Firmly Support Multilateral Trade, Open a New Chapter of Friendly Cooperation
坚持多边贸易，开辟友好合作新篇章
Qin Jian, Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia
驻索马里大使覃俭
2018年10月21日
21 October, 2018
As a Chinese saying goes, “Nothing, not even mountains or seas, can separate people with shared goals and vision.” Although China and Somalia are geographically far apart, back to 600 years ago, Zheng He, a Chinese navigator in the early Ming dynasty, led fleets to Mogadishu twice, bringing porcelain, tea, spices and other goods of China, and goods like myrrh and gum of Somalia were transported to China. Since then, the peoples of China and Somalia have forged a friendship which is passed on from generation to generation and which remains unshakable and becomes even firmer as time goes by.
“志合者，不以山海为远”，中国和索马里虽然远隔千山万水，但早在600年前，中国明朝航海家郑和就率领船队，两次到达摩加迪沙，带来中国陶瓷、茶叶和香料等物品，索马里的没药、树胶等源源不断输往中国，中国和索马里人民从此结下世代友好的情谊，历久弥坚。
In September this year, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held successfully. At the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech titled Work Together for Common Development and a Shared Future. He stated that to build an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, China will launch eight major initiatives in close collaboration with African countries in the next three years and beyond. The Summit issued The Beijing Declaration - Toward an Even Stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future, and adopted The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2019-2021), which draw a comprehensive blueprint for the development of China-Africa relationship.
今年9月，中非合作论坛北京峰会成功举行。中国国家主席习近平在开幕式主旨演讲《携手共命运 同心促发展》中表示，中国愿以打造新时代更加紧密的中非命运共同体为指引，同非洲国家密切配合，未来3年和今后一段时间重点实施“八大行动”。峰会发表了《关于构建更加紧密的中非命运共同体的北京宣言》和《中非合作论坛－北京行动计划（2019-2021年）》，全面规划了中非关系发展的宏伟蓝图。
In November this year, China will hold the First China International Import Expo. This is an important decision made by China to promote a new round of high-level opening-up and a major policy measure of China to further open its market to the world, which will provide new export opportunities for the world, build a new platform for other countries and regions to share China’s development dividends, and bring more dynamism to world economic growth. China is firmly committed to economic globalization, free trade and innovation-driven development. China’s door of opening-up will only open even wider. China commits itself to opening up wider and deeper to promote common development across the world.
今年11月，中国将举行首届中国国际进口博览会。这是中国推进新一轮高水平对外开放的重大决策，是中国主动向世界开放市场的重大举措，将为世界各国出口提供机遇，为各国共享中国发展红利搭建新平台，为世界经济增长注入新动力。中国坚定不移推进经济全球化，维护自由贸易，促进创新驱动。中国对外开放的大门将越开越大，将以更广范围、更大力度、更高水平的对外开放促进全球共同发展。
China acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. This marked a new historical stage of China’s reform and opening-up, and was a milestone in China’s integration into economic globalization. To give a comprehensive and objective account of China’s fulfillment of its WTO commitments, to explain China’s stand and assertions on its firm support for the multilateral trading system, and to demonstrate China’s vision for and actions in its unswerving pursuit for opening up at a higher level, the Chinese government recently published a white paper titled China and the World Trade Organization.
中国于2001年加入世界贸易组织，标志着中国改革开放进入历史新阶段，是中国深度参与经济全球化的里程碑。为全面客观地展现中国切实履行加入世贸组织承诺的实践，阐释中国坚定支持多边贸易体制的立场和主张，阐明中国坚定不移推进更高水平对外开放的愿景和行动。前不久，中国首次发表《中国与世界贸易组织》白皮书。
China has aligned its policies with multilateral trade rules in all areas, and honoured its WTO commitments. Since its accession to the WTO, China has consistently improved its socialist market economy system, substantively reduced import tariffs, significantly lowered non-tariff barriers, liberalized the right to trade, opened up services market, continuously reduced restrictions on foreign investment, and honoured its commitments on opening trade in goods and services. China has strengthened intellectual property rights protection, continuously enhanced the stability, transparency and predictability of its opening-up policy, and set among WTO members an example of a responsible major country that honours its commitments.
中国全面对接国际贸易规则，切实履行加入世贸组织承诺。中国加入世贸组织后，不断完善社会主义市场经济体制，大幅降低进口关税，显著削减非关税壁垒，全面开放外贸经营权，在服务领域开放市场，持续减少对外资的限制措施，切实履行了货物和服务的市场开放承诺。中国还强化知识产权保护，不断增强对外开放政策的稳定性、透明度、可预见性，在世贸组织成员中树立起信守承诺的负责任大国形象。
China has been a strong advocate for free trade and a firm supporter for the multilateral trading system. Since its accession to the WTO, China has firmly supported the multilateral trading system, actively promoted liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, effectively safeguarded the legal status of the dispute settlement mechanism, fully participated in trade policy review, vigorously supported the integration of developing members into the multilateral trading system, and explicitly opposed unilateralism and protectionism. With its concrete actions, China has upheld the authority and efficacy of the multilateral trading system.
