曹忠明大使在法兰德斯中国商会庆祝2022中国虎年春节视频会议上的致辞
Speech by H.E. Ambassador Cao Zhongming at the Online Chinese New Year Celebration by Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce
2022年2月7日
7 February 2022
尊敬的让蓬首席大臣，
尊敬的范德普特主席，
女士们，先生们，各位企业家朋友们：
Minister-President Jan Jambon,
President Kurt Vandeputte,
Ladies and gentlemen, friends of the business community,
大家好！很高兴出席法兰德斯中国商会庆祝2022中国虎年春节视频会议。今天是中国农历新年的第七天，我在这里祝各位新春快乐！冬奥会此刻也正在北京如火如荼地进行，让我们一起为中比两国冰雪运动健儿的精彩表现加油，祝他们取得优异的成绩！
Good afternoon! It gives me great pleasure to attend the online celebration hosted by Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) for the 2022 Chinese New Year of the Tiger. Today marks the 7th day of the first lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Chinese New Year. Meanwhile, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics being in full swing, let’s join each other to cheer on athletes of both China and Belgium, wishing them to reach their best performance competing in the Games.
过去的2021年，见证了中比建交50周年。习近平主席同菲利普国王互致贺电。李克强总理同德克罗首相举行视频会晤。中比两国经济界人士携手克服疫情带来的消极影响，为中比建交50周年交出了一份令人满意的答卷。2021年双边贸易总额达389.5亿美元，同比增长了36.3%。
Good afternoon! It gives me great pleasure to attend the online celebration hosted by Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) for the 2022 Chinese New Year of the Tiger. Today marks the 7th day of the first lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Chinese New Year. Meanwhile, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics being in full swing, let’s join each other to cheer on athletes of both China and Belgium, wishing them to reach their best performance competing in the Games.
过去的2021年，见证了中国共产党成立一百周年。中国人民对美好生活的向往，是中国共产党人的奋斗目标，也是中国发展的最大内生动力。2021年中国国内生产总值增长8.1%，达17.7万亿美元，并实现了较高增长和较低通胀的双重目标。全年进出口贸易规模超过6万亿美元；实际使用外资1734.8亿美元，同比增长20.2%。中国已经开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。中国经济韧性强、潜力足、长期向好的基本面不会改变。
The past year of 2021 has witnessed the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Belgium. President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with His Majesty Philippe, King of Belgium. Premier Li Keqiang held a video conference with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo. Both Chinese and Belgian business communities have been joining hands to mitigate impacts of the pandemic, achieving satisfying results to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. It is also in the year of 2021 that bilateral trade flow between two countries reached 38.95 billion US dollars with a year-on-year increase of 36.3%.
过去的2021年，见证了中国加入世界贸易组织20周年。20年来，中国全面履行入世承诺，关税总水平由15.3%降至7.4%，低于9.8%的入世承诺，服务领域开放了近120个部门，超过了当时入世承诺的100个，中国建立起与国际经贸规则体系相衔接的国内经济管理体制，激发了市场和社会活力。中国已成为世界第一大货物贸易国、第二大服务贸易国，是120多个国家和地区的主要贸易伙伴，过去20年对世界经济增长的年均贡献率接近30%。中国的发展为世界的发展繁荣注入了强大动力。
The past year of 2021 has witnessed the Centennial of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The aspiration of the Chinese people for a better life is not only the goal Chinese communists strive for, but also the biggest internal driver for China’s development. In 2021, China’s GDP has grown by 8.1% with a total of 17.7 trillion US dollars, achieving the dual target of fairly high growth and relatively low inflation. Its aggregate foreign trade volume exceeded 6 trillion US dollars; and China’s actual use of foreign capital surged to 173.48 billion US dollars with an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. Now, China is marching on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. The fundamentals of the Chinese economy, characterized by strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability, remain unchanged.
女士们，先生们，朋友们！
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends!
