双语资料:驻英国大使刘晓明在伦敦金融城“荣誉市民”授勋仪式上的讲话
发布时间:2018年12月25日
发布人:nanyuzi  

坚定信心,共创未来

Firm Confidence in a Brighter and Shared Future

 

驻英国大使刘晓明在伦敦金融城荣誉市民授勋仪式上的讲话

Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Freedom Ceremony of the City of London

 

2018年12月3日,伦敦金融城

Guildhall, City of London, 3 December 2018

 

尊敬的伦敦金融城市长埃斯特林先生,
尊敬的各位大臣、各位议员、各位嘉宾,
女士们、先生们、朋友们:

Lord Mayor Peter Estlin,
Ministers,
Councillors,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends:

 

大家下午好!

Good afternoon!

 

感谢伦敦金融城授予我“荣誉市民”称号,感谢各位嘉宾的莅临。金融城“荣誉市民”称号是一个很高的荣誉。英国朋友告诉我,如果我在二百年前获得这一殊荣,就可以在金融城“持剑行走”,还能“赶着羊群通过伦敦桥”。

I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation to the City of London Corporation for bestowing upon me the honour of the Freedom of the City. I also wish to thank all of you who are present today for joining me on this significant occasion. Being a “Freeman” is an extremely high honour. My British friends told me that two hundred years ago, being a Freeman would have given me the privilege to “carry a naked sword in public” or “drive sheep over London Bridge”.

 

今天这个称号仍具有很高的“含金量”,用数字来概括就是“1、2、3、4”:在1平方英里的土地上,云集了2千多家金融机构,创造了英国3%的国内生产总值,汇聚了全球4万多亿美元的庞大资产。

Today, it is still a great privilege to be a City Freeman. The City of London is such an extraordinary institution. My summary of the City’s status is as simple as one, two, three, four: In a space of one square mile, the City hosts two thousand financial institutions, contributes to three percent of the UK’s GDP and manages four trillion US dollars of assets.

 

因此,我十分珍惜这一称号。我认为,这个称号不仅是给予我个人的荣誉,也是对中国驻英国大使馆工作的认可,更体现了伦敦金融城对中英金融合作的高度重视和对中国人民的美好情谊。

I cherish this honour of the Freeman. I believe it is a recognition of the work of not just myself but the Chinese Embassy. It demonstrates the importance that the City of London attaches to China-UK financial cooperation. And it embodies the friendship between the people of our two countries.

 

我担任中国驻英大使近九年来,造访过无数次伦敦金融城,每次都能感受到它深厚的底蕴和勃勃的生机,体会到中英两国金融合作的巨大潜力和广阔前景。我初步统计了一下,中英金融合作至少为中英两国关系贡献了“三个最”:

In nearly nine years as the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, I have visited the City of London numerous times. Each time, I was impressed by its profound strength and exhilarating dynamism. Each time, I could sense the enormous potential and broad prospects of China-UK financial cooperation. Such cooperation has contributed to at least three important records in our bilateral relations.

 

首先,创造的“第一”最多。英国是第一个加入亚投行、第一个向亚投行专门基金注资、第一个签署《“一带一路”融资指导原则》的西方大国。伦敦目前是全球最大的人民币离岸交易中心和第二大人民币离岸清算中心,英国还是首个发行人民币计价主权债券的西方国家。2016年,中国银行在伦敦发行首支中国绿色资产担保债券;中国财政部发行的30亿元人民币国债在伦敦证券交易所上市交易,这是中国首次在境外发行人民币主权债券。所有这些“第一”不仅彰显了两国金融合作的活力,而且体现了金融合作在两国务实合作中的引领作用。

First, it has achieved the greatest number of “first’s”. The UK was the first major Western country to apply to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the first to contribute to the AIIB special fund, and the first to sign the Guiding Principles on Financing the Development of the Belt and Road with China. The UK is also the first Western country to issue RMB sovereign bond. It is only natural that London becomes the world’s largest RMB offshore trading centre and the second largest RMB offshore clearing centre. It was in London that the Bank of China issued the first Green Covered Bond in 2016. It was at the London Stock Exchange that the Ministry of Finance of China made its first overseas issuance of RMB sovereign bond of three billion yuan. These “firsts” demonstrate the vitality of China-UK financial cooperation. They also emphasise the leading role of the financial sector in the business cooperation between our two countries.

 

第二,合作的成果最丰硕。今年是中英经济财金对话机制成立10周年。10年来,这一机制日益成为两国金融政策协调和发展对接的重要平台。在去年第9次对话达成的72项成果中,一半都属于金融领域。截至目前,包括中国5大国有银行在内的7家中资银行在伦敦设立了分行,其中6家是在我任期内开设的。唯一例外的是中国银行分行,它早在我出生前1929年就在伦敦设立了。中国再保险公司、中国人保、太平保险等其他金融机构也在伦敦开设了分支机构。中国银行还在伦敦设立了私人银行服务中心,这是在亚洲以外设立的第一家。在当前英国脱欧的大背景下,这些中资银行开设的分支机构,无疑是对伦敦金融城投下的支持票和信任票。

Second, of all sectors, China-UK cooperation in financial service has been most productive. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue. After ten years of strenuous efforts on both sides, EFD has become an important platform for our two countries to enhance macro policy coordination and match development strategies in the financial sector. Of the 72 outcomes of last year’s EFD, more than half are related to financial services. As of today, seven Chinese banks, including the top five state-owned commercial banks, have set up branches in London. Six of the branches were opened during my tenure as the Chinese Ambassador to the UK. The only exception, the Bank of China London Branch, was established in 1929, well before I was born. Other Chinese financial institutions, including China Re, PICC and China Taiping Insurance Group, have also set up branches in London. Moreover, the Bank of China has opened the Private Banking Service Centre in London, which is the first of its kind outside Asia. By opening these branches, the Chinese financial institutions have cast their vote of support and confidence for the City of London as Britain leaves the EU.

