Create a Community of Shared Future for Mankind Build a Bright Sino-Dominica Future

构建人类命运共同体 共创中多美好未来

 

Ambassador to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Lu Kun

驻多米尼克大使卢坤

 

8 May 2018

2018年5月8日

 

Time elapses fast. It has been a year and half since I assumed the post of Chinese Ambassador to Dominica. I perceived and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of “nature island”, tasted the fascinating flavor of local rum punch, felt the passion and hospitality of Dominican people, witnessed the progress Dominica made after tropical storm “Erica” and experienced the unprecedented, awful and devastating strike of hurricane “Maria”. In many ways, I have strong passions for this island in my heart.

时光飞逝，我就任中国驻多米尼克大使已一年半。在这里，我欣赏了“自然岛”的旖旎风光，品尝了朗姆酒的香甜口感，感受了当地人民的热情友善，见证了“埃瑞卡”热带风暴灾后重建成就，亲历了“玛丽亚”飓风的猛烈冲击，对这片土地产生了深厚感情。

 

The relationship between China and Dominica grows in a fast and steady manner since we established diplomatic ties in 2004. Senior leaders of both sides met with each other several times on different occasions. Practical cooperation and people-to-people exchange increase continuously. Our two countries uphold the principals of non-interference, mutual respect, mutual support and mutual benefit and become good friends with mutual trust as well as good partners of sincere cooperation. Hand in hand, China and Dominica are building a model of friendship in spite of the huge differences in territory sizes, social systems, histories and cultures between our two countries.

自2004年建交以来，中多关系快速健康发展，双方领导人在不同场合多次会晤，双边务实合作与人员往来不断密切。我们本着互不干涉、彼此尊重、相互支持、互利共赢的原则，成为彼此信任的好朋友、真诚合作的好伙伴。携手共进，中多两国正打造出不同幅员规模、社会制度和历史文化国家间友好合作典范。

 

A friend in need is a friend indeed. As the biggest developing country in the world, China has committed itself to assisting the development of Dominica with strong sense of responsibility under the framework of south-south cooperation. We help Dominica improve the livelihood of its people by supporting the construction of Windsor Park Stadium, renovating and expanding Princess Margaret Hospital, donating solar power streetlights and mosquito eradication devices. We help Dominica develop its infrastructure by constructing the West Coast Road, York Valley Bridge and Friendship Bridge. We help Dominica cultivate talents by building the New Town Primary School, supporting the construction of State College, providing human resource training programs for various occupations and offering Chinese government scholarship to bachelor, master and doctor degree candidates every year. We help Dominica advance its technique by sending medical expert teams, agricultural expert teams and technical specialist teams here. We also stand up for reasonable appeals from small island developing countries like Dominica on the topics of global financial governance, international financing for development, climate change etc. in the international community. Our cooperation covers various aspects, has achieved fruitful results and is widely benefiting Dominican people.

“患难见真情”。作为世界上最大的发展中国家，中国始终以高度责任感致力于在南南合作框架下帮助多米尼克发展。我们支持多改善民生，建设温莎公园体育场，实施医院改扩建，捐赠太阳能路灯和灭蚊设备。我们支持多基础设施发展，建设西部公路、约克峡谷桥、中多友谊桥。我们支持多人才培养，建设新镇小学、国立大学，并每年提供人力资源培训项目和中国政府奖学金项目。我们支持多技术进步，派遣医疗队、农业专家组和技术专家组来多交流指导。我们还在国际社会上为发展中小岛国仗义执言，支持多米尼克在全球金融治理、国际发展筹资、应对气候变化等问题上的合理诉求。中多合作涵盖方方面面，硕果累累，惠及多米尼克广大群众。

 

In September 2017, after hurricane “Maria” hit Dominica, the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang expressed sympathy and solicitude to Prime Minister Skerrit immediately. Chinese government decided to increase its aid to Dominica. Within a week, I handed over the first batch of emergency material supply to the Government of Dominica. Within two weeks, 800,000 USD humanitarian cash aid from Chinese government was in Dominican government’s account. Then, we worked with UNDP and launched a 3 million USD roof repairing project. Last November, I signed an agreement with the Government of Dominica that provided a grant of 16 million USD for post-hurricane re-construction projects. Last month, the Chinese military donated 19 vehicles to the Government of Dominica at a sum of 1.6 million USD, mostly ambulances, fire engines and pickup trucks for civil use. In the near future, a team of medical experts and a team of agricultural experts will be on the island to help with local post-hurricane re-construction. Those aid projects stopped by hurricane “Maria” will also re-start as soon as possible. Chinese people are here with our Dominican friends through your most difficult time.

2017年9月，多遭遇飓风“玛丽亚”袭击后，李克强总理第一时间向斯凯里特总理表示慰问，中国政府决定加大对多援助力度。灾后一周内，我向多政府转交了第一批应急救灾物资；两周内，中国政府向多提供了80万美元人道主义现汇援助。随后，中国与联合国开发计划署合作启动了价值300万美元的多米尼克灾后屋顶修复项目。2017年11月，两国签署援助协议，中国政府向多提供1600万美元无偿援助用于灾后重建。上个月，中国军方向多政府捐赠了19台汽车，主要为救护车、消防车、皮卡等民用车辆，总价值约160万美元。未来还将有新一批医疗专家和农业专家抵多，因飓风中断的援助项目也将尽快复工。在多米尼克灾后重建的艰难时刻，中国人民与多米尼克人民同在。

 

Some may ask: Why would China do these?

