卢沙野大使在“一带一路”研讨会上的讲话
Remarks by Ambassador Lu Shaye at the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Conference
2018年12月14日，渥太华
December 14, 2018, Ottawa
卡尔顿大学校长培根博士，
各位驻加使节，
女士们、先生们、朋友们，
Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
上午好！
Good morning!
今年是“一带一路”倡议提出5周年。5年来，该倡议的影响不断扩大，各方参与度不断提升，取得了丰硕成果。中国已同140多个国家和国际组织签署了共建“一带一路”合作协议，倡议及其核心理念被纳入联合国、二十国集团、亚太经合组织等重要国际机制成果文件。
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past five years, the influence of the BRI has been growing fast with greater participation from all sides and fruitful results. More than 140 countries and international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. The BRI and its core concepts have been incorporated into outcome documents of major international institutions, such as the United Nations, the G20, and the APEC, etc.
“一带一路”倡议不仅得到亚欧等沿线国家的高度欢迎，许多非洲、拉丁美洲国家也强烈希望参与其中。一些西方国家最初并不看好这个倡议，但随着共建“一带一路”不断开花结果，它们也认识到倡议带来的机遇，态度由观望、疑虑转向积极参与。例如，英国政府称英国是“一带一路”的天然合作伙伴。法国参议院报告提出法应更加积极参与“一带一路”建设。中日设立了“一带一路”官民协议会，推动两国企业开展第三方市场合作。
The BRI is not only highly welcomed by Asian and European countries along the Belt and Road route, but also by many African and Latin American countries which are also eager to join it. Although some western countries held an unfavorable view towards the BRI at first, with the BRI continuing to bear fruits, they began to realize the opportunities brought to them by the initiative and their attitudes turned from scruple or skepticism to active participation. For instance, the British government says its country is a natural partner of the BRI. The French Senate Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee issued an assessment report on the BRI, suggesting that France should take part in the initiative in a more active way. Japan has already established in collaboration with China public-private council related to the BRI to facilitate enterprises from both countries to engage in third-party market cooperation.
当然，国际上对这个倡议也有一些不同声音。有人认为“一带一路”是中国谋求地缘政治利益的工具，中国借此扩大全球影响，挑战西方主导的国际体系，要取代美国霸主地位。还有人说，“一带一路”大项目是“白象工程”，给东道国带来巨额债务负担。中国通过这种“债务陷阱”控制有关国家的资源、基础设施，甚至主权。这些论调在国际上造成对“一带一路”的误解。我们举办此次研讨会，就是想搭建一个平台，请利益相关方和专家、学者们“坐而论道”，从各自角度阐述看法，通过信息交流和思想碰撞，让公众了解一个真实的“一带一路”倡议，毕竟真理越辩越明。我先开个头，谈几点粗浅看法。
Indeed, there are some different voices on the BRI in the international community. Some say it is a tool for China to seek geopolitical interests, thereby expanding its global influence, challenging the western-dominated international system and upsetting the US supremacy, while others say that some major BRI projects are white-elephant projects causing massive debt burden on the host countries, and China capitalizes on this debt trap to grab the resources, infrastructures and even sovereignty of those countries. These allegations have caused misrepresentation on the BRI worldwide. The reason for holding this conference today is to provide a platform on which stakeholders, experts and scholars can discuss and debate on the BRI. Through information sharing, viewpoints exchanging, and even contest of different ideas, I hope this conference help the public better understand a true BRI. After all, truth does not fear contention. I’ll get the ball rolling with my humble opinions.
一是“一带一路”倡议不是地缘政治工具，而是中国为促进世界经济平衡、可持续发展和各国共同繁荣而提供的国际公共产品。2008年金融危机后的很长时间，世界经济复苏乏力，贸易增长缓慢。全球化发展的同时，逆全球化、民粹主义和保护主义上升，国家间和一国内部的贫富差距拉大，发展不平衡问题更加突出，导致社会不公加剧，一些地区和国家出现动荡。要从根源上消除这些问题，首先要解决好发展问题。全球经济发展需要新动能，国家间合作乃至全球和区域一体化需要新模式。与此同时，中国自身也面临经济转型升级的任务。“一带一路”倡议正是在这一背景下提出的，旨在推动沿线各国协调经济政策，促进经济要素有序自由流动、资源高效配置和市场深度融合，共同打造开放、包容、均衡、普惠的区域经济合作架构，维护全球自由贸易体系和开放型世界经济。
First, the BRI is not a geopolitical tool, but an international public goods provided by China to promote global economic balance, sustainable development and common prosperity or all countries. After the financial crisis in 2008, we have witnessed the sluggish recovery of the world economy and slow growth in trade for quite a long time. While globalization is developing, anti-globalization, populism and protectionism are on the rise as well. The wealth gaps among and within countries are widening and disparity of development is exacerbated, thus resulting in aggravated social injustice and turmoil in some regions and countries. In order to deal with these problems from the root causes, development issues are in the first place to be addressed. New driving force is necessitated to boost global economic development, and new approach is required for international cooperation and integration. Meanwhile China itself is also facing the task of economic transformation and upgrading. In this backdrop of times, the BRI was proposed with the aim to advance economic policy coordination among countries, and promote orderly and free flow of economic factors, highly efficient allocation of resources as well as deep integration of markets, so as to jointly create an open, inclusive and balanced regional economic cooperation architecture that benefits all, and uphold the global free trade system and the open world economy.