中国积极践行自由贸易理念，坚定支持多边贸易体制。加入世贸组织以来，中国坚定支持多边贸易体制，积极推进贸易投资自由化和便利化，有效维护争端解决机制法律地位，深度参与贸易政策审议，全力支持发展中国家融入多边贸易体制，始终旗帜鲜明地反对单边主义和保护主义，以实际行动维护了多边贸易体制的权威性和有效性。
China has lived up to its responsibility as a major country, and made a contribution to global economic growth and people’s well-being. Since its accession to the WTO, China has rapidly integrated itself into the world economy, accelerated its reform and opening-up process, and boosted world economic recovery and growth. Its foreign trade has benefited the world, and two-way investment has benefited all countries. China has become a major stabilizer and driving force for the world economy. Facing a new development situation of the world, China has put forward the “Belt and Road” Initiative, provided more public goods to the world, and safeguarded and promoted an open world economy.
中国展现大国担当，促进世界经济发展和民众福祉。加入世贸组织后，中国快速融入世界经济，改革开放和经济发展进入加速期，拉动世界经济复苏和增长，对外贸易惠及全球，双向投资造福世界各国，成为世界经济增长的主要稳定器和动力源。面对世界发展新形势，提出共建“一带一路”倡议，为国际社会提供更多公共产品，维护和发展开放性世界经济。
China has taken firm steps to expand opening-up, with a view to achieving greater mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Fulfilling China’s WTO commitments has never been the end point of its opening-up. China has kept pace with the times, promoted balanced development of trade, facilitated international trade, substantially widened market access for foreign investment, created a more attractive environment for foreign investment, regulated outward investment by enterprises, committed itself to opening up wider and deeper to promote common development across the world, and worked together with other countries to build a community of shared future with extensive converging interests and a high degree of interdependence.
中国坚定不移扩大对外开放，实现更广泛互利共赢。中国的对外开放并未止步于履行加入世贸组织承诺。中国顺应时代发展潮流和世界发展大势，促进贸易平衡发展，提高贸易便利化水平，大幅放宽外商投资准入，营造更有吸引力的投资环境，规范引导企业对外投资，以更广泛、更大力度、更高水平的对外开放促进全球共同发展，与各国构建利益高度融合、彼此相互依存的命运共同体。
The international situation today is complex and volatile, but the trend of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcome is gaining stronger momentum, world multi-polarization and economic globalization have become irresistible, and it has been a common good wish and goal of mankind to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
当前世界局势复杂多变，但和平、发展、合作、共赢的时代潮流更加强劲，世界多极化、经济全球化的世界大势不可阻挡，建设持久和平、普遍安全，共同繁荣、开放包容、清洁美丽的世界是全人类共同美好愿望和目标。
The year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. The past four decades of reform and opening-up has been an extraordinary journey of advancing with the rest of the world. China’s development was achieved under the conditions of opening-up, and could not have been achieved without the support from the rest of the world. China has also taken concrete steps to repay the world by sharing its development opportunities with countries of the world. People from all countries are welcome to get on board the express train of China’s development.
2018年是中国改革开放40周年，中国40年的改革开放是和世界共同进步的伟大历程。中国的发展是在开放的条件下取得的，离不开世界的支持，中国也在以实际行动回馈世界，同世界各国分享中国的发展机遇。我们欢迎世界各国人民搭乘中国发展的快车。
China’s development is an opportunity for the world, for Africa, and for Somalia. The Chinese side actively encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in and promote the economic and social development of Somalia. China sincerely wishes an early realization of lasting peace and stability in Somalia. Situated in the horn of Africa, Somalia owns a unique location, a coastline which is the longest of the African continent and one of the most beautiful of the world, and industrious and talented people. It is a country with huge potentials for development. China attaches great importance to developing relations with Somalia, and is willing to strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation, which will benefit the two peoples. I believe that with joint efforts of developing and emerging market countries, economic globalization and multilateral trade will continue to be the mainstream of development of the times, and the cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind will continue to move forward.
中国发展是世界机遇，也是非洲机遇，更是索马里机遇。中方积极鼓励中国企业赴索马里投资兴业，促进索经济社会发展，真诚祝愿索早日实现持久和平与稳定。贵国地处非洲之角，地理位置独特，自然资源丰富，拥有非洲最长、世界上最美的海岸线，人民勤劳智慧，发展潜力巨大。中方高度重视发展与索马里关系，愿加强双方友好合作，造福两国人民。我相信，在全球广大发展中国家和新型市场国家的携手推动下，经济全球化和多边贸易仍将成为时代发展的主旋律，构建人类命运共同体的道路将不断踏步向前。