中英关系：把握今天，开创未来
China-UK Relations: The Future Is Purchased by the Present
2016年9月2日，英国《政要》杂志刊登驻英国大使刘晓明题为《中英关系：把握今天，开创未来》的署名文章。全文如下：微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂
On 2 September, the Politics First Magazine published a signed article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming entitled “China-UK Relations: The Future is Purchased by the Present”. The full text is as follows:
英国文学巨匠塞缪尔·约翰逊曾经说过：“未来是用现在换来的（The future is purchased by the present）。”中英关系发展到今天的水平是双方长期共同努力换来的，而中英关系的未来将取决于双方今天的选择，要通过我们今天的努力去创造。
Samuel Johnson once said, “The future is purchased by the present.” Today’s China-UK relations are the result of decades long and concerted efforts of both countries, while the future of our bilateral relations depends on how we choose today – we need to work hard together today to purchase a better future.
明年我们将迎来中英建立大使级外交关系45周年。45年的不懈努力，换来了两国关系跨越式的发展。
The year 2017 will mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between China and the UK. Thanks to our unremitting efforts over the past 45 years, China-UK relations have witnessed leapfrog development.
中英政治关系迈上更高水平。我们解决了重大历史遗留问题，香港回归祖国成为中国的特别行政区。我们确立了全面战略伙伴关系，建立了两国总理年度会晤、经济财金对话、战略对话和高级别人文交流机制等高层对话机制。去年习近平主席对英国事访问，极大推动了双方各领域合作与交流，开启了中英关系“黄金时代”。我们致力于国际经济金融体系改革，在维护世界和平、倡导自由贸易、应对气候变化、促进发展减贫等方面开展了有效合作。
Firstly, China-UK political ties have moved to a higher level. With the handover of Hong Kong, we resolved an important historical issue. Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China. We established a comprehensive strategic China-UK partnership and a number of high-level dialogue mechanisms, including the annual Prime Ministers’ Meeting, the Economic and Financial Dialogue, the Strategic dialogue and the High Level People-to-people Dialogue.
Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the UK, which greatly promoted bilateral cooperation and exchanges across the board and unveiled the “Golden Era” of China-UK relations.
Our two countries also share the commitment to reforms of the international economic and financial system. We have had effective cooperation in global issues, such as maintaining world peace, supporting free trade, addressing climate change, advancing development and eliminating poverty.
中英经贸合作实现更快增长。中国是英国在欧洲外第二大贸易伙伴，双边贸易从1972年的3亿多美元增长到2015年的785亿美元。英国还是吸引中国投资最多的欧洲国家，截至2015年底，中国对英非金融类直接投资额132亿美元。中英金融合作稳步推进，伦敦已成为中国之外全球最大人民币离岸业务中心。
Secondly, China-UK business ties have grown closer at a faster speed. China is the UK’s second largest non-European trading partner. Our bilateral trade grew from ＄300 million in 1972 to ＄78.5 billion last year. Britain is the largest investment destination for Chinese businesses in Europe. As of the end of 2015, China’s investment in the UK, in non-financial sectors, totalled ＄13.2 billion. Meanwhile, steady progress has been made in our financial cooperation. Today, London is the world’s largest RMB offshore market outside China.
中英人文交往呈现强劲势头。两国人员往来已超过每年百万人次,英国也是中国赴欧留学人数最多的国家。40年前，新中国首批留英学子只有16人，赴华留学的英国学生也只有11人，而今中国赴英各类留学人员15万人，英国在华留学生6000余人。此外，两国还缔结了55对友好省市关系。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂
Thirdly, the cultural ties and people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK are growing with a strong momentum. Every year, more than one million Chinese and British people travel back and forth between our two countries. The UK is the number one destination for Chinese students in Europe. In comparison to 40 years ago, when only 16 Chinese and 11 British students studied in each other’s country, today there are more than 150,000 Chinese students in Britain and 6,000 British students in China. Our two countries have also established 55 sister-city relationships.
当前，英国正处于公投脱欧后的调整期，存在许多不确定性。中英关系也面临新的挑战和机遇。在这样一个充满变化的重要历史时刻，我们仍对中英关系充满信心，因为维系中英关系的基础依然牢固，中英关系的基本面没有改变。
Today, the UK is in the post-Brexit period which is still full of uncertainties. For China-UK relations, now is a time of new challenges and opportunities. At this critical historical moment of changes, our strong confidence in China-UK relations remain unchanged. The vital interests that bond the two countries together, and the fundamentals of our bilateral relations, have remained unchanged.
首先是中英关系的战略性和全球性没有改变。中英都是世界主要经济体，也都是联合国安理会常任理事国，两国在联合国安理会、二十国集团等重要国际组织，以及气候变化、自由贸易等国际事务中都有很好的合作。中英发展健康稳定、互利共赢的伙伴关系，超越双边范畴，具有全球意义；不仅造福两国人民，而且有利于世界的和平、稳定与繁荣。
First of all, the strategic and global nature of China-UK relations remains unchanged. Both China and Britain are the world’s major economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council. We have had good cooperation at global forums, such as the Security Council and G20, and on many international issues from climate change to free trade. The global significance of a sound, stable and win-win partnership between China and the UK goes beyond the bilateral scope. Such a partnership serves not only the people of our two countries but also world peace, stability and prosperity.
