发扬“破冰者”精神 推动中英关系砥砺前行
Carry on the “Icebreakers” Spirit and Take China-UK Relations Forward
——刘晓明大使在英国48家集团俱乐部2019年新春晚宴上的主旨演讲
– Keynote Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the “Icebreakers” Chinese New Year Dinner 2019
2019年1月31日，伦敦多切斯特饭店
The Dorchester Hotel London, 31 January 2019
尊敬的英国48家集团俱乐部主席斯蒂芬·佩里先生，
尊敬的英国中国商会会长、中国银行伦敦分行行长方文建先生，
尊敬的英国国际贸易部国务大臣费尔黑德女男爵，
尊敬的赫塞尔廷勋爵，
尊敬的中国贸促会陈洲副会长，
女士们、先生们、朋友们：
Chairman Stephen Perry,
Chairman Fang Wenjian,
Baroness Fairhead,
Lord Heseltine,
Vice Chairman Chen Zhou,
My Lords,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends:
大家晚上好！
Good evening!
很高兴第九次出席48家集团俱乐部和英国中国商会联合举办的中国农历猪年春节晚宴。我已经利用这个场合向英国各界朋友们解读了十二个生肖中八个生肖的寓意，今年愿继续为大家解读。
It is a real delight to join you at the 48 Group Club and CCCUK’s Chinese New Year Dinner to celebrate the Year of the Pig.
It is the ninth time for me to attend this annual event. Every time I would share with you the meaning of the zodiac animal of the year. By now, I have covered eight of the twelve animals. Tonight, I will continue this tradition.
在中国汉字中，“家”的象形含意就是蓄养猪的居所。从中可以看出，“猪”在中国古代文化中象征着多福多财，也寄托着人们对美好生活的期盼。
The pictographic Chinese character for “home” shows a roof over a pig. This means that pig is a symbol of happiness and good fortune. It carries the aspiration for a better life.
刚刚过去的2018年，是中国改革开放40周年，也是“破冰之旅”65周年。1953年，佩里先生父亲杰克·佩里等一批英国工商界有识之士，冲破重重阻碍，开启两国贸易往来先河。佩里先生继承父志，积极支持中国改革开放事业，做出了重要贡献。去年12月，在中国庆祝改革开放40周年大会上，佩里先生荣获“中国改革友谊奖章”，成为获此殊荣的唯一一位英国友人，这既是对佩里先生的褒奖，也是对中英关系的肯定。
The year 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. It was also the 65th anniversary of the “icebreaking trip” of 1953, when Stephen’s late father Jack Perry led a group of visionary British businessmen to overcome various obstacles to trade with New China.
This cause was later carried forward by Stephen, and in this process, he provided vigorous support and made important contribution to China’s reform and opening-up. Hence, it came as no surprise when he received the China Reform and Friendship Medal last December at the grand celebration of the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. Of all the awardees, Stephen was the only one from the UK. It was not just an award for him. It was also in recognition of the progress of the China-UK relations.
正如李克强总理在致48家集团俱乐部贺信中所说，“‘破冰’精神既代表了英国人民发展对华友好合作的积极意愿，也表明人类社会朝着更加开放、包容方向发展的势头不可阻挡。”如今，“破冰之旅”已过去半个多世纪。60余载沧海桑田，中英两国都发生了很大变化，中英关系也今非昔比。今天，我们不仅要铭记打破坚冰的人们，更要传承“破冰精神”，赋予它新的时代内涵。
As Premier Li Keqiang said in his message of congratulations to the 48 Group Club, “The spirit of the ‘Icebreakers’ embodies the strong desire of the British people for friendship and cooperation with China and represents the irresistible momentum towards a more open and inclusive human society.”
In the past more than 60 years since the “icebreaking trip”, both China and the UK have experienced tremendous changes. So have the China-UK relations. Today, as we remember the forerunners who took the first step to break the ice, it is all the more important that we carry on the “Icebreakers” spirit in the new era.
我们要冲破保护主义的“坚冰”，共建包容普惠的开放型世界经济。开放包容是不可逆转的时代潮流，搞保护主义是开历史倒车，没有出路。中国将继续张开双臂拥抱世界，坚定不移扩大开放，同时也期待世界做出积极回应。中国愿与世界各国携手建设开放、透明、包容、非歧视性的多边贸易体制，促进贸易投资自由化便利化，推动经济全球化朝着更加开放、包容、普惠、平衡、共赢的方向发展。
We should break the ice of protectionism and build an open and inclusive world economy.
