中国不想不愿但绝不怕打贸易战
China Doesn’t Want a Trade War but Is by No Means Afraid of Fighting One
驻尼日利亚大使周平剑
Ambassador Zhou Pingjian
2019年5月24日
24 May 2019
2019年5月23日，尼日利亚主流报纸《领航报》（Pilot）、《人民报》（Peoples Daily）、《领导者报》（Leadership）等刊发驻尼日利亚大使周平剑署名文章《中国不想不愿但绝不怕打贸易战》。全文如下：
On May 23, 2019, Nigerian leading newspapers Pilot, Peoples Daily, and Leadership published an article written by Ambassador of China to Nigeria Dr. Zhou Pingjian, China Doesn’t Want A Trade War but Is by No Means Afraid of Fighting One. The full text goes as follows:
近来，尼日利亚媒体都在关注中美经贸谈判。国际社会对中美新一轮互征关税普遍表示忧虑，认为中美经贸摩擦升级会对世界经济带来新的不确定性。我们对各方的忧虑表示理解。的确，中美经贸摩擦升级不符合任何一方利益，而且会拖累世界经济。
China-US trade talks are catching the eye of the Nigerian media recently. Around the world, there have been widespread concerns over the new round of additional tariffs between China and the US. Some believe escalated disputes will bring more uncertainties to world economy. Some have described the global economic landscape as “unpredictable” and labeled the trade issue as “the biggest uncertainty”.
但事实明摆着，挑起贸易争端的是美国，不是中国；打响加征关税第一枪的是美国，不是中国；反复操弄极限施压的还是美国，不是中国。中方所作所为完全是针对美方无理行径的反制，纯属自卫反击。中方这么做，既是为了捍卫自身的合法正当权益，也是为了维护多边主义和自由贸易体制。谁是新一轮中美关税战的始作俑者，谁是阻碍全球自由贸易的规则破坏者，谁又是拖累世界经济的风险制造者，国际社会自有公论。
We have noted the reactions of the international community and understand the concerns of various parties. Indeed, the escalation of China-US trade disputes is not in the interests of either side and will put a drag on world economy. But the facts are clear to all: it is the US that provoked the trade disputes, not China; it is the US that fired the first shot in raising tariffs, not China; it is the US that repeatedly resorted to maximum pressuring, not China. What China has done so far is entirely self-defense against the unreasonable acts of the US side. By so doing, we are not only defending our own legitimate rights and interests, but also safeguarding multilateralism and the free trading system. The international community has its fair judgment on who is the initiator of the latest round of a tariff war, the rule-breaker in free trade and the generator of risks in global economy.
中美11轮经贸磋商未能达成协议，根本原因在于美方试图通过极限施压实现不合理的利益索求。这从一开始就行不通。
The underlying reason that the 11 rounds of consultations failed to yield an agreement is that the US attempts to achieve unreasonable demands through maximum pressure. This wouldn’t work from the very beginning.
简单认为美国在中美贸易关系中“吃亏”的看法，是不科学、不专业的。经济全球化本身就是各国优势互补、互通有无的过程。所谓贸易互惠互利，应该是指所有产业开放市场实现总体互惠和利益平衡。要求两个经济体在贸易实践中绝对的对等开放是不现实的。谈判贸易协议本身不可能在所有领域都要求绝对平等，但必须是双向平衡、平等互利的。中美经贸磋商只能沿着相互尊重、平等互利的正确轨道前行，这样才有成功的希望。
The simplistic view that the US is “ripped off” in its trade with China is unscientific and unprofessional. Economic globalization by nature is a process during which countries leverage each other’s respective strengths and each supplies what the other needs. What we call reciprocity and mutual benefit in trade refers to the overall reciprocity and balance of interests in the open market of all industries. It is only unrealistic to pursue absolute reciprocal openness in real trade practices. Therefore, the negotiated trade agreement itself can by no means ask for absolute equality in all fields and it must be equal and mutually beneficial with two-way balance. There is hope for success only when the consultations proceed on the right track of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
美方声称美国和中国实际上已经有一份协议，但中方破坏了协议。
The US side claimed on May 17th that the two sides actually had a deal, but China broke it.
我们不知道美方所说的“协议”是什么。美方可能一直有一份自己奢望的“协议”，但肯定不是中方同意过的协议。在要挟未果、引发美国国内外广泛质疑和市场动荡的情况下，美方想通过混淆视听转嫁责任，这是徒劳的。纵观11轮中美经贸磋商，究竟是谁在出尔反尔，谁在反复无常，世人看得清清楚楚。去年5月，中美双方就经贸问题达成共识，在华盛顿发表联合声明。但几天之后，美方就违背了双方共识。去年12月，中美双方就中方对美贸易采购数字达成共识，但美方却在此后的磋商中肆意抬高要价。立场倒退、违背承诺的帽子绝对扣不到中方头上。
We are not sure what “deal” the US was referring to. Perhaps it has bore in mind all along “a deal” of its own wild wish, one that China has certainly not agreed on however. When its threats didn't work and instead led to widespread doubts and market fluctuations at home and abroad, the US resorted to muddying the waters and shifting the blame. That, too, is futile as the international community see clearly which side has been flip-flopping all along in the past 11 rounds of trade talks. In May last year, China and the US reached consensus on trade and issued a joint statement in Washington, D.C. But just a few days after that, the US abandoned the agreement. In December last year, the two sides reached consensus on the value of China’s purchases from the US, but in the following talks the US wantonly rejected the agreement and asked for more. It is never China that backtracks and breaks commitments.
