Work Together for World Peace in China-UK “Golden Era”
共同维护世界和平 携手推进“黄金时代”
– Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Reception Marking the 90th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army
——驻英国大使刘晓明在建军90周年招待会上的讲话
Chinese Embassy, 27 July 2017
2017年7月27日，中国驻英国大使馆
General Richard Felton,
Major General Giles Hill,
Air Vice Marshal Warren James,
Generals, Admirals and Military Attachés,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Friends:
尊敬的英国国防部国防安全总局局长理查德·菲尔顿中将，
尊敬的英军助理国防参谋长吉尔斯·希尔少将，
尊敬的英国皇家空军詹姆斯少将，
各位将军，
各位使节，
各位武官，
女士们、先生们、朋友们：
A very warm welcome to the Chinese Embassy!
It is a great delight to have you with us tonight to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
热烈欢迎各位出席中国驻英国大使馆的招待会，与我们共同庆祝中国人民解放军建军90周年。
Ninety years ago, the Chinese nation was at a life-or-death moment. The Nanchang Uprising in 1927 marked the beginning of the independent armed struggle led by the Communist Party of China. It also marked the founding of the armed forces which later became the PLA.
90年前，在中华民族处于危难之际，南昌起义拉开了中国共产党独立领导武装斗争和创建革命军队的序幕。回首90年沧桑巨变，中国人民解放军走过了极不平凡的历史征程。
Ninety years on, tremendous changes have taken place. It has been an extraordinary historic journey for the PLA.
The ninety years have seen a long, arduous and heroic struggle.
Led by the Communist Party of China, the PLA has made indelible historic contribution to the liberation of the Chinese nation, to safeguarding China’s development and reforms and to upholding China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
From the Long March to the Three Great Battles, and from disaster rescue to patrolling the South China Sea, the PLA has withstood all kinds of tests.
The PLA soldiers have dedicated themselves to the country and people.
The PLA is an army of victory and iron discipline, and an army of peace.
这是艰苦卓绝、浴血奋战的90年。90年来，中国军队在中国共产党领导下，为中国人民的解放事业，为中国社会主义建设和改革事业，为维护中国国家主权、安全、发展利益，建立了不可磨灭的历史功勋。从万里长征到三大战役，从抢险救灾到南海巡航，中国军队经受住了各种严峻考验，用热血和生命书写下对祖国和人民的无限忠诚，无愧为威武之师、文明之师、和平之师。
The ninety years have seen the PLA grow from strength to strength.
The PLA today consists of five different services, namely, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Rocket Force, and the Strategic Support Force.
It is now a modern military force with advanced weaponry and professional administration and operation.
It aims to become a top-notch military force with extensive IT application.
It has built up a strong capability to cope with different security threats and to carry out various kinds of military tasks.
这是不断发展壮大的90年。90年来，中国军队从小到大、由弱变强，已发展成为陆、海、空、火箭军和战略支援部队等诸军兵种合成，拥有先进武器装备和科学管理体系的现代化军队，正在向世界一流的信息化军队阔步前进。中国军队正不断提高应对多种安全威胁、完成多样化军事任务的能力。
Looking ahead, China aims:
To build a defense force that matches China’s international standing,
To ensure that the defense force meets the need of protecting China’s security and development interests,
To further advance reform of China’s defense system and military force,
And to provide a strong safeguard as China strives to realize the Chinese dream of national renewal and achieve the “two centenary goals”.
面向未来，中国将努力建设同中国国际地位相称、同国家安全和发展利益相适应的国防力量，全面深化国防和军队改革，为实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦和“两个一百年”奋斗目标提供坚强保障。
Ladies and Gentlemen,
女士们、先生们，
President Xi Jinping recently said this:
“China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa.”
Today, China remains committed as ever to world peace and common development. China’s military force, the PLA, remains a steadfast force to ensure world peace and stability.
习近平主席说：“世界好，中国才能好；中国好，世界才更好。”新形势下，中国维护世界和平、促进共同发展的决心不会改变，中国军队始终是维护世界和平与稳定的坚定力量。
First, China stays committed to the independent foreign policy of peace. China’s defense policy remains defensive in nature.
In recent decade, China’s military expenditure accounted for only 1.32% of GDP. That was far below the 2.4% world average. China’s per capita military spending was only one eighteenth of the US and one ninth of the UK.
