——刘晓明大使在庆祝佩里先生荣获“中国改革友谊奖章”招待会上的讲话
– Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Reception Celebrating Mr. Stephen Perry Being Awarded the China Reform and Friendship Medal
2019年1月14日，中国驻英国大使馆
Chinese Embassy in the UK, 14 January 2019
尊敬的48家集团俱乐部主席斯蒂芬·佩里先生，
尊敬的佩里夫人萨拉·佩里女士，
佩里夫妇的孩子们：乔迪、萨姆、罗西，
尊敬的各位议员，
尊敬的各位勋爵，
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Chairman Stephen Perry,
Saraph,
Jodie, Sam and Rosie,
My Lords and MPs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends:
大家晚上好！
Good evening!
欢迎大家出席今天这场特别意义的招待会。2018年12月18日，中国改革开放40周年庆祝大会在北京隆重举行。庆祝大会上，习近平主席等中国领导人向10名国际友人颁发“中国改革友谊奖章”。佩里先生是唯一获此殊荣的英国友人。让我们用热烈的掌声对佩里先生和他的家人表示衷心祝贺！
Welcome to the Chinese Embassy!
Tonight’s reception is very special: On 18 December 2018, a grand gathering was held in Beijing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. At the gathering, President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders presented the China Reform and Friendship Medal to ten foreign friends. Among them, Chairman Perry is the only one from the UK. Let’s give him and his family a big hand. Congratulations!
回首过去40年，改革开放是中国与世界携手同行、共同发展的伟大历程，中国人民始终敞开胸怀、拥抱世界。在这一历史进程中，许多国际友人深度参与中国改革开放，积极促进中外交流合作，为此做出了突出贡献。
The 40 years of reform and opening-up was a great journey. China embraced the world with open arms and joined hands with global partners to achieve common development. In this historical process, friends from all over the world have participated deeply in China’s reform and opening-up, and played an active role in promoting the exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world. They have all made outstanding contribution to this great cause.
上世纪50年代，佩里先生的父亲杰克·佩里与数十位英国工商界人士冲破重重阻力，开启“破冰之旅”，打开同新中国贸易往来的大门。多年来，佩里先生继承父志，积极推进中英经贸合作和人文交流，倡导成立“青年破冰者”和“女性破冰者”组织，使“破冰”精神薪火相传。佩里先生不愧为“中国改革开放的见证者、支持者、贡献者”，不愧为“中国人民的老朋友、好朋友”。佩里先生获得“中国改革友谊奖章”当之无愧。
As we celebrate Mr. Perry being awarded the China Reform and Friendship Medal, we need to take a moment to recall the first generation of “Icebreakers” led by Mr. Perry’s late father Mr. Jack Perry. In 1950s, Mr. Jack Perry overcame various obstacles and “broke the ice” to trade with New China.
Over the years, Mr. Stephen Perry has carried on the “Icebreakers” spirit. He has made active efforts to enhance China-UK cooperation on economy, trade, culture and people-to-people exchanges. He has also initiated the “Young Icebreakers” and the “Women Icebreakers”. He has witnessed, supported and contributed to China’s reform and opening-up. He has been an old friend and good friend of the Chinese people. He well deserves the China Reform and Friendship Medal.
这是一项至高无上的荣誉，意义重大、影响深远。它不仅凝聚着对佩里先生一家三代支持中国改革开放事业的诚挚谢意，蕴含着对中英关系发展成就的充分肯定，更充溢着对英国各界人士参与中国改革开放新征程的美好期许。
This award is the highest honour. The conferment of this award on Mr. Perry has profound significance.
It represents the sincere thanks of the Chinese people to three generations of the Perry family for their support for China’s reform and opening-up.
It is in recognition of the progress of the China-UK relations.
It embodies our expectation that the people from all walks of life in Britain will take part in China’s new round of reform and opening-up.
回首过去40年，中英关系历经风雨，迎来“黄金时代”。这是两国各界人士不懈努力的结果，来之不易，值得倍加珍惜。我们庆祝佩里先生获得“中国改革友谊奖章”就是要从中获得启迪，不忘初心，继往开来，共同推动中英关系“黄金时代”行稳致远。我认为，佩里先生获奖对中英关系长远发展有三点启示：
Over the past 40 years, China-UK relations have gone through twists and turns. The Chinese and British people have made relentless efforts and come a long way to build the “Golden Era”. This has not been easy and it deserves our greatest care and attention.
As we celebrate Mr. Perry’s award, we also need to take a moment to renew our commitment to China-UK relations. We need to think about how to build on our past achievements and forge ahead to make steady and sustained progress in the “Golden Era”. I believe from Mr. Perry’s award we can learn three important things.