5年来共建“一带一路”成果丰硕，该倡议已成为广受欢迎的国际公共产品。中国同“一带一路”相关国家的货物贸易额累计超过6万亿美元，对外直接投资超过800亿美元。中国与43个沿线国家建立了82个境外经贸合作区，吸引入区企业近3500家，上缴东道国税费22亿美元，为当地创造了24.4万个就业岗位。中国帮助肯尼亚建设的蒙内铁路，累计为肯尼亚创造了近5万个工作岗位，带动GDP增长约1.5%。中方承建的斯里兰卡普特拉姆燃煤电站供应斯全国超过40%的电力，解决了斯2000多万人的用电问题。麦肯锡公司2017年对8个非洲国家中上千家中国企业进行调查，结果显示这些企业89%的雇员来自非洲当地。中巴经济走廊和“中白工业园”对当地经济也有重要拉动作用。俄罗斯、巴基斯坦和白俄罗斯四国使节将与大家分享本国参与“一带一路”倡议的感受和合作故事。
In the past five years, the BRI has achieved fruitful outcomes, and has become a widely welcomed international public goods. The trade volume of goods between China and countries joining the BRI has reached more than 6 trillion US dollars. China’s direct foreign investment to those countries has exceeded 80 billion US dollars. Under the BRI framework, China and 43 countries have jointly built 82 economic and trade cooperation zones, attracting nearly 3,500 enterprises, creating 244,000 local jobs, and contributing 2.2 billion USD of taxes to the host countries. For example, in Africa, China helped build the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, and this project created nearly 50,000 local jobs, boosting Kenya’s GDP by 1.5 percent. In Sri Lanka, the Puttalam coal-fired plant built by China is now providing over 40 percent of the country’s electricity, benefiting more than 20 million people. According to a McKinsey & Company report, after surveying over 1,000 Chinese companies in eight African countries in 2017, they found that on average 89% of the Chinese company employees were Africans. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and China-Belarus Industrial Park have also boosted the local economy. Later in this conference, diplomatic envoys of Russia, Pakistan and Belarus will share with us the stories of their countries’ participation in the BRI.
“一带一路”倡议源自中国，但成果惠及世界。它不是中国谋求地缘政治利益的工具，而是各国实现共同发展的合作平台。中国提出这个倡议，不是为了针对谁，也不想取代谁。至于说中国的国际影响扩大了，这是“一带一路”倡议实施的结果，而不是提出该倡议的目的。
The BRI is proposed by China, but its fruits are shared by participating countries and the whole world. It’s not a tool to seek geopolitical interests, nor does China want to compete with anyone or supplant anyone. BRI is a cooperation platform for all countries to achieve common development. The increase of China’s international influence is the result of implementation of the BRI rather than the purpose of putting forward this initiative.
二是“一带一路”建设取得丰硕成果的关键是坚持了共商共建共享原则，这充分体现了中国与世界各国平等合作的理念。共商就是好事大家商量着办，兼顾各方利益和需求。无论是规划合作蓝图还是实施具体项目，都平等相待、公开透明，不强加于人，不排斥任何国家。共建就是各施所长，各尽所能，把各自优势和潜能充分发挥出来。共享就是让建设成果公平地惠及沿线各国人民，打造利益和命运共同体。“一带一路”的基建项目，不仅让当地民众得到实实在在好处，也从硬件上改善了当地投资环境，让包括西方投资者在内的外国投资者从中受益，是有利于各方的大好事。近日，美国威廉与玛丽学院“援助数据”项目发布最新研究报告。这份报告通过对地球夜间灯光分布卫星图片的分析研究，发现中国参与的基础设施项目给当地带来了越来越多灯光，“点亮”了区域发展前景，并称中国在发展中国家，特别是非洲的基础设施项目有力促进了当地经济增长。
Second, adherence to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits is the key to the success of the BRI, which fully demonstrates China’s concept of equal cooperation with other countries. Extensive consultation means that we pool collective wisdom and carry out relevant initiatives through negotiations, with the interests and needs of all sides being fully taken into account. From drawing blueprints to project execution, we stay committed to equality, openness and transparency, instead of imposing our wills on others or excluding any country. Joint contribution means that all sides apply their expertise and give full play to their strength and potential. Shared benefits means to benefit all the people of countries joining the BRI in a more equal and fairer manner, and build a community of shared interests and destiny. The BRI infrastructure projects serves the interests of all, because they not only bring tangible welfare to the local people, but also ameliorate the investment environment of relevant countries and benefit foreign investors including those from the West. The Aid Data team at the College of William & Mary recently issued a working paper that analyzed satellite images of the global distribution of night lights and found that China’s infrastructure projects have brought more lights to the places where they’re built, thus “lighting up” the development prospect of the region. It also said that China’s infrastructure projects in developing countries, especially in Africa, have greatly boosted local economic growth.
