My second observation to get a clear focus is that China is still a developing country:
· China is a large economy in total size.
· But per capita GDP of China was only 5432 US dollars last year. According to IMF statistics, this figure was only one seventh of that of Britain.
· That ranks China at 89th place in the world.
· In China 128 million people still live in poverty.
That means 128 million Chinese live on one dollar per day. If measured against the UN criteria of poverty of living on 1.25 dollars per day, then the Chinese poor population will be even higher. Let me draw on my own experience to give a sense of this poverty. I once worked in one of China’s poorest western provinces—Gansu as Assistant Governor. I visited more than 60 of its 86 counties. Here I felt very strongly the wide gap between China’s west region and its eastern coastal areas. This is the divide between rural and urban areas. In some villages of Gansu even clean water was difficult to access. These people have a long way to go before they get out of poverty.
三是中国致力于和平发展。今天的中国，坚持独立自主的和平外交政策，将维护世界和平、促进共同发展作为中国外交政策的宗旨。中国倡导互信、互利、平等、协作的新安全观，秉持积极有为的国际责任观，奉行睦邻友好的地区合作观，主张世界各国一道建立持久和平、共同繁荣的和谐世界。中国绝不搞侵略扩张，永远不争霸、不称霸，绝不走历史上“国强必霸”的老路。中国致力于和平解决国际争端和热点问题。中国累计向联合国30项维和行动派出各类人员约2万多人次，是派出维和人员最多的联合国安理会常任理事国。中国同12个陆地邻国解决了历史遗留的边界问题，主张通过和平谈判处理同邻国领土和海洋权益争端，尽最大努力维护南海、东海及周边和平稳定。
My third observation to help you focus is that China is committed to peaceful development:
· Today’s China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. The goal of Chinese foreign policy is to maintain world peace and promote common development.
· China embraces a new security concept that stresses mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation.
· China pro-actively fulfills its international responsibility.
· It insists on good neighborliness and regional cooperation.
· It calls on all other countries to work together for a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.
· China will never seek expansion or hegemony.
· The theory that “a strong country must seek hegemony” will never apply to China.
China is committed to peaceful settlement of international disputes and crisis issues. As evidence of this, China has sent a total of more than 20 thousand people of various types to 30 UN peacekeeping missions. This makes China the permanent member of the UN Security Council that has sent abroad the largest number of peacekeeping personnel. China has resolved boundary issues with its 12 neighboring countries on land. China believes disputes over territory and maritime rights with neighboring countries should be resolved through peaceful negotiations. China will do its best to maintain peace and stability in South China Sea, East China Sea and its surrounding areas.
最近，日本宣布对中国的领土钓鱼岛实施“国有化”，这是对中国领土主权的严重侵犯，引起中国人民的坚决反对和强烈抗议。我们敦促日本立即停止一切损害中国领土主权的行为，回到和平谈判解决争议的轨道上来。
Recently Japan has announced its so-called “nationalisation” of Chinese territory Diaoyu Dao. This move has grossly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It has sparked firm opposition and strong protest from the Chinese people. We urge Japan to immediately stop all its actions that violate China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and return to the track of resolving disputes through peaceful negotiations.
我在英国工作两年多，经常看到西方媒体上对中国未来的各种“担心”，甚至“唱衰”。而事实上，中国民众对自己的国家抱有信心。根据美国著名民调机构皮尤研究中心今年7月公布的调查报告，83%的中国民众对中国经济感到乐观，而在美国和英国，认为本国经济形势良好的只有31%和15%。作为一个中国外交官，我对中国未来发展更充满信心。
It is over two years since I arrived in the UK as Chinese Ambassador. Since my arrival, I have often read in Western media worries about China’s future - sometimes even prophecies about China’s doom. The reality is that we Chinese people are confident about our own country. This is backed up even by an American research company. The Pew Research Centre’s survey last July showed that 83% of Chinese people were optimistic about Chinese economy. While in the US and UK, the figures were only 31% and 15% respectively. As a Chinese diplomat I have every confidence in China’s future! So, what are the foundations of my confidence?
首先，中国经济发展潜力巨大，动力充沛。中国去年城镇化率历史上首次超过了50%，而英国在1851年就达到了这一水平，发达国家目前的城镇化率普遍在80%左右。中国城镇化发展还将持续几十年，将创造出巨大的城市住宅、基础设施建设的需求。中国地区发展不平衡，而今后的平衡进程可以有效带动投资和内需的增长，提供更大的市场规模。中国的整体消费结构正从吃、穿等生存性消费向住、行、教育等发展型消费升级，提振空间很大。中国劳动力总量巨大的优势还会持续一段时间，并且随着政府加大教育投入，人力资本提升空间很大，这将形成新的“人口红利”。
First, the Chinese economy has great potential and a strong drive. Last year urbanisation rate in China for the first time passed 50%. Britain already reached this level in 1851. The average urbanisation rate in developed countries now stands at around 80%. Urbanisation in China will continue for several more decades. This will create immense demand in housing and infrastructure. As I said earlier, China’s development is not balanced between different regions. The regional balancing process will boost investment and domestic demand and provide a bigger marketplace. China’s consumption mix is upgrading from living necessities like food and clothing to houses, cars and education. China’s strength in its large labour force will continue for a long period. With more government input in education, China’s human capital will be strengthened. This will bring new population dividends.
第二，中国的发展将更加全面和谐，人民将更加幸福。中国将继续致力于民主法治建设，维护社会公平正义，实现人的自由和全面发展。中国将更好地保障和改善民生，使发展成果更好地惠及全体人民。中国将努力建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会，走可持续发展之路。中国人均GDP要向发达国家看齐，但人均能源消费、温室气体排放强度绝不能赶超发达国家。