一年之计在于春。展望2022年，我热切期盼并衷心祝愿在座各位企业家与你们的中国同行一道，携手应对新冠肺炎疫情等全球性挑战，继续加强在创新、数字经济、医疗健康、农业、食品、化工、绿色低碳转型、可持续发展等领域的合作，维护全球产业链供应链稳定，更好实现互利共赢。中比都是自由贸易的坚定维护者。希望双方共同反对贸易保护主义，致力于发展开放型经济，为促进中比、中欧合作发挥积极作用。
As a Chinese saying goes, “The whole year’s work depends on a good start in spring.” Looking ahead to the year of 2022, I eagerly expect and sincerely wish all the entrepreneurs, members of the FCCC, together with your Chinese colleagues, to joint hands in addressing global challenges such as COVID-19, and in strengthening cooperation in multiple areas including innovation, digital economy, medicine and health, agriculture, food, chemical industry, green and low-carbon transition, and sustainable development. We shall work closely together to help maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains and to better ensure our mutual benefits. Both China and Belgium are staunch advocates and supporters of free trade. I hope that both our countries could unite against protectionism and promote an open economy, playing an active role in advancing China-Belgium and China-EU cooperation.
一是坚定不移地看准并用好中国经济开放和发展的机遇。
First, we shall firmly believe in and actively make good use of the opportunities brought by China’s economic opening up and development.
习近平主席在2022年世界经济论坛视频会议的演讲中指出，中国改革开放永远在路上。不论国际形势发生什么变化，中国都将高举改革开放的旗帜。新的一年，中国将继续营造市场化法治化国际化营商环境，严格保护知识产权，对内外资企业一视同仁。中国将进一步缩减外资准入负面清单，推动农业和制造业全方位开放，有序扩大电信、医疗等服务业领域开放，在全国推进实施跨境服务贸易负面清单管理，提升贸易投资自由化便利化水平。中国还将以积极开放态度参与数字经济、贸易和环境、产业补贴、国有企业等议题谈判。中国有14亿多人口、4亿多中等收入群体，是全球第二大消费市场，2021年人均GDP达1.25万美元，已超过世界平均水平。未来10年中国累计商品进口额有望超过22万亿美元，将给包括比利时在内的世界各国创造更多机遇。欢迎法兰德斯企业把中国市场视为最具潜力的出口市场，继续扩大对华贸易和投资，实现共同发展。
President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the 2022 virtual session of the World Economic Forum that, for China, reform and opening-up is always a work in process. Whatever change in the international landscape, China will always hold high the banner of reform and opening-up. In the new year, China will continue to optimize the business environment based on the principles of marketization, rule of law, and internationalization; we will also work to strengthen buildup and protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs), and to bring equal opportunities to both foreign and domestic enterprises. China will further shorten the negative lists of fields restricted to foreign investment, promote the all-around opening up of agriculture and manufacturing sector, expand the opening of telecommunication, healthcare and other services in an orderly manner, implement a nationwide management system through negative lists for cross-border trade in services, and to improve trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. Furthermore, China will take an active and open attitude in negotiations on issues such as the digital economy, trade and the environment, industrial subsidies and state-owned enterprises. China has a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million people, which makes it the second biggest consumer market with a GDP per capita of 12.5 thousand US dollars in 2021, above the world average. In the next ten years, the accumulated volume of imports to China is expected to exceed 22 trillion US dollars, offering enormous opportunities to countries across the world including Belgium. We welcome Flanders’ enterprises to regard China as an export market with the biggest growth potential and to accordingly expand your trade and investment to China for mutual development.
二是坚定不移地提升中比合作的水平。
Second, we shall consistently enhance the level of China-Belgium cooperation.
科学技术是第一生产力，也将为中比双方打开广阔的合作空间。近年来，中国年研发经费支出大幅提升，大数据、云计算、物联网、移动互联网、人工智能、新能源开发等新技术快速成长。据世界知识产权组织发布的信息，中国全球创新指数排名从2015年的第29位上升至2021年的第12位。今天的中国已经不是过去单一的技术进口国，而是在许多领域引领世界科技发展潮流。“中国制造”越来越多地变成“中国智造”和“中国创造”。国际投资研究公司普瑞奇（Preqin）公布的最新数据显示，国际风险资本投资者在2021年总共向中国5000多家初创企业投资高达1290亿美元。现在中比之间的技术合作是双向的，比利时企业和民众对中国的技术创新和应用也越来越感兴趣。希望比利时企业发挥自身优势，抵制保护主义的干扰，坚持开展对华科技互利合作，进一步提升中比合作的质量和后劲。
Science and technology constitute the foremost productive forces and will open up more space for cooperation between China and Belgium. In recent years, China’s R&D investment has grown remarkably, injecting new impetus of emerging technologies including big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, mobile Internet, artificial intelligence and new energy resources. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s “Global Innovation Index (GII)”, China has progressed from ranking 29th in 2015 to 12th in 2021. Today’s China is not merely a technology importing country any more, but rather a leading player in many fields of science and technology. “Made in China” is increasingly becoming “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” and “Created in China”. Based on Preqin’s latest statistics, venture capital investors put a total of 129 billion US dollars into more than 5,000 startups in China in 2021. A two-way technology cooperation between China and Belgium has been nurturing increasing interest of Belgium enterprises and people in Chinese technological innovation and application. Hopefully, Belgian enterprises will make use of their full advantages, resist the interference of protectionism and continue to promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China in science and technology, and further enhance the quality of China-Belgium cooperation for a sustainable long-term development.