In a time when openness and inclusiveness are irreversible, protectionism has no future because it is against the trend of history.
China will continue to embrace the world with open arms and stands ready to work with other countries. We hope the rest of the world would respond in the same spirit. Hand in hand, we can
build an open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trade regime,
advance trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation,
and ensure that economic globalisation is more open, inclusive, balanced and win-win for all.
我们要打破陈旧思维的“坚冰”，共促互信互鉴的良性互动。放眼世界，我们正经历百年未有之大变局，国际格局深刻嬗变，各国利益紧密交融，前途命运休戚与共。在这样形势下，冷战思维、“本国优先”、零和博弈等旧思维都已不合时宜，和谐共处、交流互鉴、共同繁荣才是唯一正确选择。
We should break the ice of outdated mindset and enhance mutual trust and mutual learning.
The world is experiencing profound changes unseen in a century:
The international landscape is evolving,
the interests of different countries are deeply intertwined,
and the future of all countries are interconnected.
Against this backdrop, we should break away from the outdated mindset of the Cold War era, or “putting one’s own country first”, or “zero-sum game”. The only right choices are harmonious coexistence, mutual learning and common prosperity.
我们要突破僵化对抗的“坚冰”，共同打造人类命运共同体。面对各种全球性挑战，没有任何一个国家能独善其身。各国应尊重彼此核心利益和重大关切，以对话代替对抗，以协商促进合作，以结伴取代结盟，妥善管控分歧；应高举多边主义旗帜，坚定维护以规则为基础的国际秩序与国际体系；应坚持和衷共济、合作共赢，推动构建人类命运共同体。
We should break the ice of confrontation and strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
No country is immune to global challenges. To address these challenges, all countries should
respect each other’s core interests and major concerns,
replace confrontation with dialogue,
promote cooperation through consultation,
choose partnership over alliance,
and manage differences properly.
It is important that we hold high the banner of multilateralism and safeguard the rule-based international order and system. As long as we work together for win-win outcome and come to each other’s aid in time of need, we can build a community with a shared future for mankind.
女士们，先生们，
Ladies and Gentlemen:
2018年，中英关系总体保持发展，各领域交流合作稳步推进。2019年，我们将迎来中英建立代办级外交关系65周年，中英关系将站在新的历史起点上，既有机遇，也有挑战。从机遇看，我认为有“四大机遇”：
In 2018, the overall relations between China and the UK continued to grow. We made steady progress in our exchanges and cooperation across the board.
In 2019, we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relationship at the level of chargé d’affaires. China-UK relations will come to a new starting point. There will be both opportunities and challenges. I believe there are four major opportunities.
一是中国经济机遇。最近各界都在热议中国经济，有看好的，有唱衰的。我想指出的是，中国经济依然强劲，2018年增长6.6%，不仅位于合理区间，在主要经济体中也名列前茅，对世界经济增长的贡献率仍接近30%；中国GDP总量已突破13.6万亿美元，仅增量就相当于一个中等发达国家经济总量。更重要的是，中国经济不仅是“量”的增加，而是“质”的提高。2018年，新产业、新产品、新业态、新模式不断涌现，消费对经济增长贡献率增至76.2%，网上零售额增长超过20%。随着中国经济从高速增长向高质量增长转型，中国必将为包括英国在内的世界各国带来更多机遇。
The first opportunity is China’s economic development.
China’s economy has been a hot topic lately. Some people talk it up. Others talk it down. Despite the different opinions, I would like to point out that the Chinese economy remains robust.
Here are some facts and figures:
China’s economy grew by 6.6% in 2018. This is not only within the anticipated range. It is also one of the fastest among major economies and contributed nearly 30% of global growth. China’s overall GDP has exceeded $13.6 trillion, with the increment equaling the total GDP of a middle-income country.
What is more important, China’s economy has grown not only in quantity but also in quality.
In 2018,
new industries, new products and new business models have emerged;
consumption contributed 76.2% of economic growth;
and on-line retail sales increased by more than 20%.
China is shifting from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. This will create more opportunities for other countries in the world, including the UK.
