李克强总理在《新西兰先驱报》发表的署名文章(中英对照)
Work Together to Scale New HEIGHTS IN China-New Zealand Friendship and Cooperation
勇攀中新友好合作新高峰
李克强
Li Keqiang
在即将开始对素有“长白云之乡”美誉的新西兰进行正式访问之际,谨向热情友好的新西兰人民致以诚挚问候。这是我首次以中国总理身份访新,但我对新西兰多元的文化、繁荣的经济、秀美的风光并不陌生。今年恰逢中新建交45周年,我期待通过此访拉紧彼此友谊的纽带,提升互利合作的水平。
As I am about to begin my official visit to New Zealand, “the land of the long white cloud”, I wish to extend my sincere greetings to the warm and hospitable people of this country. It will be my first visit as the Chinese premier, but I have long been drawn to New Zealand for its diverse culture, vibrant economy and natural beauty. This year being the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, I very much hope that my visit will contribute to tightening the bond of our friendship and elevating our mutually beneficial cooperation.
新西兰有句毛利谚语:“把最高的云作为目标,即使你达不到云的高度,也将攀上最高的山峰。”
As a Maori proverb goes, “Aim for the highest cloud, so that if you miss it, you will reach a lofty mountain.”
多年来,正是立足高远的目标,胸怀无畏的勇气,中新关系与合作勇攀高峰,敢为人先,创造了许多个“第一”,长期走在中国同西方发达国家关系的前列。比如,新西兰第一个同中国结束“入世”双边谈判,第一个承认中国完全市场经济地位,第一个同中国签署并实施双边自由贸易协定,第一个以创始成员国身份加入中国首倡的亚洲基础设施投资银行,第一个举办全国性“中文周”。前不久,中新宣布启动双边自贸协定升级谈判,又刷新了“第一”的记录,在当前世界经济复苏依然乏力、保护主义抬头、逆全球化寒流涌动的背景下,这不仅对双方是一项重大利好,也向世界发出了维护贸易和投资自由化便利化的积极信号。我希望也相信,中新两国仍需要勇攀高峰,让中新友好与合作更好造福双方人民。
For many years, China and New Zealand have aimed high and made relentless efforts to develop our relations and cooperation. Together, we kept on scaling new heights and setting new records in China’s relations with Western developed countries. New Zealand was the first Western developed country to conclude bilateral negotiations on China’s WTO accession, the first to recognize China’s full market economy status, the first to sign and implement a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with China, the first to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member, and the first to hold a nationwide Chinese Language Week, to name a few. The recent announcement by our countries to launch negotiations on upgrading our FTA has added yet another new record to the long list of our ground-breaking cooperation. This is great news not just for our countries, but also sends a positive signal of support for trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, especially in the context of weak global economic recovery, rising protectionism and bitter backlash against globalization. I hope and believe that we will continue to scale new heights in our friendship and cooperation to deliver even more benefits to both our peoples.
勇攀高峰,要不断在新起点上自我超越。建交45周年来,中新关系与各领域合作达到了前所未有的高度,利益融合也是前所未有地紧密。中国连续4年保持新西兰第一大贸易伙伴地位,是新西兰第一大海外留学生来源国和第二大海外游客市场,每周约有50个直飞航班跨越太平洋往返于两国之间。如何让中新关系好上加好、更上层楼?新西兰著名登山家希拉里爵士说过,我们要征服的不是高山,而是自己。我认为,中新关系与合作要实现超越,就不能满足于现状,而是要继续发挥各自的比较优势,在发展战略对接和优势互补中充分释放共同发展的潜力。比如,当前中新在农牧业产品上已形成较稳定的供需关系,双方不应止步于进出口贸易,还应拓展高技术、高附加值的农牧业全产业链合作,并开辟电子商务、生物制药、节能环保、基础设施建设等新的合作领域,不断打造新的合作增长点。
To scale new heights, we need to go further than what we have achieved to start anew. In the past 45 years of our diplomatic ties, our relations and cooperation have reached unprecedented levels and our interests have become more intertwined than ever before. For four years in a row, China has been New Zealand’s number one trading partner. We are the largest source of foreign students and the second largest of tourists for New Zealand. Each week, about 50 direct flights travel across the Pacific between our countries. The question now is how can we do even better? Let me quote from a well-known New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, who said, “It’s not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” For China-New Zealand relations and cooperation to go further, we cannot rest on our laurels. Rather, we need to fully harness our comparative strengths, and unleash our potential for common development by synergizing our development strategies. For example, now that we have a fairly stable trade relationship on farm products, we need to move beyond import and export and promote high-tech driven, high value-added, whole-industrial-chain cooperation. We may also explore new areas such as e-commerce, biopharmaceuticals, energy conservation and environmental protection and infrastructure development, to foster new growth areas in bilateral cooperation.
