中国的发展及其对爱尔兰的意义
China’s Development and Its Implication for Ireland
何向东大使在《爱尔兰时报》发表署名文章
He Xiangdong Published an Article on the Irish Times
2021年7月1日
1 July 2021
一百年前的1921年7月，爱尔兰人民正迎来独立战争重要胜利之际，来自中国各地的13名代表在上海、嘉兴召开会议，成立了中国共产党。当时的中国同爱尔兰一样，贫穷落后，在外来压迫与剥削下竭力抗争。
100 years ago, in July 1921, when Ireland was emerging victorious from the War of Independence, thirteen delegates from different areas of China met in Shanghai and then in Jiaxing and established the Communist Party of China. At that time, China, like Ireland, remained poor and backward and was struggling against foreign oppression and exploitation.
一百年来，中国共产党团结带领中国人民进行革命和国家建设，结束了旧中国半殖民地半封建社会的历史，实现了中国从几千年封建专制向人民民主的伟大转变，实现了中国人民从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃。1949年新中国成立之时，中国经济总量仅占全球的4.5%；到2020年，这个数字已经达到17%。从1949年至今，中国人均预期寿命从35岁提高到77.3岁。中国用全球9％的耕地养育了世界20％的人口。
Over the 100 years since then, the CPC has been rallying the Chinese people, leading them in revolution and nation-building, and putting an end to the semi-colonial, semi-feudal society of the old China. This led to the country’s great transformation from a millennia-old feudal autocracy to a people’s democracy. Since then the Chinese people have gone from regaining their dignity to becoming prosperous and strong. For example, in 1949, when the People’s Republic was founded, China’s share of global GDP was less than 4.5%, but by 2020 it had increased to 17%; also, the average life expectancy in China was 35 years, while now it is over 77.3 years. Notably, China has been successfully feeding over 20 percent of the world’s population with only 9 percent of the world’s arable land.
中国共产党在一路前行中赢得了中国人民的坚定支持。哈佛大学肯尼迪政府学院阿什民主治理与创新中心2003至2016年的8次民调显示，中国民众对中国政府满意度甚高。2016年，即该系列民调的最后一年，93.1%的受访民众对中央政府感到满意。加利福尼亚大学中国数据实验室开展的另一项民调显示，中国民众对政府的信任值从2019年6月的8.23分上升到2020年5月的8.87分（满分为10分），83%的受访者更愿意生活在当代中国的政治制度下。
All along the way, the CPC has gained solid support from the Chinese people. A series of surveys conducted in eight waves from 2003 to 2016 by the Ash Center of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government indicates that, overall, Chinese people have very high levels of satisfaction with their government. In 2016, the last year the survey was conducted, 93.1 percent of respondents were satisfied with central government. Another survey, by the University of California’s China Data Lab, shows that the Chinese public’s trust in their government, measured on a scale of 1-10, increased from 8.23 in June 2019 to 8.87 in May 2020. The survey also found that 83% of respondents prefer living under China’s current political system.
中国共产党领导的中国政府为什么能赢得中国人民的衷心拥护和坚定支持？其原因众多，其中包括以下三个方面：
Why does the Chinese government led by the CPC hold such solid support from the Chinese people? There are many factors underpinning this support. However, the following three are particularly worth noting:
首先，致力于为人民谋幸福、为国家谋发展。中国共产党领导的中国政府坚持全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，把人民拥护不拥护、赞成不赞成、高兴不高兴、答应不答应作为衡量一切工作得失的根本标准。人民对美好生活的向往，就是中国政府的奋斗目标。
Firstly, commitment to the well-being of the Chinese people and the development of the country. The government led by the CPC adheres to its fundamental purpose of serving the people, and takes the support, approval, happiness and consent of the people as fundamental criteria for judging all its work. To meet the people’s aspiration for a better life is a fundamental goal of the Chinese government.
中华人民共和国成立以来，中国政府在改善中国人民生活方面的成就超过中国历史上的任何一个政府。新中国成立70多年来，超过8.5亿中国人成功脱贫，中等收入群体逾4亿人；1949至2020年，中国国内生产总值从123亿美元增至15万亿美元，人均国内生产总值从不到30美元增至1万多美元。中国已成为世界第二大经济体、第一大工业国、第一大货物贸易国。过去10多年，中国对世界经济增长的贡献率一直超过20%。根据国际货币基金组织2021年4月《世界经济展望》报告，这一趋势将延续至2026年。
Since the founding of the People’s Republic, the Chinese government has done a better job in improving Chinese people’s livelihood than any other government in Chinese history. Over the last 70 plus years, over 850 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty, and 400 million people are now classified as middle-income earners. China’s GDP has risen from 12.3 billion USD in 1949 to 15 trillion USD in 2020, and its per capita GDP from less than 30 USD to over 10,000 USD. Now China is the world’s second-largest economy, its largest manufacturing country, and the largest commodity trading nation. For more than a decade, China’s contribution to world economic growth has been over 20 percent. This trend will continue in the five years through 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook report in April 2021.