所谓“债务陷阱”的说法毫无根据。不少发达国家的债务问题很突出，美国国债已达21.52万亿美元，超过GDP总额。但为何没人炒作美国陷入“债务陷阱”？为何发展中国家一向中国贷款搞建设就陷入“债务陷阱”了？更何况，在有关国家，中国债务的占比并不高。菲律宾政府称，中国债务仅占菲外债总额的0.65%。斯里兰卡央行统计，截止2017年，来自中国的贷款仅占斯外债10%左右，其中61.5%是低于国际市场利率的优惠贷款。2000至2016年，中国对非洲贷款仅占非洲总体外债的1.8%。事实上，很多发展中国家面临的并非“债务陷阱”，而是历史和外部原因造成的“贫困陷阱”。通过与中国合作，借鉴中国减贫经验，不少国家正走出“贫困陷阱”。中国的合作伙伴中，没有哪个国家因与中国合作而陷入债务危机。
The so-called “debt traps” brought by the BRI are utterly groundless. Nowadays in the world, quite a few developed countries face serious debt problems. For instance, the national debt of the US has exceeded its GDP, standing at 21.52 trillion US dollars. Anyone hypes that the US is falling into debt traps. But no sooner do some developing countries borrow from China for construction than debt traps are sensationalized. What’s more, the loans China provides to relevant countries only account for a small proportion of their foreign debts. According to the Philippine government, the loans provided by China is only 0.65 percent of the country’s total foreign debt. According to statistics from Sri Lanka’s Central Bank, Chinese loans is only 10 percent of its foreign debts in 2017, of which 61.5 percent is preferential loans at interest rates below that of international market. From 2000 to 2016, China’s loans only accounted for 1.8 percent of Africa’s foreign debts. In fact, rather than debt traps, many developing countries are faced with poverty traps due to historic and external reasons. But through cooperation with China and by learning from China’s experience in poverty alleviation, many developing countries are rising from poverty traps. Among China’s partners, no country is beset with a debt crisis because of the cooperation with China.
三是加拿大也能从“一带一路”合作中获益。中加间隔着一个宽阔的太平洋。就基础设施互联互通而言，两国似乎没有什么可合作的，更何况加作为发达国家在基建领域已很完备了。但中加可就“一带一路”倡议“五通”中的其他“四通”开展合作，即政策沟通、贸易畅通、资金融通、民心相通。虽然由于众所周知的原因，中加自贸协定谈判面临新的障碍，但双方可在“一带一路”框架下，加强政策沟通，采取贸易和投资便利化措施，减少贸易壁垒和非贸易因素的干扰，争取如期实现到2025年贸易额在2015年基础上翻一番的目标。中国市场潜力大，亚太市场更是商机无限。加政府正在推进贸易多元化和开拓亚太大市场。我认为“一带一路”倡议可为加实现以上目标提供重要机遇。
Third, Canada can also benefit from the BRI cooperation. The vast Pacific Ocean separates our two countries geographically. In terms of cooperation for infrastructure and facility connectivity, there seems to be little we could do, not to mention the fact that Canada, as a developed country, is already well established in its infrastructure. However, China and Canada could carry out cooperation on other aspects, such as policy coordination, trade facilitation, finance flow and people-to-people exchange, which are integral parts of the BRI’s “five connectivities”. Although achieving a China-Canada Free Trade Agreement faces new obstacles due to reasons known to all, the two sides can strengthen policy coordination and adopt trade and investment facilitation measures under the framework of the BRI, reduce trade barriers and interference from non-trade factors, so as to strive to achieve the goal of doubling trade volume by 2025 on a 2015 basis. China has great market potential and there are limitless business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, the Canadian government has been actively engaged in promoting trade diversification and increasing its share of the Asia-Pacific market. I believe that the BRI presents important opportunities for Canada to reach this goal.
中加民心相通尤为重要，我们要促进两国人民的交流，增进相互了解与信任。即便是在基础设施领域，中加也可在“一带一路”框架下开展第三方市场合作，将发展中国家的需求、中国的产能优势和加的资金、技术优势对接，实现互补和“三赢”。加是亚投行成员，这为加参与“一带一路”设施联通建设提供了有利条件。
It is also of great significance for China and Canada to strengthen people-to-people bonds by promoting exchanges so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust of the two peoples. Even in infrastructure building area, there is room for cooperation. China and Canada could engage in third-party market cooperation, create a kind of synergy and achieve triple-win by combining the needs of developing countries, China’s production capacity, and Canada’s advantages in capital and technology. Canada is one of the members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which provides favourable conditions for the country to participate in the Belt and Road facility connection.
我的发言仅是抛砖引玉。我期待听到各位嘉宾在研讨会上的真知灼见。希望今天的研讨会能为加民众更好地了解“一带一路”倡议作出积极贡献。
My words intend to start further discussion. I look forward to hearing your wisdom and insights at the conference, and I hope that the conference will contribute to the better understanding of the BRI among Canadian people.
谢谢大家！
Thank you!