驻美国大使崔天凯在纪念中美建交40周年活动上的讲话

Remarks by Ambassador Cui Tiankai At the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of China-US Diplomatic Relations

 

2019年6月18日 国会山

June 18, 2018 Rayburn House Office Building

 

女士们、先生们：

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

大家下午好。很高兴与中美各界人士共同纪念中美建交40周年。这次活动选在国会山举办，具有特殊的意义。美国国会曾在中美关系发展进程中发挥过重要作用。上世纪60年代，国会发起一系列有关中国问题的听证会，促进了美国重新审视对华政策；1972年紧随美国行政部门对华“破冰之旅”，国会参众两院跨党派议员团先后访华，为中美关系正常化积蓄了条件；在建交以来的40年里，两国关系的每一步进展也都离不开国会的参与和支持。

Good afternoon. It is a great honor and privilege to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations, particularly with such a diverse cross section of people from both countries. That the event is being held on Capitol Hill carries a special significance, as the Congress has played a crucial role in the growth of China-US relations. In the 1960s, the Congress initiated a number of important hearings about China, which prompted America to take a second look at its China policy. Following President Richard Nixon’s ice-breaking visit to China in 1972, bipartisan Congressional delegations from both the Senate and the House visited China, building up momentum for the normalization of China-US relations. Over the past four decades of diplomatic ties, Congressional participation and support has been indispensable for each and every step forward in our journey together.

 

岁月不居，时节如流。回首过去，任何人都不会怀疑，当年中美建交的战略决定是英明的、正确的，它改变了两国，也改变了世界。展望未来，中美关系仍将是世界上最重要的双边关系之一，中美关系发展得好，将继续造福两国，泽被世界。

Time stops for no one, and the seasons keep changing. However, I do not think anyone will doubt the strategic decision of establishing diplomatic relations back then. It was a decision that transformed both countries and changed the whole world. The relationship has remained constant while ever-evolving. In the years to come, the China-US relationship will remain one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. Its sound development will continue to benefit us all.

 

然而，正如马克·吐温所说，“手中只有榔头的人，眼中看到的就只有钉子”。他们认为中国与美国不同的发展道路必然会动了美国的奶酪；他们极力宣扬美对华经贸“吃亏论”，挑动中美经贸“脱钩”，甚至鼓吹“新冷战”。很明显，这些人不了解中国特色社会主义制度；不了解零和博弈、对抗冲突早已不合时宜；更不了解中美关系早已成为“你中有我、我中有你”的利益共同体。这些无理质疑是对中美关系40年成就的否定，也是对当前合作成果的挑战，必将危害中美关系的未来，危及全球的稳定和繁荣。

As Mark Twain put it, “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. Some people assert that as China pursues a different development path, it will surely move America’s cheese. This vocal minority is going out of its way to paint America as the underdog in a zero-sum game with China. They are clamoring for the “decoupling” of our two countries and even a “new Cold War”. Clearly, these people wouldn’t bother to know about the benefits and value of free trade; they won’t trouble themselves to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics, the path China is taking; they are willfully oblivious to the fact that the world has become so interconnected that China and the US are just two members – leading members – in the global village. These assertions and stereotypes, as ill-founded as they can ever be, not only negate what we have jointly achieved in the past 40 years and threaten our ongoing cooperation; they also jeopardize the future of our relations and undermine global stability and prosperity.

 

女士们，先生们，

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

当今世界正经历百年未来有之大变局，面对变局，作为世界前两大经济体和联合国安理会常任理事国，中美必须对两国关系未来作出正确的战略判断，制定清晰的发展规划，才能继续维护和促进两国人民的根本利益和世界人民的共同福祉。

The world is undergoing unprecedented changes. As the world’s two biggest economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the US need to make the right choices and chart a clear course for the future of bilateral relations, to better serve the fundamental interests of the people of our two countries and the whole world.

 

要增进了解，避免误判。中华人民共和国成立70年来取得的成就，立足于中国人民的奋斗，也离不开国际合作。正因如此，中国更愿意为国际发展事业作出贡献。中华民族历来憧憬“大道之行，天下为公”的美好世界，中国共产党始终为人类进步事业而奋斗。中国没有“百年马拉松”战略，也没有“当代马歇尔计划”，更不相信“修昔底德陷阱”，中国始终致力于支持和推进多边主义和全球治理，愿同各国一起推动构建人类命运共同体。

