Standing at the Crossroads of the New Era, Looking for the Vision of China-Afghanistan Friendship
伫立时代十字路口，眺望中阿友好愿景
Ambassador Wang Yu
驻阿富汗大使王愚
4 December 2022
2022年12月4日
After the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s presidential diplomacy began to make a splendid appearance on the international stage, opening a new journey of mutual integration and achievement between the development of China and the world.
On November 18, the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled Shouldering Responsibility and Working Together in Solidarity to Build an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future. He put forward four proposals for building an Asia-Pacific of peace and stability, common wealth, clean and beautiful and mutual help. These ideas have contributed “Chinese wisdom” to building a Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and creating a new glory in Asia-Pacific cooperation.
中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会胜利闭幕后，中国元首外交开始在国际舞台精彩亮相，开启中国发展同世界发展相互交融、相互成就的新征程。11月18日，亚太经合组织第29次领导人非正式会议（APEC会议）在泰国曼谷举行,中国国家主席习近平出席会议并发表题为《团结合作勇担责任 构建亚太命运共同体》的重要讲话，提出建设和平稳定、共同富裕、清洁美丽、守望相助的亚太等四点建议，为构建亚太命运共同体，再创亚太合作新辉煌贡献了“中国智慧”。
For more than 30 years, the Asia-Pacific region has generally maintained peace and stability, regional cooperation has flourished, and economic strength has leaped rapidly. During this period, the Asia-Pacific region has withstood risks such as financial crisis, lifted more than one billion people out of poverty, and ridden on the wind of economic globalization to create the “Asia-Pacific miracle” that attracted attention across the world.
On the other hand, the world has entered a new period of turmoil and change. Both geopolitical tensions and the evolving economic dynamics have exerted negative impact on the development environment and cooperation structure of the Asia-Pacific. At this time, China is taking practical actions to demonstrate its firm confidence in building and feed-backing the Asia-Pacific, and bringing more opportunities for Asia-Pacific with high-quality economic development.
30多年来，亚太地区总体保持和平稳定，区域合作蓬勃发展，经济实力快速跃升。其间，亚太地区经受住了金融危机等风险考验，10多亿人摆脱贫困，乘着经济全球化的东风，创造了举世瞩目的“亚太奇迹”。但随着世界进入新的动荡变革期，地缘政治紧张与经济格局演变叠加，亚太地区发展环境和合作架构正在受到冲击。此时，中国以实际行动彰显建设亚太、回馈亚太的坚定信心，以经济高质量发展为亚太发展带来更大机遇。
The high level and relevant statement in President Xi’s speech is highly in line with the common expectations of the region and the international community. China’s successful experience in playing a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region has injected strong confidence and momentum for world peace and stability, development and prosperity. It has also drawn a blueprint for the future of friendship and cooperation between China and other countries, including Afghanistan, and pointed the way for joint development.
习近平主席的重要讲话中，有关高屋建瓴又具有现实针对性的表态，高度契合了地区和国际社会的共同期待。中国在亚太发挥建设性角色的成功经验，为世界和平稳定、发展繁荣注入强劲信心与动力，也为中国和包括阿富汗在内的其他国家友好合作擘画未来蓝图，为共同发展指明前行方向。
China and Afghanistan should follow a path of peaceful development. The Asia-Pacific, once a ground of big power rivalry and a place fraught with international disputes, suffered so much from conflicts and wars. It is precisely because the Asia-Pacific was freed from the shadow of the Cold War and benefited from a peaceful and stable environment, that this region has been able to embark on a fast track toward modernization and create the “Asia-Pacific miracle” of decades of rapid growth.
As an ancient Chinese sage observed, A review of the past may offer a clue to what will happen in the future. We should uphold international fairness and justice and build the China-Afghanistan relations of peace and stability. It is an important inspiration from the mutual respect, solidarity and cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries, as well as an important cornerstone for the future development of China-Afghanistan relations.