China’s defense and military development is not targeted at any other country. It poses no threat to others. It will never go beyond the scope of ensuring China’s own national security.
首先，我们始终奉行独立自主的和平外交政策和防御性国防政策。近10年来，中国军费占GDP比重平均为1.32%，远低于2.4%的世界平均水平，中国人均军费仅为美国的1/18、英国的1/9。中国的国防和军队建设不针对、不威胁任何国家，更不会超出保卫国家安全的需要。
Second, China pursues a new security concept that focuses on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
China believes that no country can base its security on the instability of other countries.
China will continue to advocate peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefits.
China will promote the idea of building an international community of shared future.
China will work for international relations that regard win-win cooperation as the cornerstone.
The PLA is now engaged in international military and security dialogues more closely than ever before.
But the military-to-military ties we seek to strengthen are not based on alliance. They are not confrontational. They are not targeting any third country.
We are working for a fair and effective system of collective security and mutual trust.
Towards this end, we are building mechanisms of emergence notification, risk prevention and conflict control.
We are actively expanding military and security cooperation.
All these endeavors will help put in place a, security environ, ment that serves peace and development for all.
第二，我们将坚定践行共同、综合、合作、可持续的新型安全观。一国的安全不能建立在别国的动荡之上。中国将高举和平、发展、合作、共赢的旗帜，推动国际社会树立人类命运共同体意识，构建以合作共赢为核心的新型国际关系。中国军队正大力加强国际军事安全交流对话，发展不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三方的军事关系，推动建立公平有效的集体安全机制和军事互信机制，打造突发情况通报、军事危险预防、危机冲突管控等机制，积极拓展军事安全合作空间，营造有利于和平发展的安全环境。
Third, China will make great efforts to advance international cooperation on military and security.
The PLA is already working with other military forces in response to different security challenges. These include both traditional and non-traditional challenges.
Since 2008, Chinese navy has been carrying out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden. This marks a major increase of exchanges and cooperation between the PLA and other countries in safeguarding the international sea lanes. So far, 26 Chinese fleets, including 83 naval vessels, have been sent to the Gulf of Aden and ensured the safe passage of nearly 6,400 ships from around the world. More than half of these ships are non-Chinese-owned or under the World Food Programme.
We are also strengthening defense and security cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN Regional Forum.
We hosted multilateral security events such as the Xiangshan Forum.
All these endeavors have helped facilitate a security and cooperation framework in the interest of peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
China is also playing a constructive role on issues such as DPRK’s nuclear programme, Afghanistan, Iran nuclear deal, Syria, etc, by facilitating dialogue to maintain regional peace and stability.
第三，我们将大力推进国际军事安全领域合作。中国军队与各国军队开展务实合作，共同应对各类传统和非传统安全挑战。自2008年起，中国军队赴亚丁湾等海域开展护航行动，加强与多国护航力量交流合作，共同维护国际海上通道安全。迄今已累计向亚丁湾派出海军护航编队26批83艘次，安全护送6400余艘中外船舶，其中半数以上为外国船舶或世界粮食计划署船舶。我们通过深化上海合作组织、东盟地区论坛等防务安全合作，举办香山论坛等多边活动，推动建立有利于亚太地区和平稳定繁荣的安全和合作新架构。我们还在朝核、阿富汗、伊朗核、叙利亚等热点问题上发挥建设性作用，积极劝和促谈，努力维护地区和平稳定。
Fourth, China will play an active and leading role in international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
In terms of peacekeeping, China is at present the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the P5 of the UN Security Council. China is also the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget.
Since 1990, China has sent a total of 33,000 peacekeepers. Thirteen Chinese soldiers sacrificed their lives for peacekeeping missions. Right now, there are 2,800 Chinese soldiers serving in nine missions including those in Mali and South Sudan.
In terms of humanitarian operations, over the past ten years, the PLA has taken part in nearly 30 international rescue missions. Chinese soldiers were in Africa fighting the Ebola virus. They were in the Indian Ocean searching for the missing Malaysian Airline plane. They were in the capital of Maldives tackling fresh water shortage. They were in Nepal helping with the rescue operations after the devastating earthquake.
The efforts of the PLA in peacekeeping and disaster mitigation are widely recognized and acclaimed. These missions are examples of China fulfilling its responsibility as a big country.
