田学军大使在南非工商界欢迎晚宴上的致辞（中英对照）

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Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Tian Xuejun at the Welcome Dinner Hosted by South African Business Community

2012年5月15日，约堡Saxon饭店

Johannesburg, 15 May 2012

尊敬的戴维斯总裁：

各位工商界朋友：

Distinguished Dr. Martyn Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Frontier Advisory,

Dear Friends from the Business Community of South Africa,

　　晚上好。

Good evening!

　　非常高兴出席今天的晚宴。在来约堡的路上，我突然想到一组数字，今天是2012年第五个月的第十五天，也是我来到美丽的“彩虹之国”第55天。我知道商业界人士对数字很敏感，所以很愿意与大家分享，希望这些幸运数字为大家带来好运。

It is indeed my great pleasure to attend this dinner. On my way here to Johannesburg, it came to me that today is the fifteenth day of the fifth month of 2012, and also the fifty-fifth day of my arrival to this beautiful Rainbow Nation. I know businessmen are very sensitive to numbers, that’s why I share this “secret” with you, hope that these lucky numbers can bring all of us good luck.

　　戴维斯总裁，感谢您刚才热情洋溢的介绍，更感谢您和您的同事为此次晚宴所做的周到安排，让我有幸结识在座的活跃在南非经贸界和中南经贸合作“前沿”的诸多商业精英。

Dr. Martyn Davis, Thank you very much for your warm and kind introduction, and thank you for all the thoughtful arrangements for this dinner. I am really honored to have this opportunity to get to know the leading figures working on the “frontiers” of both South African business community and China-SA business cooperation.

　　朋友们，我们正生活在一个大发展、大调整、大变革的时代。国际形势正在深刻演变，全球性问题层出不穷。当前，世界经济遇到很多挑战，美国经济复苏充满不确定性，欧洲远未走出债务危机，新兴国家经济出现减速，不少人为此感到忧心忡忡。中国总理温家宝早在2008年就说过，信心比黄金更重要。我认为，这句话到现在依然适用。到南非近两个月来，我与南各界人士进行了广泛接触，我的信心也进一步得到增强。具体而言，体现在三个方面：

Dear friends,

We are now living in a world of great development, major adjustment and significant change. The international situation is undergoing profound transformation, and global challenges keep emerging. In terms of the world economy, the challenges are multi-fold: the US economic recovery is full of uncertainties, the EU is yet to walk out of sovereign debt crisis and the emerging economies are experiencing a slowdown. Many people are therefore pessimistic about the international economic outlook. But we should believe that, “Confidence is more precious than gold”, as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao once said early in 2008. I think this is still very relevant even today. I have been in South Africa for nearly two months and I have extensively come into contact with people from all walks of life. As a result, my confidence has been strengthened, in three areas, to be specific.

　　首先，我对南非经济发展充满信心。当前，南非政府正大力实施“新增长路线”，推出了大规模的基础设施建设规划，发展潜力巨大，投资前景光明。南非企业立足本土，积极开拓非洲和国际市场，展现出卓越的企业家精神。近来，“非洲机遇论”在国际上持续升温，南非作为非洲大陆桥头堡、经济领头羊的作用将不断凸显，南非也必将从非洲整体崛起中受益。

First, I have more confidence in South Africa’s economic development. The South African government is implementing the “New Growth Path”. Large-scale plans for infrastructure construction have been put forward and the potentials are huge. South African enterprises are demonstrating their excellent entrepreneurship by setting their feet firmly on the local soil, and at the same time, actively exploring African and the international markets. The international community is talking about opportunities in Africa more often, and South Africa, as the geographic bridgehead and economic bellwether of the African continent, will certainly benefit from the rise of Africa.

　　其次，我对中国经济发展充满信心。中国与南非同属发展中大国，同为金砖国家和二十国集团成员，面临相近的发展任务和内外挑战。今年是中国全面实施“十二五规划”的第二个年头，尽管面临外部环境恶化和内部调控压力的双重挑战，中国经济增长的动力和活力依然强劲，我们将继续深化改革，加快转变经济发展方式，坚持“稳中求进”，保持经济平稳较快发展。

Second, I have more confidence in China’s economic development. China, the same as South Africa, is a major developing country, a member of the BRICS and the G20. We share similar development tasks and face similar internal and external challenges. It is now the second year of China’s Twelfth Five Year Plan. China’s economy is still driven by strong vitality, although there are challenges posed by the worsening external environment and the mounting pressure of domestic economic adjustment. We will continue to deepen the reforms and accelerate the change of pattern of economic growth. To maintain stability while pursuing development is our guiding principle and we will try to ensure the stable and relatively fast economic growth.

　　第三，我对中南关系发展充满信心。中南建交14年来，双边关系实现了“三级跳”，由伙伴关系、战略伙伴关系发展为全面战略伙伴关系。双方经贸合作规模不断扩大，领域不断拓展，成绩喜人。根据中方统计，去年中南贸易额达454亿美元，同比增长77%，其中南非对华出口320亿美元，增长115%。两国在基础设施建设、制造业、新能源、金融服务等领域有着广阔的合作空间。前不久两国元首在韩国首尔就进一步拓展经贸合作达成重要共识，中南关系的发展前景令人期待。

Third, I have more confidence in China-South Africa relations. Fourteen years since the establishment of our diplomatic ties, our bilateral relationship has experienced a triple jump, from partnership, to strategic partnership and to comprehensive strategic partnership. Bilateral trade and economic cooperation has been growing in scale and expanding in area. According to Chinese statistics, last year China-South Africa trade reached $45.4 billion, up by 77%, among which South Africa’s export to China stood at $32 billion, registering an increase of 115%. There is huge room of cooperation for the two countries in infrastructure construction, manufacturing, new energy and financial services. During their meeting in the ROK not long ago, our two heads of state reached important consensus on further exploring business cooperation. We have every reason to expect a better future of our bilateral relations.

　　长期以来，在座各位直接或间接为中南经贸关系发展做出了重要贡献，值得高度赞赏。推进两国关系及经贸合作是中国驻南使馆的重要职责，真诚欢迎各位为进一步推动中南关系和经贸合作献计献策，与我们携手开辟新“前沿”，共创美好未来。

Dear Friends, all of you present tonight have made important contribution to the development of China-South economic cooperation and trade, through direct or indirect channels. We highly appreciate your efforts and look forward to your continued support. To promote bilateral relations and business cooperation between our two countries is one important task of my Embassy, therefore we sincerely hope that you can share with us your observations and suggestions in this regard. Let’s join hands together and open up new “frontiers” for a better China-South Africa relations and cooperation in the days to come!

谢谢大家！

Thank you.