所谓中国“强制技术转让”是凭空捏造的。事实上，中国高度重视知识产权保护，从来没有强制外方转让技术的政策，前不久中国通过的《外商投资法》用立法形式明文规定“不得利用行政手段强制转让技术”。中国同各国开展的相互投资和技术转让是市场主体自愿合作的结果，本质上是一种“双赢”的合作。
The issue of forced technology transfers is sheer fabrication. In fact, China attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights. There is never any policy forcing foreign actors to transfer technology. The recently-adopted Foreign Investment Law by China’s top legislature stipulates explicitly that there shall be no forced technology transfer through administrative means. There have been mutual investment and technology transfers between China and foreign countries, which is the result of consensual cooperation between market entities, win-win cooperation by nature.
一段时间以来，美方出于政治目的，泛化国家安全概念，滥用国家力量不择手段地蓄意抹黑和打压特定的中国企业，这完全违背了市场规则和公平原则，既不光彩、也不公正。我们认为这也不符合美方自身利益。
For some time, out of political motives, the US has been abusing its national power to tarnish the image of and suppress specific Chinese companies while making “national security” a catch-all phrase, which is disgraceful and unjust. This is entirely against market rules and the principle of fairness, which does not serve the interests of the US either.
美方多次对媒体称，中国的经济不太好，中方十分渴望与美方达成经贸协议。
The US side recently told reporters many times that China’s economy was not so good, and that China very much wanted to make a deal.
这一说法毫无依据，内容完全虚假不实。事实上，中国经济一直保持平稳增长，呈现积极向好势头。美国的贸易保护主义措施会对中国经济造成一定影响，但完全可以克服。我们有信心、有能力抵御任何外部风险和冲击。中国的贸易伙伴遍天下，世界各国都想分享中国发展的红利。如果有人不愿与中国做生意，自然会有别人来填补空缺。
Such remarks are just baseless. The fact is that the Chinese economy is growing steadily with a positive momentum. Trade protectionist measures of the US side will have some impact on our economy, but we can totally overcome it. We have the confidence and capability to guard against any external risks and impacts. With trade partners all around the world, China is turning more rapidly into a strong trading nation. Many countries would like to share China’s development dividends. If some country does not want to do business with China, others will soon fill in the vacancy.
美方还称，如果中美不达成协议，中国将受到很严重的损害，因为外国企业将被迫离开中国前往其他国家。
The US side is reported to claim that China will be hurt very badly if it doesn’t make a deal because companies will be forced to move to other countries.
美方大可不必为中国的事操心。改革开放40年来，中国经济社会发展取得巨大成就，外商在华投资营商环境持续得到改善，中国已经连续多年成为世界各国企业最为青睐的投资目的地之一。企业选择在哪个国家投资营商，选择谁作为合作伙伴，自然会根据自身利益和市场原则作出商业决定，不是什么人一两句话就能左右的。事实上，即使美方一年多来不断威胁对中国产品加征关税，外商来华投资的热情依然高涨，依然看好中国市场。
Frankly, the US doesn’t need to worry at all on China’s behalf. Over the past four decades of reform and opening up, enormous achievements have been made in economic and social development in China. As foreign investment environment keeps improving, China has become one of the most popular destinations for global investment for many consecutive years. When choosing investment destinations and business partners, enterprises make decisions based on their own interests and market principles rather than empty words from certain persons. As a matter of fact, despite the constant US threats to impose additional tariffs on Chinese products for the past year or so, China remains a popular destination for foreign investors as their enthusiasm remains high.
作为世界前两大经济体，中美经贸关系既对两国意义重大，也对全球经济发展有着举足轻重的作用。美方本应与中方一道，肩负起应有的责任，推动全球经济增长。但美方却一意孤行，单方面发起贸易战，多次在中方满怀诚意进行磋商之时，违背双方共识，对华加征关税。
As the top two biggest economies in the world, the economic and trade relations between China and the US are of great significance to the two countries and the global economy. The US should have worked with China and shouldered its responsibilities for global growth. But on the contrary, it insisted on staging a trade war unilaterally and repeatedly increased tariffs on Chinese goods against standing consensus while China has kept full sincerity for the consultations.
中方一再表示，加征关税解决不了任何问题，发起贸易战只会损人害己。对于贸易战，中国不想打、不愿打，但也绝不怕打。中方从来不会屈从于任何外部压力，我们有决心、有能力捍卫自身合法正当权益。如果有人打到家门口，我们必然会奉陪到底。
China has made it very clear on many occasions, raising tariffs won’t solve any problem, and starting a trade war will harm not only others, but also oneself. China doesn’t want a trade war, but is by no means afraid of fighting one. China never succumbs to external pressure. We have the resolve and capability to defend our lawful and legitimate rights and interests. If someone brings the war to our doorstep, we will fight to the end.
希望美方能够听一听国际社会的理性和正义呼声，早日认清形势，回归正轨，同中方相向而行，争取在相互尊重的基础上达成一个互利双赢的协议。这不仅对中美两国有利，也是国际社会的普遍期待。
We hope the US will heed the international community’s call of ration and justice, keenly grasp the situation, return to the right track as early as possible, meet China halfway and strive for a mutually beneficial agreement on the basis of mutual respect. It will serve the interests of China and the US and is the shared aspiration of the international community.