驻美国大使崔天凯在中美研究中心2020视频年会上的开场讲话
Opening Remarks by Ambassador Cui Tiankai at the Annual Conference of the Institute for China-America Studies
华盛顿，2020年12月3日
Washington D.C., 3 December 2020
2020年即将过去。这是极不寻常的一年，可能成为一个历史转折点。战胜新冠肺炎疫情、恢复全球经济增长、保护人民生计，是当务之急。同时我们必须认识到，疫情正在强化和加速世界上早已出现的一些基本趋势。疫情也使一些重大挑战更显突出，我们唯有团结一致、共同应对，才能创造更美好的未来。
The year 2020 is about to end. This has been a very unusual year, probably a turning point in history. To overcome the pandemic, restore global economic growth and protect people’s livelihood are pressing priorities. At the same time, we have to recognize that the pandemic is actually reinforcing and accelerating some fundamental trends in the world that had emerged long before Covid-19. The pandemic has also brought into sharp focus some major challenges that the global community has to respond to together if we want to build a better future.
人们已经在讨论“后疫情世界”将是什么样，以及我们为此需要什么样的全球治理。显然，没有健康稳定的中美关系，“后疫情世界”不会稳定，全球治理也不会有效。因此，现在是认真思考这一至关重要的双边关系的时候了。但这不是因为所谓过去的失败。自基辛格博士首次访华近50年来，中美关系的发展给两国和世界带来了巨大利益。我们需要思考，是因为世界在发生急剧而复杂的变化，这些变化既带来巨大机遇，也带来巨大风险。我们必须对未来形成共同愿景、作出正确选择。确保中美关系沿着建设性轨道、朝着共同确定的目标发展，这是我们对两国人民和国际社会的责任。
There are already discussions about how a post-pandemic world will look like and what kind of global governance we need for such a world. It is clear that the post-pandemic world would not be stable and global governance would not be effective without sound and stable relations between China and the US. Therefore it is time for reflection on this consequential relationship. This is not because of so-called failures of the past. The development of China-US relations since Dr. Henry Kissinger’s first visit almost 50 years ago has brought tremendous benefits to the two countries and the whole world. Our reflection is necessitated by the fast and complex changes in the world, which present us with great opportunities as well as high risks. We have to have a shared vision for the future and make the right choice. We owe it to the people of both countries and the global community to keep the relations on a constructive track towards agreed goals.
对中国来说，选择是明确的。中美合则两利、斗则俱伤，合作是两国唯一正确的选择。习近平主席在给美国当选总统约瑟夫·拜登的贺电中表示，中方愿与美方一道，“秉持不冲突不对抗、相互尊重、合作共赢的精神，聚焦合作，管控分歧，推动中美关系健康稳定向前发展，同各国和国际社会携手推进世界和平与发展的崇高事业。”
For China, the choice is clear. China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Cooperation is the only right choice for both countries. As President Xi Jinping stated in his message of congratulation to President-Elect Joseph Biden, the Chinese side stands ready to work with the US side “in the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, so that our two sides may focus on cooperation, manage differences, move forward China-US relations in a sound and steady manner and, together with other countries and the international community, advance the noble cause of world peace and development.”
我们即将进入21世纪的第三个十年，开展双边和全球合作的需求前所未有，包括在加强公共卫生安全、应对气候变化、推进更包容和公平的全球化进程、促进科技进步以改善更多地区更多人们的生活等方面。为回应所有这些挑战，我们需要扩大国际合作，特别是中美应携手合作，而不是相互“脱钩”。
We are about to enter the third decade of the 21st century. There are unprecedented needs for bilateral and global cooperation: public health, climate change, a more inclusive and equitable process of globalization, advancement of science and technology that will improve the life of more people in more places, etc. All these challenges call for enhanced international cooperation, including in particular China and the US working with each other, not decoupled from one another.
中美两国之间一向存在差异，其中许多是世界多样性的一部分。但任何差异都不是对抗和战争的理由，不管冷战还是热战。只要相互尊重和理解，我们就可以管控好分歧，使中美关系保持在一个正确的轨道上。
There are always differences between the two countries. Many of them are part of the diversity of the world. None of them justifies confrontation and war, cold or hot. With sufficient mutual respect and mutual understanding, we are capable of managing these differences so that they would not derail the entire relationship.
几年前，格雷厄姆·阿利森教授就“修昔底德陷阱”提出了及时的警告。他还曾引用莎士比亚的名言，“掌握我们命运的不是星座,而是我们自己。”的确，“没有什么是命中注定的”，一切都取决于我们作出的选择。零和游戏已经过时。企图煽动不同国家和文明之间的疑虑甚至仇恨是极不负责任的。那些沉迷于大国对立的人已经把脚伸进了陷阱。我们应该清醒认识当今世界的新现实，携手构建新型国际关系和人类命运共同体。要站到历史正确的一边，第一步就是要摒弃过时的思维。要避免掉入陷阱，最好的办法是开辟一条新路。这是我们今天必须拥有的视野和完成的历史使命。我们准备好了吗？
A few years ago, Professor Graham Allison made a timely warning against the Thucydides trap. And he also quoted Shakespeare that our destiny lies “not in our stars, but in ourselves”. Again, “nothing is written in stone”. Everything depends on the choices we make. The zero-sum game is anachronistic. Attempts to incite distrust and even hatred among different nations and civilizations are extremely irresponsible. Those who are obsessed with great power rivalries already have their feet in the trap. Instead, we should, based on a clear understanding of the new realities of today’s world, join hands to build a new type of international relations and a community of mankind for a shared future. The first and foremost thing we have to do to be on the right side of history is to reject the outdated mindset. The best way to avoid a trap is to open up a new path. This is the vision that we shall hold and a historic mission that we have to fulfill today. Are we up to it?