郑泽光大使在欧美同学会（中国留学人员联谊会）纪念中国公派留学英国50周年论坛发表视频致辞
Ambassador Zheng Zeguang Delivers a Video Speech at the WRSA Forum to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Chinese Government-Sponsored Study in Britain
2022年9月10日
10 September 2022
尊敬的丁仲礼副委员长，
尊敬的吴若兰大使，
各位学长、各位朋友、女士们、先生们：
Vice Chairman Ding Zhongli,
Ambassador Caroline Wilson,
Senior fellows, Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
非常高兴以双重身份参加今天论坛的开幕式。首先，我谨代表中国驻英国使馆，对论坛的成功举办表示热烈祝贺！对欧美同学会各位领导和各位学长，长期以来为推动中英关系发展作出的努力表示衷心感谢！
It is a great pleasure to attend the opening ceremony of today’s Forum both as Chinese Ambassador to the UK and as a former student in the UK. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to express my warm congratulations to the Forum! I also want to express my thanks to the leaders and senior fellows of the Western Returned Scholars Association for their long-standing efforts in promoting the development of China-UK relations!
同时，作为一名36年前的公派留英学生，我对公派留学以及中英教育合作的重要性有着亲身的感受。我高兴地得知，包括我的母校卡迪夫大学里奥顿校长在内的多位中英嘉宾也将参加今天下午的数字经济、金融、教育分论坛。借此机会，谨对他们多年来关心和支持中国公派留学英国以及中英各领域合作表示诚挚的敬意！
I was a government-sponsor student in the UK 36 years ago and I know from personal experience how important the overseas study programme and the China-UK educational cooperation are. I am delighted to learn that a number of Chinese and British guests, including Professor Colin Riordan, President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, my alma mater, will participate in this afternoon’s session on digital economy, finance and education. Let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to all of you for your continuous care and support over the years for the Chinese government-sponsored overseas study programme in the UK and the cooperation between China and the UK in various areas!
公派留学政策是中国对外开放的重要缩影，发挥了引领留学事业、培养国际化人才、增进中外人民友谊的重要作用。上世纪七十年代，新中国首次向西方国家公派留学生，就选择了英国。当时，首批来英国的中国学生只有16人。现在，中国在英留学生已经超过20万人，是英国最大的国际学生群体。英国在华留学人员也达到近两万人。
A fine example of China’s opening up policy, the government-sponsored overseas study programme has played an important role in spearheading overseas studies, cultivating talents with a global vision, and enhancing friendship between people of China and other countries. In the 1970s, when New China started sending students to Western countries, the UK was chosen as a destination. The first group of students coming to Britain consisted of only 16 people. Today, totaling over 200,000, the Chinese students make up the largest group of international students in the UK. The number of British students studying in China has also reached nearly 20,000.
50年来，中英两国都从互派留学生中深受其益。这体现在为两国输送了一批又一批的栋梁之才。中国公派留英学生中，涌现出一大批像黄大年、钟南山这样的各领域的杰出人物。互派留学人员的好处还体现在两国大学的教学和科研水平因为交流而不断提升，中英之间的合作有了更多的桥梁和纽带。
Over the past fifty years, both China and the UK have gained enormously from the exchange of students. The programme has produced generation after generation of talents who have contributed to the development of their respective countries, including a large number of leaders of their fields, such as Professor Huang Danian and Professor Zhong Nanshan. The benefit of student exchange also range from continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and scientific research of the universities involved to increasingly close bonds that facilitate China-UK cooperation.
中国和英国分别是东西方文明的重要代表，也都是世界重要的经济体和联合国安理会常任理事国。两国历史文化背景不同，社会制度和发展阶段各异，但拥有广阔的空间可以开展互学互鉴、互利合作。中英合作符合双方根本利益，也是两国人民的普遍期待。
As important representatives of the Oriental and Western civilizations respectively, China and the UK are also major economies in the world and permanent members of the UN Security Council. Although our two countries differ in history, culture, social system and development stage, there is a broad space for mutual learning and mutually-beneficial cooperation. China-UK cooperation serves the fundamental interests of both sides and is the shared aspiration of both peoples.
我们希望英方同中方相向而行，秉持相互尊重、开放包容的原则，推动中英关系沿着建设性的轨道向前发展。中国驻英国使馆将同两国各界有识之士携手努力，坚持对话合作，排除干扰障碍，不断夯实中英两国人民的友谊基础。
We hope the UK side will work with the Chinese side in the same direction to uphold the principles of mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, and advance China-UK relations along a constructive track. The Chinese Embassy in the UK stands ready to work together with people of vision from all walks of life in both China and the UK to commit ourselves to dialogue and cooperation, overcome disturbances and obstacles, and keep consolidating the foundation of friendship between the Chinese and British people.
最后，预祝论坛取得圆满成功！
In conclusion, I wish the Forum complete success!