Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Somali Independence
纪念索马里独立60周年
Chinese Ambassador Qin Jian to Somalia
驻索马里大使覃俭
2 July 2020
2020年7月2日
As the Ambassador of China, I am very honored to be here in the Federal Republic of Somalia. I have been working in the Horn of Africa country for more than three years and have witnessed its achievements in peace and development.
作为中国大使，我非常荣幸出使索马里联邦共和国，迄今在这个非洲之角国家工作三年多，时时刻刻见证着它和平发展取得的成就。
July 1st 2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Somalia’s independence, and December marks the 60th anniversary of China-Somalia diplomatic ties. I am privileged to join my Somali friends in these important moments in history. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, a congratulatory message addressed to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, warmly congratulating Somalia on its 60th anniversary of independence, and extending sincere congratulations and best wishes to Somali people.
今年7月1日是索马里独立60周年，12月是中索建交60周年。我有幸同索马里朋友一起迎来这些重要的历史时刻。中国国家主席习近平代表中国政府和人民祝贺索马里独立60周年，并向1500万索马里人民致以良好的祝愿。
The word “Somalia” derives from “Samaal”, the ancient ancestor common to All Somalis. Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa, known as the “Fragrant Horn” in ancient times, and is famous for its rich spices and myrrh.
“索马里”一词源于索马里人共同的远古祖先“萨马勒（Samaal）”。索马里地处非洲之角，古代称“香角”，以盛产香料和没药著称。
The Somali flag has a white five star in the center, symbolizing African freedom and independence. The national emblem of Somalia is the national flag of Somalia, the upper part of the emblem is a crown symbolizing independence and sovereignty, on both sides of the emblem are Somali leopards, which symbolize majesty, courage, firmness and strength, representing the Somali people’s determination to defend national sovereignty.
索马里国旗中央白色五角星，象征非洲自由和独立。索马里国徽盾面为索马里国旗，盾徽上部绘有一顶王冠，象征独立和主权，两侧索马里豹象征威严、勇敢、坚强和力量，代表索马里人民捍卫国家主权的决心。
Somalia, with a population of about 15 million and a land area of more than 630,000 square kilometers, is known as the “Camel kingdom” with more than 7 million camels. Camels are loved by mankind for their diligence, frugality and wisdom.
索马里约有1500万人口、63万多平方公里土地，是著名的“骆驼王国”，拥有近700万头骆驼。骆驼以勤劳、节俭、智慧为人类喜爱。
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa, more than 3,300 kilometers, with blue sky, white clouds, sand beaches, coconut trees and sea winds. Somali food, Somali dance music, Somali bananas and other well-known in the world.
索马里拥有非洲大陆最漫长3300多公里的海岸线，蓝天、白云、沙滩、椰林、海风令人流连。索马里美食、美妙音乐舞蹈、香蕉等闻名遐迩。
Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, is also known as “Hamar”, which means “Throne of Kings” and is known as “the white pearl of the Indian Ocean”.
索马里首都摩加迪沙亦称“哈马尔（Hamar）”，意指“王者之座”，被誉为“印度洋上的白色明珠”。
Somalia has rich natural resources, great development potential and unlimited business opportunities. The high natural mineral resources that have been proved in Somalia including coal, iron, lead, tin, manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, uranium and petroleum and gas, etc. The coast of Somalia is home to many good natural ports, such as Mogadishu, Kismayu, Berbera, Bosaso, Hobyo and Eyl; Food crops are mainly sorghum, maize, wheat, cassava and rice, economic crops have cotton, sugarcane, banana, sesame, peanut, mango and so on. Somali industries are to be dominated by textiles, leather, sugar, tobacco, food processing, oil refining, electricity and construction materials, port, transportation and telecommunications, internet, communications and mobile phone payments. Mobile payments in Somalia are more developed, Somalia is one of the most networked countries on the African continent. Somalia has rich marine resources and great potential to develop its blue economy. Somalia is a natural tourist destination with world-class beaches. Real estate development in Somalia has a broad prospect, and many sea-view houses, seaside hotels, coastal business zones and urban Central Business District (CBD) can be built in Somalia.