第四，我们将积极引领国际维和、人道主义救援等行动。目前，中国是联合国安理会常任理事国中派出维和人员最多的国家，也是联合国维和行动预算第二大出资国。1990年以来，中国累计派出维和官兵3.3万余人次，共有13名维和官兵为维护世界和平献出了宝贵生命。现在共有2800余名官兵在马里、南苏丹等9个任务区执行维和任务，为相关国家安全稳定及经济社会发展做出积极贡献。过去10年来，中国军队先后参与非洲抗击埃博拉疫情、马航飞机失事搜寻、马尔代夫首都断水援助、尼泊尔抗震救灾等近30次国际人道主义紧急救援行动，充分展现了中国负责任大国形象，得到国际社会广泛赞誉。
Ladies and Gentlemen,
女士们、先生们，
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Ambassadorial diplomatic relations between China and Britain. It is also a year for consolidating the China-UK “Golden Era”. In building stronger bilateral ties, we are facing new opportunities.
Not long ago, President Xi and Prime Minister May held a successful meeting during the G20 Hamburg Summit. The two leaders reaffirmed the shared commitment to building the China-UK “Golden Era”. They agreed to further strengthen strategic mutual trust, and advance exchanges and cooperation in business, culture and security between our two countries.
今年是中英建立大使级外交关系45周年，也是中英关系“黄金时代”深入发展之年。两国关系发展正面临新的重要机遇。前不久，习近平主席与梅首相在二十国集团汉堡峰会期间举行成功会晤，两国领导人再次确认中英关系“黄金时代”大方向，并就进一步加强两国战略互信，推进经贸、人文、安全等各领域交流合作达成重要共识。
Military ties are an important part of the China-UK “Golden Era”. In recent years, bilateral military relationship has entered a fast track.
This is true in the following aspects.
Military-to-military exchanges at all levels have been frequent, cooperation expanded and mutual trust enhanced.
Exchanges and cooperation have expanded steadily to more areas across different services.
Our cooperation on counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, and search and rescue has been effective and fruitful.
In the coming autumn, we will be welcoming another port call by a Chinese naval escort fleet at Portsmouth. I believe this visit will further increase mutual understanding and friendship between our armed forces and strengthen military-to-military ties.
两军关系是中英关系“黄金时代”的重要组成部分。近年来，中英两军关系步入快速发展轨道。一是交往多。两军各层级交往频繁，合作不断扩大，互信不断增进。二是领域宽。两军多军种、多领域务实交流合作稳步推进。三是成效好。两军在反恐、反海盗、救灾等领域均开展良好合作。今秋，正在亚丁湾护航的中国海军舰艇编队将再次赴英国朴茨茅斯港进行友好访问。相信此访将增进中英两军了解和友谊，有力促进两军关系进一步向前发展。
Ladies and Gentlemen,
女士们、先生们，
Peace is a lofty cause and a shared aspiration of all humanity. The world today is still not free from sufferings of wars and conflicts. Global problems such as terrorism, cyber security and public health remain severe. Security threats and challenges are growing and uncertainty and instability increasing.
To ensure lasting peace and overall security, the international community, including China and Britain, must work together. Likewise, to make the China-UK “Golden Era” strong and enduring, all sectors, political, military, business, both in China and Britain must work together.
I believe that by working together, we will ensure greater progress in the relations between our two countries and between our two armed forces.
By working together, China and Britain will make more and greater contribution to world peace and prosperity.
和平是人类共同愿望和崇高目标。当今世界，仍有一些国家和地区民众依然饱受战乱之苦，恐怖主义威胁、网络安全、公共卫生安全等全球性问题突出，安全领域威胁和挑战层出不穷，不确定不稳定因素日益增多。我们要建设一个持久和平、普遍安全的世界，需要包括中英两国在内的国际社会共同努力。我们要推进中英关系“黄金时代”行稳致远，需要包括政治、军事、经贸等在内的中英各界人士共同努力。我相信，在中英双方共同努力下，中英两国、两军关系一定会取得更大发展，一定会为维护世界和平、促进世界繁荣做出新的更大贡献。
Now, may I invite you to join me in a toast:
现在，我提议：
To the 90th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
为庆祝中国人民解放军建军90周年，
To the China-UK “Golden Era”.
为中英关系的“黄金时代”，
To world peace and prosperity.
Cheers!