 

第三,产生的影响最广泛。中英金融合作已远远超出双边范畴。中英共同发起成立的二十国集团绿色金融研究小组,共同发布的《金融服务战略规划》,支持建立的由私营部门牵头的中英金融服务峰会,不仅为提升两国金融合作的全局性、战略性奠定了坚实基础,也引领了相关领域的国际合作,产生广泛而深远的影响。

Third, China-UK financial cooperation has the most extensive and far-reaching significance. Such significance has gone far beyond the bilateral scope. China and the UK have established the G20 Green Finance Study Group. We have issued the China-UK Strategic Plan for Financial Services. And we helped launch the China-UK Financial Services Summit led by the private sector. Through these efforts, our two countries are not only engaged in more comprehensive and strategic bilateral cooperation. We are also taking the lead in international cooperation in the financial sector.

 

女士们,先生们,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

荣誉源自信赖,荣誉传递信心。今天,我与各位分享荣誉之时,也愿与大家共享我对中英合作的信心,这份信心来自三个方面:

The Freedom award is an honour. This honour is based on trust. This honour imparts confidence. Today, I want to share this honour with you. I also want to share with you my confidence in China-UK cooperation. My confidence comes from the following three aspects:

 

一是对中国进一步深化改革开放的信心。今年是中国改革开放40周年。习近平主席已多次宣布,新时代中国的大门不会关闭,只会越开越大。金融将是中国下阶段对外开放的重要领域,中国金融市场准入还将大幅放宽,中英双方将加快推进“沪伦通”。中国进一步深化改革、扩大开放,必将为中英在更高层次、更广领域拓展金融合作带来更多商机。

First, I have confidence in deeper reform and further opening up in China. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up. President Xi Jinping has reiterated on many occasions that China will not close its door; instead, it will open its door even wider to the world. The financial sector will be a key area for opening up in the next stage. China will significantly increase access to its financial market. We will work with the UK to accelerate the preparations for the Shanghai-London Stock Connect. Deeper reform and further opening up will create more business opportunities for China-UK financial cooperation at a higher level and in a wider scope.

 

二是对中英共建“一带一路”的信心。今年是“一带一路”倡议提出5周年。“一带一路”坚持对话协商、共建共享、合作共赢、交流互鉴,为世界可持续发展开辟了新方向。目前,已有140多个国家和国际组织与中国签署了“一带一路”合作协议。中国正积极推进在“一带一路”沿线国家设立金融服务平台,金融成为“一带一路”建设的重要内容。英国在国际金融领域经验丰富、制度成熟,与众多沿线国家保持密切沟通和良好合作,在融资、PPP、保险、绿色金融等领域优势突出,是中国“一带一路”合作的“天然伙伴”。明年,中国将举办第二届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛,努力将“一带一路”国际合作提升到新高度,这将为中英合作特别是金融服务合作带来新机遇。

Second, I have confidence in China-UK cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This year marks the fifth anniversary of the BRI. In the past five years, the BRI has adhered to dialogue and consultation, invited all partners to pitch in, shared the benefits of win-win cooperation, pursued cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and showed a new direction for sustainable development in the world. As of today, more than 140 countries and international organisations have signed cooperation agreements with China on the BRI. Financial cooperation is an important part of BRI cooperation. China is encouraging the establishment of financial services platforms in the countries along the routes. The UK has extensive knowledge and expertise in international financial services, and close ties with many countries along the BRI routes. These have given the UK a unique strength in BRI project financing, Public Private Partnership, insurance and green finance. There is no doubt that the UK is a natural partner of China in advancing the BRI. Next year, China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to lift international cooperation on the BRI to a new level. This will create new opportunities for China-UK cooperation, in particular, on financial services.

 

三是对中英关系的信心。在21世纪第二个10年,中英关系进入“黄金时代”,建立起面向21世纪的全球全面战略伙伴关系,两国贸易、投资、金融、科创、人文等各领域合作成果丰硕。这一局面来之不易,凝结着两国各界人士几十年的心血和不懈努力,值得我们倍加珍惜、精心呵护。我希望并相信,中英双方能从全球视角和战略高度审视两国关系,尊重彼此核心利益和重大关切,努力使“黄金时代”保持“黄金成色”。

Third, I have confidence in a sound China-UK relationship. China and the UK stepped into the “Golden Era” of our relations in the second decade of the 21st century. We established the global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century, and have since achieved fruitful results in our cooperation on trade, investment, financial services, science, innovation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The progress has not come easy. It is a result of decades of relentless efforts of people from all walks of life of both our countries. It is important that we treasure and take good care of the sound momentum of our relationship. I hope, and I believe, that our two countries will view our relationship from a global and strategic perspective, and respect each other’s core interests and major concerns. I hope, and I believe, that China and the UK will work together to ensure the “Golden Era” remain “golden”.

 

女士们,先生们,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

古罗马哲学家西塞罗曾说过,“信心就是抱着足可确信的希望与信赖,奔赴伟大荣誉之路的感情”。我相信,只要我们坚定信心,携手努力、攻坚克难、开拓进取,就能共同开创中英关系更加美好的明天!

The ancient philosopher Cicero said, “Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honourable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself.” I believe, with firm confidence, we will overcome difficulties and strive ahead together to create an even brighter future for China-UK relations!

 

谢谢大家!

Thank you!