Britain Is Helping Us Build a New Silk Road
中英共建新丝绸之路
Liu Xiaoming
刘晓明
3月13日，英国主流大报《每日电讯报》纸质版和网络版同时刊登驻英国大使刘晓明题为《中英共建新丝绸之路》的署名文章。刘晓明表示，英国参与“一带一路”具备许多独特资源与条件，中英应共建新丝绸之路。
For more than 2,000 years, the Silk Road has borne witness to exchange and friendship between the East and West. With its tales of trade and travel down the ages, the route has traditions that have become a source of inspiration for those who seek new opportunities for common development. Now, China is looking to work with Britain in a new partnership, on a new Silk Road for today: the Belt and Road Initiative.
两千多年以来，丝绸之路为促进东西方各国人民互通有无、友好往来，书写下辉煌的历史篇章，也为今天的人们抓住时代机遇、促进共同发展提供了智慧源泉。如今，中国期待同英国发展新的伙伴关系，就当代新丝绸之路--“一带一路”倡议开展合作。
This is an ambitious idea proposed by President Xi Jinping, which aims to harness the potential of countries on the old Silk route – countries in Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East, and Europe – to develop economic and trading partnerships through greater infrastructure and cultural links.
“一带一路”是习近平主席提出的富有雄心的倡议，旨在开发古老丝绸之路沿线的中亚、西亚、中东和欧洲国家发展潜力，通过加强基础设施和文化的互联互通来发展经济和贸易伙伴关系。
We are already seeing the fruits of this approach. In January, the first freight train from China’s eastern town of Yiwu arrived in London, extending Belt and Road (B&R) to the far western end of Europe. But there are other tangible results of this kind of enhanced, global cooperation. During President Xi’s state visit to the UK in 2015, China and the UK reached the agreement to dovetail Britain’s “Northern Powerhouse” with the B&R project. At the eighth China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue last year, where our two countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to closer B&R cooperation, Britain announced a £40 million capital injection into the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
我们已经见证这一倡议的成果。今年1月，从中国东部城市义乌出发的中欧国际货运班列首次抵达伦敦，标志着“一带一路”已延伸到欧洲最西端。这种全球合作的不断加强还带来了其它实实在在的成果。2015年习近平主席对英国事访问期间，中英双方就加强“一带一路”和“英格兰北部经济中心”等发展战略对接达成重要共识。去年第八次中英经济财金对话期间，双方确认了进一步加强“一带一路”合作的共识，英方还宣布向亚洲基础设施投资银行额外注资4000万英镑。
Britain is a country of global influence and can be an important partner for China in B&R. Britain has many strengths and unique advantages that could give it a head start in B&R cooperation. It has a highly internationalised financial sector and mature professional services in law and consulting; it has prestigious think tanks and educational institutions as well as world-class R&D and innovation platforms. And, of course, it has a language that is spoken around the world, and close historical and cultural ties with countries along the B&R route.
These strengths and advantages put Britain in an excellent position to secure the opportunities the B&R has to offer. China and the UK can continue to advance their respective development strategies in tandem, can expand trade and investment, jointly explore and develop the market along the B&R route, and deliver greater common prosperity.
英国是具有全球影响力的大国，也是“一带一路”重要合作方。英国参与“一带一路”具备许多独特资源与条件。从发达的国际金融业到成熟的法律、咨询等专业服务业，从知名智库、教育机构到世界一流的科技研发与创新平台，从英语语言优势到与沿线国家深厚的历史文化渊源，这些都为英方深度参与“一带一路”建设提供了广阔空间。中英可在“一带一路”框架下，加强各自发展战略对接，扩大投资和贸易合作规模，探讨在沿线国家共同开发第三方市场，将共同繁荣的蛋糕越做越大。
The world is an open and interdependent place. But some have lost their direction in the sea of globalization. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Xi spoke out for responsible globalization, calling for “an open global economy to share opportunities and interests”. This has much in common with Prime Minister May’s vision of a truly “Global Britain” that “embraces the world”. Both leaders understand that win-win results are only possible if we increase global connectivity and share the fruits of growth. Increasing connectivity along the new Silk Road is one way to achieve that.
当今世界是一个开放和相互依存的世界，然而有些人却在经济全球化浪潮中迷失了方向。习近平主席在达沃斯世界经济论坛年会上的讲话中倡导“负责任的全球化”，呼吁“发展开放型世界经济，在开放中分享机会和利益”。这与梅首相提出英国要“拥抱世界”，打造“全球化英国”有诸多相通之处。中英两国领导人都了解，只有大力推进全球互联互通和分享发展成果，才能实现互利共赢。加强“一带一路”沿线互联互通是实现上述目标的重要途径。
That is why one of the key announcements in President Xi’s speech was that Beijing would host the “Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation” in May. In doing so, China is keen to show its responsibility as a major contributor both to the world economy and global cooperation. At the same time, this will be an opportunity to pool international wisdom in defining B&R cooperation in the years ahead.
因此，习近平主席在达沃斯论坛演讲中作出重要宣布，“今年5月中国将在北京主办‘一带一路’国际合作高峰论坛”。这集中体现了中方对世界经济与国际合作的大国担当，同时将是一次凝聚国际智慧的机遇，将为下一步“一带一路”的发展指明方向。
There is already much to build on. B&R has so far received the enthusiastic support from more than 100 countries and international organizations. More than 40 have signed cooperation agreements with China, leading to a series of new projects and a surge in new jobs along the B&R route. In this way China and its B&R partners both benefit from a highly inclusive and dynamic initiative that is delivering benefits far and wide.
“一带一路”建设已有良好基础。自从2013年习近平主席提出“一带一路”倡议以来，已有100多个国家和国际组织积极响应支持，40多个国家和国际组织同中国签署合作协议，实现一系列重大项目落地，创造大量就业机会。“一带一路”倡议把中国发展同相关国家发展紧密结合，显示出强大生命力和广泛包容性，受益面不断拓宽。
The forthcoming Forum in Beijing will be the most important international gathering to advance, as its theme suggests, “Cooperation for Common Prosperity”. So far, leaders from more than 20 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America have confirmed their attendance. Discussions at the forum will be devoted to infrastructure connectivity, commercial cooperation, industrial investment, energy and resources, financial support, cultural and people-to-people exchange, eco-environmental protection and maritime cooperation, among others.
即将在北京召开的高峰论坛是关于“一带一路”建设最高规格的国际盛会，其主题是“加强国际合作，共建‘一带一路’，实现共赢发展”。目前，已有来自亚洲、欧洲、非洲、拉美等地区的20多位各国领导人确认与会。论坛将围绕基础设施互联互通、经贸合作、产业投资、能源资源、金融支撑、人文交流、生态环保和海洋合作等重要领域进行讨论。
The remarkable opportunities of “Belt and Road” cooperation are now up for grabs. With China, Britain can be a key partner, reaping the potential of these opportunities. By ensuring we pull together, the B&R initiative can, like the Silk Road before it, go a long way to delivering better lives for many millions of people, from Asia to Europe.
“一带一路”合作蕴含巨大机遇。英国可以成为中国的关键伙伴，收获这些机遇带来的发展潜力。相信在中英及有关各方共同努力下，“一带一路”建设如同古代丝绸之路一样，一定能行稳致远，不断结出丰硕成果，造福从亚洲到欧洲数以亿计的各国人民。
（编辑：李梦婕）