中阿要走和平发展之路。亚太地区曾饱受冲突战乱之苦，一度沦为大国争斗的竞技场、国际矛盾的聚集地。正是因为摆脱了冷战阴霾，受益于和平稳定的环境，亚太地区的中小经济体才得以步入奔向现代化的快车道，数十年经济快速增长的“亚太奇迹”才应运而生。中国古语有言，“鉴往事，知来者。”维护国际公平正义，建设和平稳定的中阿关系，既是亚太各国相互尊重、团结合作带来的重要启示，也是中阿关系未来发展繁荣的重要基石。
Similarly, Afghanistan has been suffering from war for the past 20 years. The reconstruction of nation, recovery of social economy and restoration of people’s lives are all in urgent. At present, the global security situation has become increasingly severe. Regional security hot spots have emerged one after another. Traditional and non-traditional security issues have complexly intertwined. The number of global instability and risk points have significantly increased.
Under the critical situation, China has always respected Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the independent choices made by the Afghan people, and the religious beliefs and ethnic customs. Meanwhile, China is willing to adhere to the common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept with Afghanistan, attach great importance to reasonable security concerns of each other, and cooperate to combat terrorist forces entrenched in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. China is also willing to work together with Afghanistan to participate in global governance, promote the international order to a more just and reasonable direction, and provide a strong guarantee for regional and world peace and stability.
与此相似的是，阿富汗过去20年饱经战火磨难，国家建设亟待重启，社会经济亟待复苏，人民生活亟待改善。当前，全球安全形势日益严峻，地区安全热点此起彼伏，传统和非传统安全问题复杂交织，全球动荡源和风险点明显增多。在严峻形势下，中国始终尊重阿富汗独立、主权和领土完整，尊重阿人民自主选择的发展道路，尊重阿的宗教信仰和民族习惯。同时，中方愿与阿方坚持共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观，重视彼此合理安全关切，合作打击盘踞在阿及周边国家的恐怖主义势力，同时一起携手，积极参与全球治理，推动国际秩序朝着更加公正合理的方向发展，为实现地区和世界和平稳定提供有力保障。
China and Afghanistan should follow a path of openness and inclusiveness. President Xi Jinping pointed out that history has proven time and again that only openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation are the right way forward for humanity. However, since this year, as the Ukraine crisis continues and world economic growth slows, unilateralism, trade protectionism and anti-globalization have risen globally.
The abandonment of convergence with the world has not only led to expensive costs for many countries themselves, but has also had an obvious negative impact on the development of global integration. In front of the historical trend of global investment and trade liberalization, trade protectionism is a way to drink poison to quench thirst, rather than a viable way to nourish the economy and achieve development.
中阿要走开放包容之路。习近平主席指出，“历史反复证明，开放包容、合作共赢才是人间正道”。但今年以来，随着乌克兰危机持续、世界经济增长放缓，全球范围内单边主义、贸易保护主义和逆全球化思潮有所抬头。这种放弃与世界接轨的行为，不仅导致很多国家自身付出昂贵成本，也对全球一体化发展带来明显的消极影响。在全球投资与贸易自由化的历史大趋势前，贸易保护主义是饮鸩止渴，不是涵养经济、实现发展的可行方法。
Afghanistan is now at a critical stage of restarting its economic engine. We believe that once start to catch up on the road to modernization and accelerate to follow up the surge of the world economy globalization, Afghanistan will be able to completely remove the haze of backwardness and poverty and find a unique development path that is most appropriate.
如今的阿富汗正处于经济引擎重新启动的关键阶段，相信阿方在通往现代化道路上奋起直追，加速追赶世界经济全球化的汹涌浪潮，就一定能在新的历史阶段彻底扫除落后与贫穷的阴霾，摸索出一条最适合自身的独特发展道路。
As President Xi Jinping emphasized at the APEC Meeting, “China is committed to putting in place new systems for a higher-standard open economy, and continue to share our development opportunities with the world.” China has always pursued open regionalism, strengthened coordination on macroeconomic policies with Afghanistan and other neighboring countries, forged more closely linked regional supply and industrial chains, promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, so as to achieve inter-regional linkage development.