索马里自然资源丰富，发展潜力巨大，商机无限。索马里已探明的矿产有煤、铁、铅、锡、锰、镍、锌、镁、铀及石油、天然气等；索马里拥有众多天然良港，摩加迪沙、基斯马尤、柏培拉和博萨索等港口；主要粮食作物有高粱、玉米、小麦、木薯和水稻；经济作物有棉花、甘蔗、香蕉、芝麻、花生、芒果等。索马里工业以纺织、皮革、制糖、烟草、食品加工、炼油、电力和建筑材料、电信、网络、通讯为主，手机支付较发达，网络发达程度位于非洲大陆前列。索马里具有丰富的海洋资源，发展蓝色经济潜力巨大。索马里是天然的旅游胜地，海滨、海滩都是世界一流的，沿岸可兴建众多海景房、海边酒店、海岸商贸区和城市综合体。
The Somali people are smart, intelligent, hardworking and brave. They have created their own language, excellent culture and beautiful music throughout history. Somalia poet praised Mogadishu so: “You are a rarity in the garden of the most brilliant of Somalia, you are famous for its beautiful appearance to the ends of the earth, streets of city make up the pattern on people beautiful turban, the buildings of like pure jade ornament your wearing color yarn, the blue sea and you murmured, thick green palm trees dancing for you, ah, your beauty tenshi I enchanted...”. In addition, there are approximately 1.5 to 2 million diaspora, who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Somalia.
索马里人智慧、勤劳、勇敢，在历史长河中创造了自己文字语言、优秀文化和优美音乐。索马里诗人是这样赞美摩加迪沙的：“你是索马里花园中最艳的一朵奇葩，你那漂亮的容颜闻名于海角天涯，纵横的街道成为你头巾上的花格，洁玉般的楼房点缀你披的彩纱，碧蓝的大海与你喃喃细语，浓绿的棕榈为你舞婆娑，啊，你秀丽的天姿令我陶醉......”。此外，索马里大约有150万至200万侨民，他们为索马里的发展做出了杰出贡献。
Over the past 60 years since Somalia’s independence, the Somali people have been striving for national independence, peace, development and prosperity. They have gone through such historical stages as civil war, restoration, development and prosperity, and are now at a critical stage of national peace and reconstruction. Under the leadership of successive governments, remarkable achievements have been made in peace and development in Somalia. Since the new government led by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed took office in 2017, the Somali people have worked hard, overcome difficulties, obstacles and challenges, and made tremendous progress in peace, governance, debt relief, legal and regulatory development, humanitarian development, and safeguarding political independence, sovereignty and national dignity, which have been widely recognized by the international community. We are convinced that Somalia will become better and better as a result of historical development.
独立60年来，索马里人民不断为国家和平、发展与富强而奋斗，经历了内战、恢复、发展、走向昌盛等历史阶段，目前正处在国家和平与重建的关键时期。在历届政府领导下，索马里和平与发展取得显著成就。2017年新一届政府执政以来，索马里人民励精图治，发奋图强，克服艰难险阻，战胜各种挑战，在和平、国家治理、减免债务、法律法规建设、人道主义发展、维护国家政治独立、主权和尊严等方面取得了长足发展，获得国际社会广泛赞誉。我们坚信，索马里将越来越好，这是历史的必然。
Two countries China and Somalia enjoy a long friendship. More than 600 years ago, Zheng He, a famous Chinese navigator, led his fleet to visit Mogadishu many times and called it “木骨都束”. China established diplomatic relations with Somalia on December 14, 1960. Somalia is the first country in East Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy, culture, education and health and other fields have achieved fruitful results. From 1960 to 1991, the Chinese government helped Somalia complete more than 80 infrastructure construction projects, including the National Grand Theater and the National Stadium, and sent 13 medical teams with a total of 399 personnel to Somalia, many of whom came from my hometown, Jilin Province in northeast China. In 2018, Somali President Mohamed attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping and Somali President Mohamed held a historic meeting, jointly drawing a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. In 2019, Somali Ministers attended international conferences in China. Since 2017, Somali women delegation, media delegation, government officials, scholars, people-people exchanges and the Somali business community and so on, have visited to and attended meetings in China. Trade between the two countries reached more than 450 million US dollars in 2019. With the in-depth development of China-Somalia relations, there will be more high-level visits, economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges between the two countries and bilateral relations will continue to move forward.