三是坚定不移地巩固中比互信。
Third, we shall firmly reinforce mutual trust between China and Belgium.
习近平主席多次指出，要坚持真正的多边主义，坚持拆墙而不筑墙、开放而不隔绝、融合而不脱钩。真正的多边主义离不开国家关系的良性互动。国与国的良好合作要基于相互尊重和信任，企业与企业的合作也同样如此。对于合作中的分歧要妥善处理，通过友好协商加以解决，增强互信，避免将经济问题政治化和意识形态化。在比的中国企业和在华的比利时企业是两国合作的“生力军”，两国政府要为双方企业投资兴业营造公平、非歧视的良好环境，以更加开放的心态对待双方企业。在比利时工作三年多来，我的一个深刻印象是弗区的企业家们不仅勤奋务实善于创新，而且眼光敏锐心中有主见。你们能够在全球主要市场的深水中看见“鱼”在哪儿。我还有一个不太好的印象是比利时国内包括弗区有一些人似乎竭力在为比利时制造一个对手，竭力把国情差异放大为“安全威胁”，把一个友好国家妖魔化，把两国几十年来积累的友好互信贬值化，而这又是基于偏激的思维和错误的信息。坦率地说，刻意制造对手或敌人的做法是不负责任的，我也看不出这样做能给比利时带来多大的利益。中国人有一句老话叫做“和气生财”。希望各位企业家发挥积极作用，致力于维护中比互信，让中比务实合作按照市场规律，不受干扰地成长，给双方人民带来更大实惠。
President Xi Jinping has pointed out several times the need to uphold true multilateralism, to remove barriers, not erect walls; to open up, not close off; and to seek integration, not decoupling. True multilateralism requires positive interactions among countries. Good cooperation between countries shall be based on mutual respect and trust, and the same shall be applicable for cooperation among business entities. Differences and disagreements in cooperation should be properly handled and managed through friendly consultation, to enhance mutual trust and avoid politicizing and ideologizing economic issues. With both Chinese enterprises in Belgium and Belgian enterprises in China being key players in cooperation between two countries, the governments of our two sides shall foster a fair and non-discriminatory business environment and adopt a more open attitude towards trading and investing entities of our two countries. In the past three years of working in Belgium, one of my deep impressions is that the Flemish entrepreneurs are not only hard-working, pragmatic and innovative, but also have a keen eye for ideas and being strong-minded. I stay convinced that you are able to see where “fish” are in the deep waters of the world’s major markets. Nevertheless, I also have a not-so-good impression that certain people in Belgium, including in Flanders, seem to be seeking to fabricate an imaginary adversary to Belgium, by exaggerating national differences into “national security threat”, demonizing a friendly country, and devaluing friendship and mutual trust built up over last decades; and this was all based on biased and radical thinking and misinformation. Frankly speaking, deliberately creating an adversary or an enemy would be irresponsible, and I don’t see how it would benefit Belgium. In China we say, “friendliness is conducive to business success.” Sincerely, I hope that you will play a positive role in maintaining the mutual trust between our two countries, so that the pragmatic cooperation between China and Belgium can grow according to the market law without interference and bring greater benefits to the people of both sides.
女士们、先生们、朋友们！
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends!
今年是全球抗击疫情和经济复苏的关键一年，希望法兰德斯中国商会的企业家们，在虎年里抓住机遇，以虎的勇气和活力拓展市场，做大中比合作蛋糕，为推进中比务实合作做出更大贡献。让我们携起手来，满怀信心，一起向未来！
This year is a crucial year for the global fight against the pandemic and stimulating the economic recovery. I wish that the business community of FCCC would seize the opportunity in the Year of the Tiger to uncover new market potentials with courage and vigor of tiger, to make the cake of Sino-Belgian cooperation bigger and to make a greater contribution to the promotion of pragmatic cooperation between two countries. Let’s join hands with full confidence, and work together for a shared future!
谢谢大家。
Thank you for your attention.