一是打破意识形态藩篱，坚持通过接触交流促进理解包容。新中国成立之初，西方国家对中国实行经济封锁。杰克·佩里先生打破“坚冰”，开启了中英合作的先河，用实际行动彰显了平等、开放、包容的合作精神。
First, we should break through ideological barriers, engage each other and exchange ideas in order to enhance mutual understanding and promote inclusiveness.
In the early years of the People’s Republic, Western countries imposed economic blockade on China. Jack Perry “broke the ice” and spearheaded China-UK cooperation. His brave action lived up to the spirit of equality, openness and inclusiveness.
60多年过去了，中国与世界的关系发生了历史性变化，中英关系的广度和深度今非昔比。但冷战思维并未绝迹，仍有人将中国发展视为挑战甚至威胁。这种背离时代潮流的观念，需要我们继续弘扬“破冰”精神，打破意识形态窠臼，消除偏见误解，增进中英互信，深化中英合作。
Now, more than 60 years have passed. The relations between China and the world have experienced historic changes. China-UK relations have reached unprecedented breadth and depth.
However, the Cold War mentalities die hard. Some in the world still regard China’s development as a challenge or even threat. Yet, such views go against the trend of the times. The ideological mind-set, prejudice and misunderstanding are the “new ice” that we must break. We must carry on the “Icebreakers” spirit to promote deeper trust and closer cooperation between China and the UK.
二是聚焦利益汇合点，坚持通过友好合作实现互利共赢。多年来，佩里先生等有识之士始终着眼中英利益汇合点，不断推动和扩大两国互利合作，为两国人民带来实实在在的利益。1978年至2018年间，中英双边贸易额由不足每年10亿美元增至约800亿美元，增长了近80倍；相互投资从无到有，今天英国对华直接投资达260多亿美元，中国对英直接投资超过210亿美元。
Second, we should focus on common interests and achieve win-win results through friendly cooperation.
Over the years, a large number of visionary people like Mr. Perry have acted in the common interests of China and the UK. They have worked to enhance mutually-beneficial cooperation and delivered tangible benefits to the people of our two countries.
From 1978 to 2018, our bilateral trade increased by nearly 80 times, from less than $1 billion to about $80 billion a year. Two-way investment was zero 40 years ago. Today, UK’s direct investment in China exceeds $26 billion, and China has invested more than $21 billion in the UK.
当前，中英均处于各自发展关键阶段。双方应当积极探寻双方利益汇合点，不断加强政策对接，推进务实合作，实现互利共赢。我衷心希望英方排除各种干扰，继续为中资企业在英投资兴业提供公平、透明的营商环境，使双方合作更好惠及两国人民。
Now, China and the UK have both come to a crucial stage in our respective development. Our two countries should actively explore new areas of cooperation for the benefit of both sides. By matching our development policies and promoting business cooperation, we could achieve win-win results.
I sincerely hope that the UK will resist all kinds of interruption and continue to provide a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese enterprises in the UK, so that China-UK cooperation could deliver more benefits to the people of both countries.
三是顺应历史发展大势，坚持通过互学互鉴实现共同进步。交流孕育融合，融合产生进步。人类历史就是一个不同文明相互交流、彼此借鉴、和合融通的进程。佩里先生等中英友好交往的先行者，积极参与中国改革开放进程，大力推动中英人文交流与合作，不断增进双方相互了解和友谊。
Third, we should follow the trend of history and achieve common progress through mutual learning.
Exchanges lead to integration. Integration in turn promotes progress. The history of mankind is a process of exchanges, mutual learning and integration between different civilisations.
This is exactly what Mr. Perry and other pioneers of China-UK exchanges have been working on. They have actively engaged in China’s reform and opening-up. They have promoted China-UK cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Their efforts have resulted in better mutual understanding and stronger friendship between our two countries.
在当前形势下，双方更应顺应世界发展大势，秉持相互尊重、和而不同的精神，坚持互学互鉴、兼收并蓄，为中英合作奠定良好的民意基础，共同为构建人类命运共同体做出贡献。
Today, as we speak, it is all the more important that our two countries go along with the trend of the times. When we learn from each other in the spirit of mutual respect and “harmony without uniformity”, we can build solid public support for China-UK cooperation. This will enable us to contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
女士们，先生们，
Ladies and Gentlemen:
同舟共济扬帆起，乘风破浪万里航。今年，中国将迎来建国70周年，英国将进入“后脱欧时代”。我期待着中英各界人士秉持“破冰”精神，不断开拓创新、锐意进取，共同为两国关系更加美好的明天不懈努力！
In the ocean of globalisation, China and the UK could ride the waves and sail far if we sail together.
2019 is an important year for both China and the UK: China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, and the UK will enter a post-Brexit era.
I hope that the “Icebreakers” spirit will continue to inspire people across all sectors from both China and the UK to stay at the forefront of the times and to break new grounds. Together, we can create an ever-brighter future for China-UK relations!
谢谢！
Thank you!