China will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation, and delivering mutual benefit. China will continue to provide Afghanistan with advanced international public products such as the BRI Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, and will help the Afghan people truly achieve long-term peace and stable development.
正如习近平主席在APEC会议上强调，“中国致力于建设更高水平开放型经济新体制，将继续同世界分享中国发展机遇”。中国始终坚持开放的区域主义，愿与阿富汗及周边邻国加强宏观经济政策协调，构建更加紧密的区域产业链供应链，推进贸易和投资自由化便利化，从而实现区域间的联动发展。中国将高举和平、发展、合作、共赢旗帜，继续为阿富汗提供“一带一路”倡议、全球发展倡议等先进的国际公共产品，帮助阿富汗人民真正实现长期和平稳定发展。
China and Afghanistan should follow a path of solidarity. We two countries are living together in the big garden of Asia with common interests and security, and increasingly becoming a community of destiny with both honour and lose. We have experienced the hot and cold wars, vicissitudes and sorrows, and we know that peace is precious and development is hard-earned.
Over the past decades, Asia has generally maintained stability and sustained rapid economic growth. All of us have worked hand in hand and overcome difficulties and obstacles, stayed together as one big family. We have met challenges head-on in solidarity, defused various risks and navigated the surging tides of the global economy. Through cooperation, we have forged a sense of community, which has laid a solid foundation for steady progress.
中阿要走和衷共济之路。中国和阿富汗共同生活在亚洲这个大家园里，利益交融、安危与共，日益成为一荣俱荣、一损俱损的命运共同体。我们历经热战冷战，饱经沧桑忧患，深知和平弥足珍贵，发展来之不易。过去几十年，亚洲地区总体保持稳定，经济持续快速增长，大家携手奋斗、爬坡过坎，秉持大家庭精神，坚持同舟共济、共克时艰，化解各种风险，在世界经济大潮中破浪前行，在合作中形成共同体意识，成为实现不断发展的深厚根基。
Currently, Asian economies has entered a crucial stage of post-epidemic recovery. The economies in our region are confronted with disrupted supply chains, strained food and energy supply, growing inflationary pressure and other difficulties. At the same time, the rise of cold war mentality and hegemony poses a challenge to Asia’s openness and inclusiveness. History tells us that bloc confrontation cannot solve any problem and that bias will only lead to disaster.
At this juncture, China and Afghanistan should also strengthen cooperation, support each other, and help each other to promote the Asian economy at the forefront of the world economic recovery. We need to make sure that development is for the people and by the people, and that its fruits are shared among the people, and we should unite and overcome the difficulties together.
当前，亚洲各国经济进入疫后复苏的关键阶段。各经济体普遍面临供应链紊乱、粮食能源紧张、通胀压力加大等困难。同时，冷战思维、霸权主义沉渣泛起，对亚洲开放与包容构成挑战。历史昭示我们，阵营对抗解决不了问题，偏见只会带来灾难。值此时刻，中国和阿富汗也要加强合作，互相支持，互相帮助，推动亚洲经济走在世界经济复苏前列。我们要坚持发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，团结一致、共克时艰。
“The wise are free from doubts, the benevolent from anxiety, and the brave from fear.” China will stay committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, promoting our friendship with Chinese ideas, advancing our cooperation with Chinese contributions, and gathering our consensus with Chinese wisdom. It is believed that with our joint efforts, the tree of China-Afghanistan community of shared future, which is peaceful, open and solid, will flourish even more in the future!
“知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。”中国始终高举构建人类命运共同体旗帜，以中国主张促进中阿友好，以中国贡献推动中阿合作，以中国智慧凝聚中阿共识。相信在双方共同努力下，和平发展、开放包容、和衷共济的中阿命运共同体的参天大树，未来必将更加枝繁叶茂！