有人可能会问：为什么中国愿意这么做？

 

Before the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) established the People’s Republic of China in 1949, China was invaded, colonized and slaved by imperialist powers and suffered from devastating war and poverty for over 100 years. Like many Caribbean countries, China had sad memory and unfortunate history of being suppressed and mistreated. Under the leadership of CPC, China now has become the second largest economy in the world possessing the biggest trade volume of tangible goods and the largest foreign exchange reserves. 700 million Chinese people were lifted out of poverty, which was an unprecedented major achievement in the history of the development of mankind. As China grows, it’s a natural pursuit for Chinese people to safeguard world peace, promote common development and spare no effort preventing our miserable history from happening in other countries again.

新中国成立前一百多年，中国屡遭帝国主义列强入侵、殖民和奴役，饱受战乱和贫困之苦。中国和许多加勒比国家一样，都有过遭受不公正待遇的痛苦回忆。在中国共产党的领导下，中国现已成为世界第二大经济体、第一大货物贸易国和第一大外汇储备国。7亿贫困人口成功脱贫，完成了世界人类发展史上前所未有的壮举。随着中国国力增强，我们不愿曾经的悲剧在别国重演。维护世界和平、促进共同发展自然成为中国人民的不懈追求。

 

Chinese people strongly believe that only when the world is good can China be good. Therefore, China actively fulfills its international responsibility, shares the fruit of its development with the rest of the world and helps other developing countries, including Dominica, achieve Sustainable Development Goals. It’s worth noting that China fully respects the free will and actual demand of recipient countries. There are no political preconditions attached to the aid from China. All the China Aid projects have to go through feasibility studies, making sure they are compatible with the development of recipient countries and benefit local people.

中国人民始终认为，世界好，中国才会好。因此我们积极履行国际责任，与广大发展中国家分享发展成果，帮助包括多米尼克在内的发展中国家实现联合国可持续发展目标。值得一提的是，我们切实尊重受援国意愿和需求，对外援助不附带任何政治条件，所有援助项目都经过可行性研究，确保其释放受援国经济社会发展潜力，真正造福当地人民。

 

People from all nations live on one planet. Our fates are closely interconnected with each other nowadays. Hegemony which caused refugee issues and neoliberalism which caused financial crisis have both brought strong negative consequences to western major powers who initiated and promoted them in the first place. Therefore, countries that already benefited from global economy should shoulder their due responsibility and help less developed countries. The mankind is facing various common challenges, no one can isolate itself from others. We should definitely work together and make endeavor to build a harmonious world of peace, prosperity, openness and inclusiveness.

当今，各国人民拥有同一个家园，每个国家的前途命运都紧紧联系在一起。因推行霸权主义而造成的难民问题，因推行新自由主义而造成的金融危机，均对作为始作俑者的西方强国造成严重负面影响。因此，已经在经济全球化中获益而率先发展起来的国家，更应该担负起帮扶落后国家的责任。人类正面临着许多共同挑战，没有人可以独善其身。我们应该携手建设一个持久和平、共同繁荣、开放包容的和谐世界。

 

Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China, General Secretary of CPC, emphasized that CPC should not only pursue the happiness of Chinese people, but also strive for the progress of mankind and create a community of shared future for mankind. Recently in the 19th CPC National Congress, the concept of “community of shared future for mankind” was put into the Constitution of CPC, making it an official guideline for China when dealing with international affairs. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, no matter how developed China is, we will uphold the purposes and principles of UN Charter, adhere to the equality of large and small countries, respect for different civilizations and institutions, safeguard fairness and justice and help less developed countries achieve developments.

中国国家主席、中国共产党总书记习近平强调，中国共产党不仅要为中国人民谋幸福，也要为人类进步事业而奋斗，推动构建“人类命运共同体”。在不久前闭幕的中共十九大会议上，“人类命运共同体”被专门写入《中国共产党章程》，使其正式成为我们处理国际事务的指导理念。作为联合国安理会常任理事国，无论发展到什么程度，中国都将弘扬联合国宪章的宗旨和原则，坚持大小国家一律平等，尊重不同文明与体制，维护公平正义，帮助欠发达国家发展。

 

Distance can not separate true friends who feel so close even when they are thousands of miles apart. Although China and Dominica are geographically distant, we share same goal of enhancing our friendship and achieving common progress. Our two countries have solid foundation and broad space for cooperation. China stands against isolationism and protectionism. We welcome Dominica to catch the express train of China’s development, take part in the “Belt and Road” Initiative, jointly create a community of shared future for mankind and build a better world.

“相知无远近，万里尚为邻”。中多虽地理位置相距遥远，但我们深耕友谊、共谋发展的愿望一致，两国拥有坚实的合作基础和广阔的合作空间。中国反对孤立主义和保护主义，欢迎多米尼克搭乘中国发展的快车，参与“一带一路”倡议，携手构建“人类命运共同体”，共创美好世界。

 

Next year marks the 15th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. In the past days, we shared joys and sorrows as good friends. In the post-hurricane re-construction period and the future, China will always be with Dominica and contribute our part to your endeavor of building “the first climate resilient country in the world”.

明年我们将迎来中多建交15周年。在过去的岁月里，中国作为多米尼克的好朋友，与多米尼克患难与共。在当前灾后重建阶段及未来的日子里，中国会一直与多米尼克同在，为多建设“世界首个适应气候变化国家”贡献力量。

 

May you turn the sourest lemon that life has to offer into something resembling lemonade. I believe Dominica will stand strong and move to its new prosperity. I believe, by coping with global challenges hand in hand, China and Dominica are not only working for our own benefit, but also contributing to a better future of mankind.

愿你们将生命中的酸楚酿成柠檬汁般的香甜。我相信，多米尼克必将走出飓风的创伤，走向新的繁荣。我相信，中多人民携手应对全球性挑战，不仅有利于两国彼此发展，也将为全人类带来更好的明天。