Reform and opening-up marked a great and successful historical turning point in China – from a closed and semi-closed society to all-round opening-up. China is on the way toward greater integration in the world and has put its foot firmly on the accelerator.Take China-UK relations as an example. Over 40 years ago, bilateral trade between China and the United Kingdom was $300 million, only 200 Chinese visited Britain and only 100 Chinese students studied there. In 2017, two-way trade was in the region of $80 billion, mutual visits topped 4,000 per day, and the number of Chinese students in the UK soared to 170,000.

这40年是一条融入世界的康庄大道。改革开放使中国成功实现了从封闭半封闭到全方位开放的伟大历史转折，加速中国融入世界的脚步。以中英关系为例，40多年前，中英双边贸易额只有3亿美元，中国赴英人数仅200人，留学生100人；2017年两国贸易额近800亿美元，每天往返两国间的人数4000多人，在英中国留学生已达17万人。

Early last month, British Prime Minister Theresa May paid a successful visit to China. During the visit, the leaders of the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to building the China-UK "Golden Era" and agreed to strengthen a "strategic, practical, global and inclusive" relationship, promising historic opportunities and broad prospects for China-UK cooperation. The leaps and bounds in China-UK relations is clear proof of the interdependence and mutually beneficial relationship between China and the world.

不久前，英国首相梅成功访华，两国领导人再次确认打造中英关系“黄金时代”的大方向，并就提升两国关系的战略性、务实性、全球性和包容性达成广泛共识，两国合作面临难得的历史性机遇和广阔前景。中英关系的跨越式发展历程表明，今天的中国与世界早已形成“你中有我，我中有你”的互利共赢格局。

Responsible contributor to the global cause. China has gained from and at the same time contributed to economic globalization. In the past 40 years, China remained committed to opening-up, regarding it as a basic national policy and making it a win-win strategy in China's cooperation with other countries. Our conviction is that an open China is in a better position to share the fruits of its reform and development with other countries and people so that the countries of the world can work together to achieve common development.

这40年是一种惠及全球的大国担当。中国是经济全球化的受益者，更是贡献者。40年来，中国始终坚持对外开放的基本国策，奉行互利共赢的开放战略，在实现自身改革发展的同时更多惠及其他国家和人民，在开放中谋求共同发展。

Since adopting the reform and opening-up policy, China has opened up a market of over $1.7 trillion to foreign investment, and invested over $1.2 trillion overseas. In the past decade, with its strength in capital, market, technology and labor force, China on average contributed 30 percent of the world economic growth annually, sharing the benefits of China's development with more countries.

改革开放以来，中国累计吸引外资超过1.7万亿美元，累计对外直接投资超过1.2万亿美元。过去10年，中国对世界经济增长的年均贡献率高达30%。中国资金、市场、技术、劳动力等给世界发展源源不断释放红利，使更多国家从中获益。

As we pride ourselves on this great endeavor and the splendid achievements of the past 40 years, we have a great deal to expect from China's continued development and bright prospects. With China's economy moving from high-speed growth to high-quality growth, reforms have entered the deep-water zone and require more strenuous efforts. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set out a clear and strategic plan on deepening reform on all fronts and opening up wider to the world in the new era.

抚今追昔，40年改革开放的伟大历程和光辉业绩令人自豪，中国未来发展的光明前景更值得期待。今天的中国经济正从高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段，改革进入“深水区”，需要付出更为艰苦的努力。中共十九大就新时代全面深化改革和进一步扩大对外开放做出了明确的战略部署。

Going forward, China will introduce more reform measures in more areas with greater intensity. The central task will be supply-side structural reform, reflecting our determination to give the market the decisive role in resources allocation. The priority areas of this reform will include State-owned enterprises, State assets, monopoly industries, rural vitalization, social security, opening-up and eco-conservation. The business community will be given a major role in this round of reforms, as the government encourages grassroots innovation, creative spirits and pioneering efforts in order to provide a more vigorous and enabling environment for innovative reform.

展望未来，中国改革的领域将更广、举措将更多、力度将更大。我们将以推进供给侧结构性改革为主线，坚持发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，重点推进国企国资、垄断行业、产权保护、财税金融、乡村振兴、社会保障、对外开放、生态文明等关键领域改革；将鼓励基层创新，发扬敢闯敢试、敢为人先的精神，发挥企业家的重要作用，推动全社会形成更加浓厚、更具活力的改革创新氛围。

At the same time, China will open its door wider to the world and increase alignment of domestic practices with international economic and trade rules. Market access will be greatly improved and there will be greater openness in the service sector, especially the financial sector. The goal is to engineer a more open, inclusive, institutionalized system that facilitates the free and orderly flow of economic factors. A key effort of China's continued opening-up is the Belt and Road Initiative. This initiative encourages two-way trade and mutual investment between all countries, and aims to build an open world economy. Another demonstration of China continuing to open up on all fronts is the first-ever China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai this November. Companies from over 100 countries are expected to take part in this event, which will testify to the sincerity and determination of China in opening up its market to the world.

同时，中国对外开放的大门将越开越大。我们将加强与国际经贸规则对接，大幅度放宽市场准入，扩大服务业特别是金融业对外开放，打造开放包容的制度安排，促进经济要素有序自由流动；将以“一带一路”建设为重点，坚持引进来和走出去并重，与各国扩大双向投资和贸易往来，共建开放型世界经济。今年11月，首届中国国际进口博览会将在上海举办，预计超过100个国家的企业将参展，这将有助于推动形成全面开放新格局，进一步彰显中国向世界开放市场的诚意与决心。

President Xi Jinping once said: "History looks kindly on those with resolve, with drive and ambition, and with plenty of guts; it won't wait for the hesitant, the apathetic, or those who shy away from challenges." There is every reason to believe that the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation will be realized as China presses ahead on the journey of reform and opening-up anew. A China that is approaching the center of the world stage will create more development opportunities for countries around the world, including the UK, and will make new and greater contribution to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

习近平主席说，“历史只会眷顾坚定者、奋进者、搏击者，而不会等待犹豫者、懈怠者、畏难者。”我们完全有理由相信，中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦必将在改革开放的新征程中得以实现。一个日益走近世界舞台中央的中国，必将为包括英国在内的世界各国提供更多发展机遇；必将为构建人类命运共同体做出新的更大贡献。