Beijing Summit a Milestone for China and Africa
北京峰会标志中非关系新的里程碑
The Sunday Telegraph Publishes a Signed Article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming
驻英国大使刘晓明在英《星期日电讯报》发表署名文章
2 September 2018
2018年9月2日
Beijing is again in the spotlight as it is hosting a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) tomorrow and Tuesday. In a diplomatic career lasting more than 40 years, I served in two African countries and have seen with my own eyes the growth of China-Africa relations and the benefits of the ever-deepening cooperation between the two sides. As a trustworthy friend and sincere partner of Africa, China has upheld four principles.
中非合作论坛北京峰会将于9月3日至4日举行，世界目光将再次聚焦北京。我在40多年外交生涯中，曾两次常驻非洲，亲历了中非关系的历史发展进程，切身体会到中非合作不断深化给双方人民带来的好处。中国发展对非关系，始终把握“四个坚持”，永远做非洲的可靠朋友和真诚伙伴。
The first principle is equality. A saying in Africa goes, “A river runs deep, thanks to its source.” The source of the deep-running China-Africa friendship is that the two sides have helped and supported each other and shared weal and woe in the pursuit of national independence and development. Tazara, the rail road between Tanzania and Zambia, is a testimony to the strong brotherhood between China and Africa. While working in Africa, I had the honour to attend the handover ceremony of Tazara and witnessed the dedication of this historic monument of China-Africa friendship. China and Africa are true friends who respect each other’s choice of development path and never impose their will on each other. Africa belongs to the African people, and African issues should be determined by the African people. China never preaches at or exports its model to Africa, nor does China attach any political strings to China-Africa cooperation.
一是坚持平等相待。非洲有句谚语，“河有源泉水才深”。中非是互帮互助的好伙伴，双方友好源远流长，特别是在争取民族独立解放、实现发展振兴的道路上，始终患难与共、相互支持，结下了深厚的兄弟情谊。当年，我曾有幸参加坦赞铁路的交接仪式，见证了这座中非友谊的历史丰碑。中非是相互尊重的真朋友，双方尊重各自选择的发展道路，不把自己的意愿强加给对方。中国主张，非洲是非洲人的非洲，非洲的事情由非洲人说了算。中国绝不当“教师爷”，不搞模式输出，也不给对非合作附加政治先决条件。
The second principle is win-win cooperation. A Chinese adage goes, “It is difficult to lift a heavy object alone; it is easier if you do it with many others.” China and Africa’s cooperation has been mutually beneficial. It has been conducive to China’s development. It has also helped tackle Africa’s development bottlenecks, such as inadequate infrastructure, capital shortage and lack of expertise, and improve Africa’s capability of long-term, sustainable development. China has been the largest trading partner of Africa for nine consecutive years. In 2017, two-way trade reached $170 billion (£131 billion). China’s investment stock in Africa has surpassed $100 billion. China-Africa cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative has been thriving, delivering tangible results such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway and the Hisense Home Appliances Industrial Park in South Africa.
二是坚持合作共赢。中国有句古话，“孤举者难起，众行者易趋”。中国将自身发展与非洲长远发展结合起来，通过互利合作帮助非洲破解基础设施滞后、资金短缺、人才不足的发展瓶颈，提升非洲自主可持续发展能力。中国已连续九年成为非洲第一大贸易伙伴国，2017年中非贸易额达1700亿美元。中国对非投资存量已超过1000亿美元。中非“一带一路”合作方兴未艾，亚吉铁路、蒙内铁路、海信南非工业园等项目顺利推进，给非洲各国人民带来新的福祉。
The third principle is honoring commitment. There is no shortage of international mechanisms dedicated to African development. Making promises is not enough. It is more important to deliver. China has built hundreds of schools and hospitals, provided training to over 160,000 people and offered government scholarships to over 20,000 students in Africa. At the outbreak of Ebola in Africa, China took prompt action to provide 750 million RMB yuan in aid (£85 million). Chinese medical teams have been working in Africa since 1960s and have helped cure more than 300 million patients. Since 2016, China has provided emergency food aid to 18 African countries hit by natural disasters. When I was Ambassador to Egypt, the China-built distance learning project was completed and provided strong support for the country’s capability of human resource training.