勇攀高峰,意味着直面挑战将困难踩在脚下。克服今日的困难就会获得通往明日进步的阶梯。当前,国际形势中不稳定、不确定因素明显增加。越是面对时艰,中新越应携手努力,化挑战为机遇,共同致力于维护世界和平,促进地区稳定,坚定推动经济全球化,共同构建开放型世界经济,为地区乃至世界的发展与繁荣贡献中新力量。事实上,中新自贸协定生效8年来,两国贸易额增长近3倍,从自贸红利释放中获利的正是双方民众。尽管中国对新贸易存在逆差,但我们仍然要以自贸协定升级谈判为契机,扩大双向市场开放。中方愿进口更多新西兰有竞争力的优质产品,让中国的消费者有更多选择,也倒逼我们的企业成长进步。实践证明,全球化不能因噎废食,开放的大门不应关闭。中新应以实际行动促进区域经济一体化向前发展,为地区乃至世界经济走出复苏低迷、恢复强劲增长注入动力。
To scale new heights, we need to confront challenges and surmount difficulties. By overcoming difficulties today we will be better able to make progress tomorrow. Rising instability and uncertainty in the international landscape have made it all the more important for China and New Zealand to work together to turn challenges into opportunities. We need to jointly uphold world peace and regional stability, promote economic globalization, build an open world economy, and make new contributions to the development and prosperity of our region and the world. Over the past eight years since the entry into force of the China-New Zealand FTA, bilateral trade has increased nearly three folds, delivering real benefits to the two peoples. Despite its trade deficit with New Zealand, China remains committed to seize the opportunity of FTA upgrading negotiations to facilitate greater mutual openness of our markets. We are ready to import more goods from New Zealand that are competitive and high-quality, to provide more choices for Chinese consumers and push Chinese companies towards greater competitiveness. We have every reason to believe that globalization will continue to move forward despite its setbacks, just as one should not stop eating for fear of getting choked. And the door, once opened, should not be closed. China and New Zealand should take real actions to advance regional economic integration, to inject greater driving force for regional and even global economic recovery and the resumption of robust growth.
勇攀高峰,才能将更加多彩的风光尽收眼底。正是因为有着高瞻远瞩的战略高度和长远眼光,中新才能始终超越不同国情、不同发展阶段、不同文化传统的差异,始终相互尊重、平等相待、互利共赢。中华文明推崇开放包容、兼收并蓄;新西兰文化多元而富有活力。我听说,新西兰民众对中国文化和汉语有着浓厚的兴趣,每年的中国农历春节和元宵节庆祝活动吸引着越来越多新西兰当地民众参与。而新西兰纯净独特的自然风光也让中国民众心向往之,《指环王》、《霍比特人》将新西兰的美展现在大银幕上,也久久萦绕在中国观众的心头。中新以人文交流为平台,以人员往来为纽带,有利于双方的和谐相处,精诚合作;中新相互尊重彼此根据自身国情选择的发展道路,有利于构筑互信,交流互鉴。推而广之,中新应共同倡导世界文明多样与文化多元,共同为世界文明发展增加更多色彩与精彩。相信这个世界会因多元而更加丰富多彩,会因多一种可能增添更多希望。
To scale greater heights also means we will enjoy a better view of the diverse landscape of our world. Thanks to our strategic vision and long-term perspective, China and New Zealand have been able to transcend differences in national conditions, stage of development, culture and tradition to achieve win-win outcomes on the basis of mutual respect and equality. The Chinese civilization values openness and inclusiveness, and New Zealand is known for its multicultural dynamism. I was told that the New Zealand people have a strong interest in the Chinese culture and language, and more and more of them turn out for Spring Festival and Lantern Festival celebrations. And the Chinese people are fascinated by the unique, unspoiled scenery of New Zealand, as displayed in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have facilitated our harmonious coexistence and sincere cooperation. And mutual respect for development paths chosen in light of our respective national conditions will help the two sides build mutual trust and learn from each other. Drawing on our experiences, China and New Zealand should jointly call for diversity of world civilizations, and add more color and splendor to the development of world cultures. We believe diversity makes the world more colorful, and having one more possibility means more hope and promise.
中国古诗云,会当凌绝顶,一览众山小。勇攀高峰,相信中新关系会有更美好的明天,相信世界会有更辉煌的未来。
As a Chinese poem reads, “Try to ascend the mountain’s crest: it dwarfs all peaks under our feet.” I am confident that our joint efforts to scale new heights will create an even brighter future for China-New Zealand relations and make our world a more splendid place.