二是中国改革机遇。改革过去是、现在是、将来仍是中国经济发展的强劲动力。中国供给侧结构性改革正持续显效，2018年全国企业和个人减负达1.3万亿元人民币，工业企业利润同比增长11.8%。随着各项改革向纵深推进，财税体制改革全面铺开，知识产权保护制度不断完善等，中国改革红利还将不断释放。
The second opportunity is China’s reform.
Reform has been and will continue to be a key driver of China’s economic growth. Take for example the supply-side structural reform. The effects of this reform are unfolding:
In 2018, corporate and individual tax cuts totaled 1.3 trillion RMB yuan;
Industrial profit increased by 11.8% compared with the previous year.
As reform deepens in all areas, including sweeping fiscal and tax reform and strengthening of IPR protection, China will create more opportunities for the world.
三是中国开放机遇。习近平主席多次强调，“中国开放的大门不会关上，只会越开越大”。在全球对外投资大幅下滑背景下，中国去年利用外资1350亿美元，逆势增长3%。中国正逐步放宽或取消银行、保险、证券、汽车、船舶等行业外资股比限制，这为中英不断深化务实合作创造了更加有利的条件。此外，为满足中国人民日益增长的美好生活需要，中国正从走出国门“卖全球”向扩大进口“买全球”转变。今年中国将举办第二届国际进口博览会，欢迎英国企业继续积极参会，把更多优质的英国产品和服务带到中国。
The third opportunity is China’s opening-up.
President Xi Jinping has said on many occasions that China will not close its door; instead, China will open its door even wider to the world.
China continues to open its market to foreign investment. Last year, despite the steep drop in global FDI, foreign investment flowing into China totaled $135 billion, up by 3%.
China is also lifting or easing the restrictions on foreign ownership in joint venture firms. This covers banking, insurance, securities, auto manufacturing and ship building. It will create favorable conditions for China and the UK to deepen business cooperation.
Moreover, the Chinese people are better off and have an increasing appetite for overseas products. This is gradually turning China from a “global seller” to a “global buyer”. This year, China will host the second International Import Expo. We welcome British companies to the Expo so that Chinese consumers will have better access to more British goods and services.
四是“一带一路”机遇。“一带一路”倡议提出5年来，得到国际社会普遍欢迎和支持。2018年中国与“一带一路”沿线国家货物贸易进出口总额达到1.3万亿美元，同比增长16.3%，高于同期中国外贸增速3.7个百分点。中欧班列累计开行超过1.3万列，到达包括英国伦敦在内的15个国家、49个城市。2019年中国将举办第二届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，与国际伙伴共同推动“一带一路”向高质量、高标准、高水平发展。展望未来，中英在“一带一路”框架下开展合作大有可为。
The fourth opportunity is the Belt and Road Initiative.
Since its inception five years ago, the BRI has generated enormous enthusiasm and extensive support from the international community.
In 2018, trade in goods between China and countries along the BRI routes stood at $1.3 trillion. This represents a 16.3% increase from the previous year. It was even 3.7 percentage points higher than the growth rate of China’s overall external trade.
To date, more than 13,000 China Railway Express trains have travelled along the BRI routes. They have linked cities in China with 49 cities in 15 European countries, including London.
In 2019, China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. We look forward to working together with global partners to ensure that BRI development is of higher quality, at a higher standard and at a higher level.
当然，中英关系也面临一些挑战，首当其冲就是英国脱欧。最近，我经常与英国朋友探讨脱欧前景，听到最多的一句话就是“没人能说得清楚”，正如一句中国流行广告词，“一切皆有可能”。
While we are encouraged by these opportunities, we are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead in China-UK relations.
The first and foremost challenge is Brexit. When I ask my British friends about the prospects of Brexit, I would most probably get this answer: It’s hard to tell. To borrow from a popular Chinese TV commercial, “anything is possible.”
英国和欧盟都是中国的重要贸易伙伴，我们希望英欧双方达成一个互惠互利的协议。我想强调的是，无论脱欧如何演进、无论最终结果如何，中方坚持中英关系“黄金时代”的大方向不会改变。
Both the UK and the EU are important trading partners of China. We hope that the UK and the EU will reach a mutually-beneficial agreement. What I would like to stress here is this: No matter how Brexit will evolve and where it will end, China will remain committed to the China-UK “Golden Era”.