2020年初新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来，中国政府坚持以人民为中心，把人民生命安全和身体健康放在第一位，迅速采取了一系列措施防控疫情、救治病患，不放弃每一个生命，相关医疗费用全部由国家承担。习近平主席强调：“为了保护人民生命安全，我们什么都可以豁得出来！”中国政府举国动员抗击疫情，组织全国各地346支国家医疗队、42600多名医务人员、965名公共卫生人员驰援位于疫情防控主战场的湖北和武汉。中国有效协调应对新冠肺炎疫情，在短时间内使人民生活和国家经济运行恢复正常。
Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, the Chinese government has taken a people-centered approach and put people’s lives and health first. It swiftly adopted a series of measures on prevention and control of the virus and treatment of the infected, not giving up on any life, and covering all medical costs for Covid-19 patients. As Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed, “We will do whatever it takes to protect people’s lives!” The Government mobilized the whole country to tackle the pandemic. A total of 346 medical teams, composing 42,600 medical workers and 965 public health workers from across the country, were dispatched to Hubei and Wuhan, the epicentre of China’s coronavirus outbreak. China has effectively coordinated a strong Covid-19 response, normalized people’s life and revived its economy within a short time span.
其次，致力于奉行独立自主的和平外交政策。中国有着遭受外国侵略的沉痛记忆，更能深刻理解和平对国家和人民重要意义。中国坚定不移地走和平发展道路。近年来，着眼于风云变幻的国际形势，中国提出了推动构建新型国际关系、推动构建人类命运共同体等重要主张。
Secondly, commitment to an independent foreign policy of peace. With the painful memory of suffering from foreign aggression and a deep understanding of what peace means for a country and its people, China is determined to adhere to the path of peaceful development. In recent years, in view of changes in the international context, China has proposed important ideas, such as building a new type of international relations, and a global community with a shared future for mankind.
新中国成立70多年来，中国从未主动挑起一场战争，并将和平发展写进宪法。中国永远不称霸、不扩张、不谋求势力范围，不搞军备竞赛。中国是联合国第二大会费国、联合国维和行动第二大出资国和安理会“五常”中派出维和人员最多的国家。中国恪守普遍公认的国际法则，已加入600多项国际公约。我们坚持反对恃强凌弱，主张对话而不是冲突、协商而不是胁迫、共赢而不是零和。
Over more than 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic, China has never provoked a war against other countries and has codified peaceful development in its Constitution. China has solemnly announced that it will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence, nor will it ever engage in an arms race. China is the second-largest contributor to the UN’s regular budget, the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations fund, and the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. China observes universally recognized international law and norms, and accedes to more than 600 international conventions. China stands firmly against bullying practices and advocates that dialogue, consultation and win-win cooperation should prevail over confrontation, coercion and zero-sum game.
第三，致力于推进互惠互利的国际合作。中国发展从不以牺牲他国利益为代价。中国坚持多边主义，致力于维护以联合国为核心的国际体系、以国际法为基础的国际秩序、以世界贸易组织为核心的多边贸易体制。
Thirdly, commitment to international cooperation and mutual benefit. China’s development has never been at the expense of other countries’ interests. China adheres to multilateralism and remains firm in upholding the international system with the UN as its core, the international order based on international law and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as its core.
中国已与170多个国家和国际组织签署了200多份共建“一带一路”合作文件，对相关国家直接投资超过1300亿美元。世界银行报告认为，共建“一带一路”将使相关国家760万人摆脱极端贫困、3200万人摆脱中度贫困。
China has signed more than 200 Belt and Road Initiative cooperation documents with over 170 countries and international organizations, and has invested more than 130 billion USD in partnership countries. According to a World Bank analysis, the Belt and Road Initiative will lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty in the participating countries.
当前，中国正构建以以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局。中国将积极与各国开展合作，形成更加全方位、多层次、多元化的开放合作格局。
At present, China is building a new development paradigm based on strengthening domestic market, with international markets as reinforcement. China is committed to a more active cooperation with other countries, forming an all-round, multi-levelled and diversified pattern of opening up and cooperation.
