Openness Will Lead to a Brighter Future

开放引领更美好未来

H.E. Dr. Liu Xianfa’s Article Published on the Daily Nation Newspaper

驻肯尼亚大使刘显法在肯第一大报《民族日报》发表署名文章

19 April 2018

2018年4月19日

The following article written by H.E. Dr. Liu Xianfa, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, was published on the Daily Nation newspaper of Kenya on 19th April, 2018. The full text is as follows:

2018年4月19日，肯尼亚第一大报《民族日报》刊登驻肯尼亚大使刘显法题为《开放引领更美好未来》的文章。全文如下：

Last week, the Bo’ao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 was successfully held in Hainan province of China. More than 2000 participants from 63 countries and regions were engaged in discussions themed An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity. On the opening ceremony of the conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech, comprehensively reviewed the course of China’s reform and opening-up, and announced China’s measures to further expand opening-up. President Xi’s speech was widely applauded around the world.

上周，博鳌亚洲论坛2018年年会在中国海南成功举行。来自63个国家和地区的2000余名代表围绕“开放发展的亚洲，繁荣发展的世界”这一主题展开充分研讨。习近平主席在开幕式上发表主旨演讲，全面回顾中国改革开放历史进程，提出一系列扩大开放的重要举措。习主席的演讲在全世界引起热烈反响。

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. Thanks to Mr. Deng Xiaoping, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC (the Communist Party of China) Central Committee in 1978 ushered China’s historic journey of reform and opening-up. This endeavor started from rural areas to cities, from pilot programs to nationwide projects and from economic restructuring to comprehensive reform. Over the last four decades, the focused endeavor on national development has brought enormous changes. China has grown into the world’s second largest economy, the largest industrial producer, the largest trader of goods, and the largest holder of foreign exchange reserves. For 40 years, China’s GDP has achieved an annual average growth rate of 9.5% and its foreign trade has registered an annual growth of 14.5%. More than 1.3 billion Chinese people are now enjoying a moderately prosperous life. According to the UN standards, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for over 70% of the global total. China has made opening-up a fundamental national policy and embraced the world with open arms. In this process, China has shouldered its responsibilities as a major country. From “bringing in” to “going global”, from WTO accession to the Belt and Road Initiative, China has made significant contribution to the world economy, contributing over 30% of global growth in recent years. The reform and opening-up of China has not only profoundly changed the country but also greatly influenced the whole world. The successful practice of the Chinese people is a proof that there is more than one path leading to modernization.

今年是中国改革开放40周年。1978年，在邓小平先生倡导下，以中共第十一届三中全会为标志，中国开启了改革开放历史进程。从农村到城市，从试点到推广，从经济体制改革到全面深化改革，中国发生了翻天覆地的变化。今天，中国已成为世界第二大经济体、第一大工业国、第一大贸易国和第一大外汇储备国。40年来，按照可比价格计算，中国国内生产总值年均增长约9.5%；以美元计算，中国对外贸易额年均增长14.5%。中国人民生活从清贫走向小康，按照联合国有关标准，7亿多中国人口成功脱贫，占全球同期减贫人口总数70%以上。中国将改革开放确定为基本国策，敞开胸襟、拥抱世界，担当大国责任。从“引进来”到“走出去”，从加入世贸组织到共建“一带一路”，中国连续多年对世界经济增长贡献率超过30%。改革开放政策不仅改变了中国，也对世界产生巨大积极影响。中国人民的成功实践昭示世人，通往现代化的道路不只一条。

Forty years of reform and opening-up has given the world many valuable inspirations. The most important one is that any country must follow the trend of the times in their pursuit of progress and development. China’s reform and opening-up meets its people’s aspiration for development and a better life. It also meets the global trend toward cooperation and peace. Today’s world has become a global village where our interests are interconnected. To promote common prosperity, we have no choice but to pursue greater connectivity and integrated development. We need to engage ourselves in cooperation for win-win results and stay committed to openness and mutual benefits. We should promote trade and investment liberalization, and advocate reform and innovation. In this way, we will make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. President Xi has proposed the initiative to build a community with a shared future for mankind. This proposal has been welcomed and endorsed by a growing number of countries and peoples, and has been cited into important UN documents. We hope that people around the world will work together toward this goal and make our world more peaceful, prosperous, harmonious and beautiful.

