Break the Ice through Inclusive Cooperation
坚持开放合作，坚定“破冰”前行
– Keynote Speech by H. E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the 2018 "Young Icebreakers" 10th Anniversary Dinner
——刘晓明大使在2018年“青年破冰者”晚宴上的主旨演讲
Bright Courtyard, London, 19:30, 5 June 2018
2018年6月5日19:30，伦敦煌庭餐厅
Chairman Perry, Chairman Sun Yu, Young Icebreakers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
尊敬的48家集团俱乐部主席佩里先生，尊敬的英国中国商会会长孙煜先生，“青年破冰者”们，女士们，先生们：
Good evening.
大家晚上好！
It is a great pleasure to be back at the "Young Icebreakers" anniversary dinner.
很高兴再次出席“青年破冰者”年度晚宴。
This is the ninth time that I am celebrating your anniversary with you during my eight years as Chinese Ambassador to the UK. I have seen with my own eyes how "Young Icebreakers" have grown from strength to strength in the past ten years!
我就任中国驻英国大使8年多来，连续9次参加你们的活动，亲眼见证了“青年破冰者”的成长壮大。
To quote a Chinese idiom, "a good sword deserves ten years' honing". On the occasion of your tenth anniversary, let me extend to you my heartfelt congratulations. I also want to thank you all for your contribution to China-UK exchange and cooperation.
十年磨一剑，今年恰逢“青年破冰者”成立10周年，我谨表示衷心祝贺，并感谢你们为促进中英交流与合作做出的贡献。
Sixty-five years ago, the 48 Group broke the hard ice of western embargo against China and started the flow of trade between China and the UK. That is how they have come to be known as the "Icebreakers". The first decade of the 21st century saw the birth of the "Young Icebreakers", who have been given the mission to carry forward and renew the "Icebreakers" spirit.
65年前，“英中贸易48家集团”打破当时西方国家对华禁运的坚冰，开启了两国贸易的先河，被誉为“破冰者”。半个多世纪过去了，世界沧海桑田，中英关系也今非昔比。在21世纪的第一个10年，“青年破冰者”应运而生，目的就是传承“破冰精神”，赋予它新的时代内涵。
As we enter this new era, we have before us these questions: Do we still need the "Icebreakers" spirit? What "hard ice" is there to break? How can we break it and move forward? Let me share with you some of my thoughts.
在新形势下，我们要思考的问题是：新时代还需要“破冰精神”吗？还有哪些“坚冰”要打破？如何才能“破冰前行”？今天，我愿就这些问题谈谈我的看法。
The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in centuries. Peace and development remain the theme of the time. But the world is far from being peaceful. Unilateralism is on the rise. Protectionism is rampant. Populism is spreading. Uncertainties and destabilising factors are increasing. Trade protectionism is becoming a weapon in the hands of a certain country to provoke trade dispute that put the global economy at risk.
当今世界正处于百年未有之大变局。环顾全球，和平与发展仍是时代主题，但世界并不太平。单边主义抬头，保护主义成风，民粹主义蔓延，各种不稳定不确定因素增多。有的国家甚至挥舞“贸易战”大棒，四处挑起贸易争端，给全球经济带来巨大风险。
These chaotic developments reveal three dangerous logics: The first is that international relationship is a "zero-sum game" where one country's gain is another's loss. The second is that a country may put itself above international trade rules. The third is that the "Cold War" mentality and ideological bigotry is still prevalent in the world today. These are the "hard ice" that we must break.
上述乱象背后反映出三种危险的思维：一是奉行“零和博弈”，坚持“你输我赢”；二是强调“本国优先”，罔顾国际贸易规则；三是抱持“冷战思维”，固守意识形态偏见。这些就是今天我们要打破的“坚冰”。
Then, how do we break these "hard ice"? How can we move forward towards a prosperous future? I believe that the answers can be found in how China has achieved development. That is China's solution.
那么，如何才能“破冰前行”、驶向繁荣发展的美好未来？我认为，中国的发展给出了响亮的“中国方案”：
The first answer is inclusive cooperation. This is how China has achieved development. Our history tells us that openness brings progress, whereas isolation leads to backwardness. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. In 40 years' time, China has achieved a transition from seclusion and semi-seclusion to all-round openness and deep integration in the global economy. China is now the largest industrial producer, the largest trader in goods, the second largest trader in services, and the largest overseas investor and host of foreign investments.