其次是两国推进务实合作和互利双赢的共同需要没有改变。英国在高新技术、金融、品牌、创意产业等方面有领先优势，中国劳动力充沛，实体经济强大，资本雄厚，市场广阔。中、英作为全球第二和第五大经济体，经济互补性强，合作潜力巨大，完全可以成为合作共进、互利共赢的好伙伴。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂
Second, our common desire for continued cooperation and win-win results remains unchanged. The UK has strong high-tech and financial sectors and has an edge in brand promotion and creative industry. China has a big labour force and market, and the size of its economy comes with a strong financing capability. As the second and fifth largest economies respectively, China and the UK have much to offer to each other and huge potential for further cooperation. There is every reason for our two countries to engage in closer cooperation and become win-win partners.
第三是中英双方加强理解和互信的共同意愿没有改变。这一点在我与英国朋友的接触中深有感触。英国民众对了解中国有着巨大的热情。去年习近平主席国事访问期间，英国各界表现出极大关注，中英文化年中国文化季的各项活动也吸引了成千上万的英国观众，孔子学院、孔子课堂在英掀起中文学习的热潮。今年是中英文学巨匠汤显祖和莎士比亚逝世400周年，两国共同举行了一系列纪念活动。所有这些活动进一步促进了两国人民的相互了解，增进了两国人民之间的友谊。
Third, our shared desire for deeper mutual understanding and trust remains unchanged. From my direct experience, I see how the British public has great enthusiasm to learn more about China. During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK last year, the British public showed great interest in China. Events during the Chinese culture season of the China-UK Year of Culture Exchange attracted tens of thousands of British people. The Confucius institutes and classrooms in Britain are direct outcomes of great enthusiasm in Chinese language learning. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the passing of Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare, two literary giants of China and Britain. There have been a series of co-hosted commemorations that helped enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and British people.
第四是我们致力于发展中英关系的决心没有改变。在英国公投脱欧前后出现的诸多不确定性面前，中国政府和企业坚定地对英投下“信任票”。6月8日，英国公投投票前两个星期，中国财政部在伦敦发行30亿元、3年期人民币债券，这是中国首次在境外发行人民币主权债券。英国公投脱欧后，中国领导人多次表示希望英国保持稳定、繁荣，强调中方愿同英方一道努力，让中英关系的发展更加全面深入，更好造福两国人民。就在英公投脱欧第二天，6月25日中国海南航空公司旗下天津航空正式开通了天津－重庆－伦敦往返航班。6月28日，华为公司承诺在英投资13亿英镑的计划将继续进行。
Fourth, China’s commitment to stronger China-UK relations remains unchanged. Despite uncertainties after the Brexit referendum, the Chinese government and business sector have cast the “vote of confidence”.
On 8 June, two weeks before the referendum, China’s Ministry of Finance issued a three billion three-year RMB bond in London. That was the first RMB sovereign bond issued outside of China. After Britain voted to leave the EU, Chinese leaders, on many occasions, reiterated the position that China wants to see a stable and prosperous Britain and will work with the British side for closer bilateral ties and greater benefits for our two peoples.
On 25th June, just two days after the referendum, a Chinese company made a new move. Tianjin Airlines, a subsidiary of China’s Hainan Airlines Group, opened a direct flight route connecting Tianjin, Chongqing and London. On 28th June, Huawei UK went ahead with its ￡1.3 billion investment as planned.
我们希望英方与中方相向而行，无论英内政如何变化，始终保持积极发展中英关系的共识；无论英对外关系如何调整，始终把推动中英关系作为外交政策的优先方向。今年9月，中国将在杭州举办二十国集团（G20）峰会。我希望中英两国抓住这一重要契机，与其他成员国一道为促进全球经济强劲、可持续、平衡增长，以创新和改革引领世界经济发展方向，推进国际经济治理，为构建公平公正、包容有序的国际金融体系而共同努力。特雷莎·梅首相将赴华出席G20峰会。峰会期间，习近平主席将与梅首相举行双边会见，这将是英国新政府组成以来，中英两国领导人首次会见，对两国关系发展具有重大意义。我相信，这次会见将为今后中英关系发展确立新目标，绘制新蓝图，提供新动力。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂
We hope that the changes within British politics will not compromise the UK government’s consensus and commitment to working with China for a sound China-UK relationship. We hope that, regardless of any foreign policy adjustments in the UK, advancing ties with China will always be a priority in Britain’s external relations.
This year’s G20 Summit will be held in China’s Hangzhou, this September. I hope that China and the UK will seize that important opportunity to work together with other member states for the strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the world economy, to advance an innovation and reform-led world economy, to improve global economic governance and to establish a fair, just, inclusive and orderly international financial system. Prime Minister Theresa May will go to China to attend the summit. President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister May during the Summit. That will be the first meeting between the leaders of our two countries since the new British government was formed. It is of great importance for the development of our bilateral relations. I’m convinced that the meeting will set new goals, map out a new blueprint and introduce new dynamism to the future of China-UK relations.
中英关系40多年来的实践告诉我们，相互尊重、平等相待，重视彼此核心利益和重大关切，始终是两国关系历久弥新、不断发展的重要原则。我们需要牢记这一重要原则，珍惜两国关系来之不易的大好局面，总结过去，把握现在，面向未来，为中英关系持久、稳定、健康发展做出不懈努力！
Looking back at the past, over four decades of China-UK relations, we have learnt this: for China-UK ties to grow and sustain, it is important that we respect each other, treat each other as equals and take into account each other’s core interests and major concerns. Looking to the future, we need to stick to this important principle, cherish what has been achieved through hard efforts, and seize today’s opportunity and work for a future of lasting, stable and sound China-UK relations.