中国40年的改革开放为世界带来很多珍贵的启示，其中最重要的一条是任何国家在发展过程中都必须顺应历史潮流。中国的改革开放顺应了中国人民要发展、要美好生活的愿望，也契合了世界各国人民寻求合作与和平的全球大势。如今的世界是一个彼此利益相互交织的地球村，推进互联互通、加快融合发展成为促进共同繁荣的必然选择。我们要同舟共济、合作共赢，坚持走开放融通、互利共赢之路。我们要促进贸易和投资自由化、便利化，倡导改革和创新，推动经济全球化朝着更加开放、包容、普惠、平衡、共赢的方向发展。习近平主席提出的构建人类命运共同体理念正得到越来越多国家和人民的认同，并已被写入联合国重要文件。我们希望全世界人民都能够朝着这一目标而努力，共同建设一个更加和平、繁荣、和谐、美丽的世界。

The 19th CPC National Congress held last October ushered socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era. President Xi emphasized in his report to the Congress that China will continue to adhere to its fundamental national policy of opening-up and pursue development with its door open even wider. Opening-up is a strategic decision as well as a concrete action taken by China to move economic globalization forward in a way that benefits people across the world. In the new era, China has entered a new phase of opening-up. China will significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment and expand imports. A number of important measures are to be launched this year. China does not seek trade surplus. It is our desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international trade. China will further lower the import tariffs and import more products that are competitive and needed by Chinese people. This November, China will hold the first International Import Expo in Shanghai. It is not just another expo in an ordinary sense, but a major policy initiative and commitment to open up the Chinese market. Friends from all over the world are welcome to the Expo. Kenya, as a major exporting country of the African continent, has been invited and thus Kenyan coffee, tea, flowers and tourism attractions will be showcased and promoted in the Chinese market. 　

去年10月召开的中共19大标志着中国特色社会主义进入新时代。习近平主席在19大报告中强调，中国将继续坚持改革开放的基本国策。中国开放的大门不会关闭，只会越开越大。改革开放不仅是中国的战略抉择，也是在以实际行动推动经济全球化，造福世界各国人民。中国的改革开放已进入新的历史阶段，将进一步放宽市场准入，营造更具吸引力的投资环境，继续扩大进口规模。今年中国将出台一系列相关举措。中国不寻求贸易顺差，我们希望扩大进口，实现更为均衡的国际贸易。中国将进一步降低进口关税，进口更多具有市场竞争力、中国老百姓需要的产品。今年11月将在上海举办首届中国国际进口博览会，这不是一般性的会展，而是我们主动开放市场的重大政策宣示和行动。欢迎各国朋友来华参加。作为非洲大陆的重要出口国之一，肯尼亚被邀请参会，其主要出口商品如咖啡、茶叶、花卉以及旅游产品都将有机会参展，并向中国市场推广。

Kenyan people are also on the way of pursuing further openness. Recently, Kenya along with other 43 African countries signed the historic agreement of establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. This important step will greatly facilitate the free movement of goods, services and people on the continent. China warmly welcomes this notable progress on African collaboration. Also the cooperation between China and Africa will be highlighted on the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which will be held in Beijing this September. During the Summit, Chinese and African leaders will get together to review our cooperation since the Johannesburg Summit and set a new roadmap of common development and broader cooperation towards our shared future.

肯尼亚人民也在寻求扩大开放的道路上奋力前行。不久前，包括肯尼亚在内的44个非洲国家签署了成立非洲大陆自贸区的协议。这历史性的一步将极大便利商品、服务和人员在非洲大陆的自由流动。中方很高兴看到非洲国家间合作取得重要进展。而今年9月在北京召开的中非合作论坛峰会将进一步推动中国与非洲国家之间的合作。在峰会期间，中国和非洲国家领导人将齐聚一堂，回顾自约翰内斯堡峰会以来合作成果，描绘共同发展和更广泛合作的新蓝图，朝着我们共同的未来稳步迈进。

A brighter future will not arrive automatically. China will continue to uphold its mutually beneficial strategy, work even closer with our Kenyan brothers and sisters, and provide full support to the fulfillment of the Big Four Plan and Vision 2030. We believe that Kenya will make greater progress in its national development, and that China and Kenya will push forward their Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership to a new height.

美好未来需要我们共同创造。中国将继续秉持互利共赢理念，同肯尼亚兄弟姐妹们携手合作，全力支持肯四大发展目标和2030远景规划。我们相信，肯尼亚将在国家发展事业中取得更大进步，并同中方一道，推动中肯全面战略合作伙伴关系不断迈上新台阶。