一是始终坚持开放合作。“开放带来进步，封闭必然落后”，这是中国的历史经验。今年是中国改革开放40周年。40年来，中国从封闭半封闭经济到全方位开放，到深度融入全球经济，已成为世界第一大工业国、第一大货物贸易国、第二大服务贸易国、最大的对外投资和吸引外资国之一。
Looking ahead, China will continue to build up its opening-up layout. The western parts of China will become more open. Free trade zones will make further progress. The opening of free trade ports will be explored. These will facilitate all-round opening-up by linking east and west, and connecting the land and the sea. At the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in April, President Xi made solemn commitments on four major opening up measures that China will take. These include significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, and expand imports.
今后中国将在原有对外开放格局基础上，加大西部开放力度，深化自由贸易区建设，探索建设自由贸易港，形成海陆内外联动、东西双向互济的全方位开放态势。习近平主席在博鳌亚洲论坛年会上庄严承诺，中国将采取大幅度放宽市场准入、创造更有吸引力的投资环境、加强知识产权保护、主动扩大进口等四方面重大开放举措。
Recently, China announced a succession of tariff cuts on cars and consumer goods. This involves over one thousand product lines and fully demonstrated China's firm resolve to open up further. In the words of President Xi, China's door of opening-up will not be closed and will only open even wider.
近期，中国接连降低汽车、日用消费品关税，涉及上千个税目，充分显示了进一步扩大开放的坚定决心。展望未来，中国开放的大门不会关闭，只会越开越大。
The second answer to how to break the ice is mutual benefit. The ancient Chinese wisdom has it that "to establish oneself, help others establish themselves; to achieve success, help others succeed." The moral is, always seek mutual benefit. One flower does not make spring. China believes in mutual benefit. That is why China joined the World Trade Organisation, founded the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. In this process, China has made important contribution to the sustainable development of the global economy. This has been particularly true in the aftermath of the international financial crisis of 2008. China has maintained mid-high growth rate, contributed over 30% to world economic growth for years in a row, and become an engine for global recovery.
二是始终坚持互利共赢。“己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人”，这是中国的传统智慧。中国发展从来不追求一花独放，而是寻求“百花齐放”。从加入世贸组织、到成立亚投行、再到共建“一带一路”，中国为全球经济可持续发展做出了重要贡献。特别是2008年国际金融危机以来，中国经济保持中高速增长，连续多年对世界经济增长贡献率超过30%，成为全球经济复苏的动力源。
Today, China is leading a world trend with its new four great inventions, namely high-speed rail, e-commerce, mobile payment and bike sharing. These could provide new driving force for global economic growth. China also invites every country to board the "fast train" and share the benefit of China's development, and to stay committed to openness, connectivity, cooperation and mutual benefit. To this end, China will host its first-ever International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. We welcome the participation of international businesses, including British companies. This will be a great opportunity to take a share of the Chinese market and benefit from China's development.
当前，高铁网络、电子商务、移动支付、共享经济等中国“新四大发明”引领世界潮流，为全球经济增长提供了新动能。中国欢迎各方搭乘中国发展的“快车”，分享中国发展的红利，走出一条开放融通、合作共赢的发展新路。为此，中国将于今年11月在上海举办首届中国国际进口博览会，我们欢迎包括英国在内的各国企业家积极参与，与我们分享中国发展机遇，共享中国市场红利。
The third answer to how to break the ice is assuming the responsibility of a major stakeholder. China is ready to embrace the world. We believe that "a partnership forged with the right approach defies geographical distance". No country can achieve development in self-isolation; No country can alone address the many challenges facing mankind. The world is already a community with a shared future, where interests are intertwined and countries are deeply interdependent.
三是始终坚持大国担当。“交得其道，千里同好”，这是中国的大国胸怀。世界上没有哪个国家能够在自我封闭的孤岛上实现发展，也没有哪个国家能够独力应对当今人类面临的各种挑战，世界已经成为利益交织、深度联系的命运共同体。
This is the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative that China has proposed and has been actively promoting. This Initiative is open, transparent and inclusive. It follows the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit. It will respect the law of the market and international rules. And it is a new platform, a new mechanism and a new format for open economic cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative will surely bring concrete benefit to all those who are ready to play a part in it.
中国提出倡议并积极推动“一带一路”建设，始终坚持公开、透明、开放、包容、互利共赢的宗旨，始终秉持共商、共建、共享的原则，在市场规律和国际规则下运作，为世界经济开放合作发展搭建了新平台、树立了新机制，开创了全球经济开放合作的新格局，给各国人民带来了实实在在的利益。