三是坚持重信守诺。国际对非合作机制很多，不缺承诺，关键是将承诺落到实处。中国已为非洲援建数百所学校和医院，培训人才16万多人，提供政府奖学金名额2万多个；在非洲抗击埃博拉行动中率先行动，提供了7.5亿元人民币的支持和援助；从上世纪60年代起向非洲派遣医疗队，医治患者已逾3亿人次；2016年以来向18个遭受自然灾害的非洲国家提供了紧急粮食援助。我至今还记得，我任驻埃及大使期间，中国向埃及援建远程教育项目，为埃及提升人力资源培训能力提供了有力支持。
The fourth principle is openness and inclusiveness. China-Africa cooperation is open and transparent and excludes no one. China stands ready to work with all countries that care for Africa and leverage its resources and advantages to help with Africa’s development. In fact, China and the UK have engaged in extensive cooperation in this regard. Some people in the West blame China-Africa cooperation for Africa’s debt problem, just as Aesop’s fox claims that the grapes beyond its reach are sour. The fact is that the debt problem is a result of complex causes, including the “growing pains” and the influence of global economy. China has been a responsible investor and lender in Africa. At the same time, China has taken measures to help Africa control debt risks and to alleviate debt pressure, having announced a number of cancellations of debt on interest-free loans involving heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries in Africa. Since the Johannesburg Summit of FOCAC, China has exempted more than 20 African countries from paying off interest-free loans due by the end of 2015.
四是坚持开放包容。中国对非合作光明磊落，不搞封闭排他。中国欢迎并愿意同任何关心和帮助非洲的国家一道，发挥各自资源和优势，助力非洲发展。中英在这方面就有不少合作。但西方总有些人怀着“酸葡萄”心理对中非合作指手画脚，比如将非洲国家债务问题归咎于中国。事实上，非洲国家的债务问题成因复杂，既是发展过程中“成长的烦恼”，也受国际经济大环境影响。中国一贯以负责任态度向非洲提供投融资，同时帮助非洲防范债务风险，减轻、减缓偿债压力。中国多次宣布免除非洲重债穷国和最不发达国家的无息贷款债务，中非合作论坛约翰内斯堡峰会以来免除了20多个非洲国家2015年底到期的无息贷款债务。
Amid increasing instabilities and uncertainties in the world and surging unilateralism and protectionism, the FOCAC Beijing Summit to be held at the beginning of September assumes great significance. The theme of this Summit is “China and Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation”. Following the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, it will focus on matching China-Africa cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the Agenda 2063 of the African Union and development strategies of African countries. New measures for business cooperation will be issued, which will mark the beginning of a new chapter of deeper China-Africa brotherhood. With the joint efforts of China and Africa, the Beijing Summit will become a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations. It will be a new contribution to better development, high-standard cooperation and an even stronger community for China and Africa, with a view to forging a community with a shared future for mankind.
当前，国际形势中不稳定、不确定因素增多，单边主义和保护主义愈演愈烈。在此背景下，即将举行的中非合作论坛北京峰会具有重要意义。北京峰会将以“合作共赢，携手构建更加紧密的中非命运共同体”为主题，坚持共商共建共享原则，重点将中非共建“一带一路”、联合国2030年可持续发展议程、非盟《2063年议程》与非洲各国发展战略相结合，出台中非务实合作新举措，奏响中非人民亲如一家新旋律。相信在中非共同努力下，北京峰会将成为中非关系史上新的里程碑，推动中非实现更高质量的发展、更高水平的合作，携手构建更加紧密的中非命运共同体，为构建人类命运共同体做出应有贡献。