First, we need to increase mutual understanding and avoid misjudgment. China owes the tremendous progress made over the past decades to the hard work of its people, and it has also benefited from international cooperation. That’s why China is always ready to contribute to international development. Moreover, universal harmony is an eternal aspiration of the Chinese nation, as it is so deeply rooted in Chinese culture. And human progress is an eternal aspiration of the Chinese Communist Party, because it has been its abiding mission since day one. Those who claim China is pursuing a “hundred-year marathon” strategy or a contemporary “Marshall Plan” are simply living in fantasy. China never believes in Thucydides trap; instead, as a staunch champion of multilateralism and better global governance, it is ready to work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

 

要相互尊重，妥处分歧。中美社会制度、历史文化、现实国情不同，有各自利益和关切，是正常的。过去40年，世界和中美两国都发生了很大变化，双边关系需要调整并有不同意见，也是正常的。“万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖”，有分歧并不意味着要对立，但要妥处分歧，就必须相互尊重，尊重彼此的主权和领土完整、尊重对方人民选择的社会制度和发展道路。台湾问题是中美关系中最重要、最敏感的问题，一个中国原则是中美关系的政治基础，这条红线，不可逾越。

Second, we need to respect each other and properly handle differences. For two countries with different social system, history, culture and national conditions, it is natural that they have divergent interests and concerns. Given the great changes that have taken place in both countries and in the world, our bilateral relations also need to keep abreast of the times. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “All creatures can flourish without harming each other; all ways of life can thrive without hindering each other.” Differences do not necessarily lead to confrontation, and mutual respect is a must if differences are to be handled properly. It is a must to respect a country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the social system and development path chosen by its people. The Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive issue in the China-US relationship, and the one-China principle serves as its political foundation. This is a red line that allows no crossing.

 

要把握方向，加强合作。积极推进以协调、合作、稳定为基调的中美关系是两国元首达成的共识，也为两国关系发展指明了方向。中美的共同利益远大于分歧，合作远大于摩擦。正如习近平主席指出，“中美之间交往频繁、利益融合，所谓脱钩难以想象，相信也不是美方各界所愿意看到的”。合作是中美唯一的正确选择，也是国际社会的普遍期待。面对恐怖主义、气候变化、公共卫生等全球性问题，现在比以往任何时候都更需要中美紧密合作、携手应对。

Third, we need to enhance cooperation. Our Presidents have agreed to promote a China-US relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability, which has charted the future course for us. China and the US have far more common interests than differences, and their cooperation far outweighs frictions. As President Xi Jinping said, “China and the US are so interconnected and their interests so intertwined that it is simply unimaginable to decouple one from the other. And this would not be something that the American society wants to see.” Therefore, it is clear that cooperation is the only right option for us, and it meets the shared expectations of the international community. To address such global issues as terrorism, climate change and public health, it is more imperative than ever before that China and the US join hands and work together.

 

要夯实基础，顺应民意。从235年前“中国皇后号”抵达中国开启经贸首航，70多年前美国人民万里驰援中国人民抗击侵略，到现在每天有逾万人往返于两国之间，中美人民的友谊跨越时空，始终是两国关系发展的源头活水。“志之所趋，无远弗届。”人民对美好生活的向往，谁都无法阻挡。民意相亲奠定了中美友好深厚而坚固的基础，并将造就中美关系的未来。人民才是历史的缔造者，中美关系要行稳致远，归根结底要倾听民意，顺应民心。

Fourth, we need to build up popular support as the foundation of China-US relations. From the “Empress of China”, the first American ship to trade with China in the 1780s, to the 1940s when American soldiers came to our help in fighting against foreign aggression, and to this day when we witness tens of thousands of Chinese and Americans flying across the Pacific on a daily basis, the people’s friendship transcends time and space and represents a constant driving force for our relations. Amity between the people has laid a solid foundation for our relationship and will continue to move it forward and shape its future. We must let the people’s will prevail.

 

女士们，先生们，

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

林肯总统曾经说过，预测未来最好的方法就是创造未来。我们绝不能让矛盾和分歧来定义当前的中美关系，更不能让偏见和误判来左右未来的中美关系。中美关系的未来肇始于当下每一个判断和决定，掌握在包括旅美华人华侨在内的两国人民手中。我们相信，中美两国和两国人民有足够的智慧、勇气和担当，推动中美关系沿着正确轨道向前发展，为两国人民和世界人民创造美好未来。

As President Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. We shall not allow disputes and differences to define the current China-US relationship, still less shall we let pride and prejudice determine its future. What kind of relationship we will have is the result of each and every decision we make now and is up to the two peoples to decide, including five million Chinese Americans who call this country home. We are confident that our two countries and peoples have enough wisdom, courage and sense of responsibility to move our relationship forward along the right track, and create an even better future for ourselves and for the whole world.

 

谢谢大家！

Thank you.