中索友好源远流长。600多年前中国著名航海家郑和率船队多次造访摩加迪沙，当时称“木骨都束”。中国与索马里于1960年12月14日建交，索马里是东部非洲第一个与中国建立外交关系的国家。建交以来，两国政治、经济、文化、教育、卫生等各个领域交流与合作取得了丰硕成果。1960年到1991年，中国政府帮助索马里完成了80多项基础设施建设项目，向索马里派出13批共计393人次医疗队，其中不少来自我的家乡——中国东北吉林省。2018年索马里总统穆罕默德赴华出席中非合作论坛北京峰会，习近平主席同穆罕默德总统举行历史性会晤，擘画两国关系发展蓝图；2019年，索马里外长、计划部长、商工部长和卫生部长等分别赴华参加国际会议；自2017年以来，索马里妇女代表团、媒体代表团以及政府官员、学者、民间友好人士、工商界朋友等纷纷赴华访问、参会。两国贸易额2019年达到4.5亿多美元。随着中国和索马里关系深入发展，两国高层访问、经贸合作、人员交往等越来热络，两国关系将持续不断向前发展。
The two countries China and Somalia have always supported each other. In 1971, with the firm support of Somalia and other brotherly African countries, China restored its lawful seat in the United Nations. Since Somalia fell into civil war in 1991, China has made unremitting efforts to promote peace and development in Somalia through various bilateral and multilateral channels, including political, economic, personnel training and humanitarian assistance.
中索两国始终相互支持。1971年，在索马里等非洲兄弟国家的支持下，中国恢复了联合国合法席位。1991年，索马里不幸陷入内战以来，中国通过双多边各种渠道，在政治、经济、人才培训、人道主义援助等方面，积极推动索马里实现和平与发展，并为此做出了不懈努力。
The two countries China and Somalia have always cherished profound feelings. Beijing Foreign Language University in China has opened Somali language courses to cultivate talents to promote China-Somalia friendship from generation to generation. In the past three years, the Chinese government has provided more than 50 government scholarships to the Somali government every year. This year, in the special period of fighting COVID-19, the Chinese government has continued to provide more than 50 governmental scholarships to the Somali government and actively trained various talents for Somalia national development and prosperity.
中索两国始终怀有深厚感情。中国北京外国语大学已经开设索马里语课程，积极培养促进中索世代友好的人才。三年来，中国政府每年向索马里政府提供50多名政府奖学金名额。今年在抗击新冠肺炎疫情的艰难时期，中国政府继续向索马里政府提供50多名政府奖学金名额，积极为索马里国家发展建设培养各类人才。
The two countries China and Somalia have always supported each other. In order to support peace and national reconstruction and development in Somalia and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations, China officially reopened its Embassy in Somalia in 2014. In the face of floods and humanitarian crises in Somalia, the Chinese government and people have made every effort to provide food and relief supplies to Somalia. Since the appearance of novel coronavirus infected case in Somalia, the Chinese government and people have overcome their own difficulties and provided four batches of materials to Somalia. China will continue to provide anti-epidemic materials and humanitarian assistance to Somalia and work with the Somali people to defeat these challenges.
中索两国始终守望相助。为支持索马里和平与国家重建，促进两国关系持续向前发展，2014年中国正式恢复驻索马里使馆。在索马里发生洪灾、人道主义危机之际，中国政府和人民伸出友爱之手向索马里提供粮食、赈灾物资等援助。今年索马里暴发新冠肺炎疫情以来，中国政府和人民克服自身困难，向索马里提供了抗疫物资援助。中方将继续向索马里提供力所能及的援助，与索马里人民同舟共济、共同战胜困难。
The Somalia’s independence has gone through 60 years, and China-Somalia friendly relations have also gone through more half a century. After 60 years of trials and hardships, Somalia is showing strong resilience and more and more vitality. Over the past half a century and more, the friendship between China and Somalia has withstood the test of time and the changing international situation. We have always supported each other in trying times. China firmly supports peace and development of Somalia and Somalia’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Somalia firmly adheres to one China principle and has never shaken even in its trying times. Throughout history, China and Somalia have forged a partnership of mutual trust.
索马里已经走过了60年独立历程，中索关系也走过了60年征程。60年的风雨兼程，索马里越来越展示新生和强大韧性，焕发新的活力。半个多世纪以来，中索友谊经受住了时间和国际风云变幻的考验，历久弥坚。两国不离不弃，中国坚定支持索马里和平与发展，支持索致力维护国家主权、独立和领土完整，索马里坚定地坚持一个中国原则，即使在它最艰难的时刻也未曾动摇，历史岁月铸就了中索两国相互信赖的伙伴关系。
“Never worry about having no bosom friends on the way forward”. “Friendship lasts forever”. China will follow the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests put forward by President Xi Jinping, continue to stand with Somalia, together, work in unity and forge ahead, under the framework of the FOCAC, China-Arab States Cooperation and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promote to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
“莫愁前路无知己”，“友谊地久天长”。中国将继续秉持习近平主席提出的真实亲诚原则和正确义利观，一如既往支持索马里，同索马里团结一心、同舟共济、携手前进，在中非合作论坛、中阿合作论坛和“一带一路”建设框架下，为构建人类命运共同体而奋斗。