面对全球新冠肺炎疫情，中国向150多个国家和13个国际组织提供了急需的抗疫物资，迄今已供应了2800多亿只口罩、34亿多件防护服、40多亿份检测试剂盒。中国向34个国家派出了37支医疗队，帮助有关国家抗击疫情。中国率先承诺将新冠疫苗作为全球公共产品，并已向近100个国家提供了超过4.5亿剂新冠疫苗。
Since the Covid-19 breakout, China has provided urgently needed supplies to over 150 countries and 13 international organizations, including more than 280 billion masks, 3.4 billion protective suits, and 4 billion testing kits. China has also sent 37 medical teams to 34 countries to help them tackle the pandemic. China was the first to pledge making vaccines a global public good, and has so far provided over 450 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to nearly 100 countries.
成功的中国给爱尔兰带来重要机遇。中国和爱尔兰历史文化不同，社会制度各异。这些差异使我们两国人民互不相同，也使我们两国能够发展互利合作。正如爱尔兰著名政治家约翰·休姆所说：“差异是人类的本质。差异是与生俱来的，因此它不应成为仇恨或冲突的根源。尊重多样性，这是和平最基本的原则。”
A successful China is an important opportunity for Ireland. China and Ireland differ in history, culture and social systems. All these differences make our two peoples different from each other, and enable our two countries to develop mutually beneficial cooperation. Just as John Hume said, “Difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth, and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.”
近年来，中爱关系发展势头强劲，各领域合作实现新发展。
Recent years have witnessed a strong momentum in China-Ireland relations and new evolution in our wide-ranging cooperation.
2020年，中爱两国货物贸易额达180.4亿美元，比2019年增长7.7%。中国已成为仅次于欧盟、英国和美国的爱尔兰第四大贸易伙伴，爱猪肉第一大出口市场，爱食品、饮料第五大出口市场。根据中国海关统计，2021年前5个月，两国货物贸易额84.8亿美元，同比增长25.6%，其中爱尔兰对华出口68.2亿美元，同比增长24.9%。
In 2020, bilateral trade between China and Ireland reached 18.04 billion USD, an increase of 7.7% over 2019. China became Ireland’s largest trade partner, after the EU, UK and the US, the largest export market for Irish pork, and the fifth largest export market for Irish food and drinks. According to Chinese Customs’ statistics, in the first five months of this year, our bilateral trade stood at 8.48 billion USD, an increase of 25.6% compared with the same period in 2020, and Irish exports to China reached 6.82 billion USD, an increase of 24.9%.
两国人民之间的交流是中爱关系的重要支柱。目前，有近5万中国人在爱尔兰学习、工作和生活。赴华工作和学习的爱尔兰人逐年增加。中爱已有7对友好省郡或友好城市，两国地方政府间的友好交流与合作更加活跃。人文、地方交流为增进两国人民的相互了解作出了重要贡献。汉语已于2020年被列入爱尔兰高考课程，并将于2022年正式成为高考科目，这将为爱尔兰人民了解中国提供一条新途径。
Exchange between our two peoples is a key pillar of our relations. Nowadays, nearly 50,000 Chinese are studying, working and living in Ireland. The number of Irish people who go to China for work and study is increasing year after year. There are 7 twinning relations between Chinese and Irish cities and friendly exchanges and cooperation between both local governments have become more active. These have all made significant contributions to the mutual understanding between our two peoples. The Chinese language was introduced to the curriculum for Ireland’s Leaving Certificate last year and will become a subject of Leaving Certificate Exam in 2022, which will provide a new way for Irish people to get to know China.
进一步加强中爱合作正逢其时。中爱经济互补性强，互利合作潜力巨大。中方欢迎爱方参与中国发展，从中国提供的重大机遇中受益。中方愿同爱方深化在贸易、农业、科技创新、人文交流等双边领域，以及公共卫生、气候变化、发展援助等领域的交流与合作，在互利共赢、共同发展基础上共创美好未来。
Now is a good time to further strengthen China-Ireland cooperation. The Chinese and Irish economies are highly complementary, and there is great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. China welcomes Ireland to engage in China’s development and benefit from some of the great opportunities China offers. China is ready to work with Ireland to deepen effective exchanges and cooperation in bilateral areas such as trade, agriculture, scientific and technological innovation, people-to-people exchange, as well as in public health, climate change and development assistance, thus ushering in a brighter future based on mutual benefit and common development.