3月22日,在对澳大利亚进行正式访问并举行第五轮中澳总理年度会晤之际,国务院总理李克强在澳大利亚《澳大利亚人报》发表题为《推动中澳关系向前走》的署名文章。文章如下:

推动中澳关系向前走中国国务院总理 李克强

当前的世界不确定性增多,方向感缺失。世界经济复苏低迷,全球化遭遇挫折,保护主义倾向抬头,地缘和局部冲突加剧,既有国际秩序和体系遭到质疑。在此背景下,中澳各自何去何从?如何合作应对?这是外界期待获得的答案,也是我此次访问澳大利亚双方要探讨的话题。

我听说,澳大利亚选择了两种澳特有的动物——袋鼠和鸸鹋作为自己的国徽图案,因为它们一般只会向前走,不轻易后退,象征着一个永远迈步向前、充满活力的国家。历史进程中的每一段都会是让我们向未来前进的动力。我们赞赏澳大利亚这种勇往直前、不断奋进的民族精神。

回顾中国漫长的历史,我们经历过战火,也沐浴过和平,我们选择过开放,也固守过封闭。正是闭关锁国、夜郎自大的错误导致了我们近代的惨痛经历;也正是改革开放、和平发展的道路让中国在合作共赢中成为全球化的受益者和推动者。实践告诉我们,全球化、和平、发展、合作是多位一体、不可分割的。自我孤立、闭关自守绝不是伊甸园,既办不好自己的事情,也无助于世界的和平发展。贸易战带不来贸易公平,保护主义不是真正的保护。

历史不能倒退,潮流不能逆转。要在前进中克服困难,解决问题,继续前进。因此,中国坚决致力于维护和平稳定的地区和国际环境,坚定地打开开放的大门,热忱地向外伸出合作的双臂。我们愿同各国一道维护经济全球化,支持自由贸易,改善全球治理体系,推动人类社会的进步。

前进,也是我从中澳两国国歌中听到的关键词。我坚信,中澳会以各自的迈步奋进与合作前行,以彼此发展与合作的稳定性熨平世界的不稳定性。

建交45年以来,中澳关系与合作不断超越国情与制度差异,秉持相互尊重、平等相待,逐渐累积信任,妥处分歧,行稳致远。中澳务实合作显著的特征就是互补性强。正因如此,双方互利合作取得了丰硕的成果,继续深入对接发展战略有着广阔的前景。中澳自贸协定实施以来,红利不断释放,澳奶粉、红酒、保健品等对华出口同比增长超过50%,成为中国民众“海淘”的明星产品。双方可进一步扩大双向开放,拓展“自贸繁荣”,打造多元持续的经贸合作,开辟产能和三方市场、能矿技术、基础设施建设、农牧业等合作新领域,惠及两国民众福祉,助力世界经济增长。

中澳也是双方民众彼此向往的出境旅游胜地。瑰丽的大堡礁,壮丽的艾尔斯岩石,娇憨的考拉都是中国游客的“心头好”,就像澳大利亚友人常常向我夸赞雄伟的万里长城、可爱的熊猫、美味的中国菜。今年是“中澳旅游年”,希望双方以此为契机,进一步提升人员往来便利化程度。相信两国人文、教育和青年等领域的交流合作会让中澳友好深入人心,代代相传。

亚太是中国安身立命之所,也是中澳共同所在的家园,维护亚太地区的稳定与秩序,促进地区的发展繁荣,推进区域一体化进程是包括中澳在内的地区国家的共同愿望。当前形势下,中方愿同澳方顺应地区求和平、谋发展、促合作的大势,以实际行动共同发出积极信号,稳定市场预期,为地区乃至世界传递中澳信心,做出中澳贡献。

未来,希望我们回忆起中澳关系的这一刻时会说,我们化时代挑战为历史机遇,以无私的共享和无畏的勇气,在一个充满不确定性和缺乏方向感的时代,为中澳关系乃至世界贡献了向前走的动力。

On March 22, 2017, a signed article titled “We want to work with you for progress and peace” by Premier Li Keqiang, was published in Australian newspaper The Australian. The full text is as follows:

WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU FOR PROGRESS AND PEACE

LI KEQIANG

We live in a world with growing uncertainties and a sense of disorientation.

Given the less than desirable global economic recovery, the pushback against globalization, rising protectionism, heightened geopolitical rivalry and local conflicts, the existing international order and system is being called into question.

Against such a backdrop, where are China and Australia headed respectively? What can China and Australia do together to cope with such a situation?

People are looking for answers to these questions. They are also topics for discussion during my upcoming visit to Australia.

I was told that for its national emblem, Australia picks a kangaroo and an emu, two native Australian species. Neither of the two likes moving backward but only forward, symbolizing a dynamic country that always moves forward in progress.

As the Australian national anthem puts it, let every stage in history’s page advance Australia fair.

We in China truly admire the Australian people for your perseverance and the courage to forge ahead.

In the long course of history, we Chinese have seen the flames of war and the sunshine of peace; we had periods of great openness and yet also opted to cut ourselves off from the world. While isolation and complacency brought upon us untold sufferings in modern times, reform, opening up and the path of peaceful development have enabled China to benefit from and contribute to globalization through win-win cooperation.

We have seen in practice how the trend of economic globalization has become closely interconnected with, even inseparable from, peace, development and cooperation. Self-isolation will never lead one to the land of happiness. Cutting oneself off could neither ensure success of one’s own endeavor nor peace and development of the world at large. A trade war will not make trade fairer. Protectionism offers no genuine protection.

History cannot be turned back, just as the trend of the times cannot be reversed. We must overcome difficulties and solve problems in the course of moving forward and keep on advancing. In this spirit, China firmly commits to building a peaceful and stable environment regionally and globally, opening the door to the outside world and warmly stretching out our hands for cooperation. We stand ready to work with other countries to support economic globalization and free trade, improve the global governance system and facilitate progress of mankind.

“Advance” is a key word in both the Chinese and Australian national anthems. I am fully confident that China and Australia will continue to move forward in our own way while working with each other, and jointly help to counter global instability with the stability that is created through our steady development and cooperation.

Over the past 45 years of our diplomatic ties, rising above differences in national conditions and systems, China and Australia have gradually built up trust and properly managed disagreements in the spirit of equality and mutual respect. Bilateral relations and cooperation, as a result, have made substantial and steady progress. Defined by strong complementarity, our practical cooperation has delivered fruitful outcomes and promises bright prospect for greater synergy between our development strategies.

Since coming into effect, the China-Australia free trade agreement has yielded continuous dividends, as evidenced by the more than 50 percent year-on-year growth in Australian exports of milk powder, red wine and dietary supplements to China, which are among the most sought-after overseas products for Chinese consumers. Building on that, we may further open up our markets to each other to generate greater FTA-driven prosperity and make our economic cooperation and trade more diverse and sustainable. More cooperation can be explored in new areas such as industrial capacity and third-party markets, energy and mining technologies, infrastructure, agriculture and animal husbandry, which will bring more benefits to our peoples and help boost world economic growth.

Both China and Australia are fascinating lands for each other’s people. Just like Australian friends often speak to me fondly about the majestic Great Wall, cute giant pandas and delicious Chinese cuisine, the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef, magnificent Uluru and adorable koalas are some of the favorites among Chinese tourists. I hope our two sides will take the China-Australia Year of Tourism as an opportunity to further facilitate two-way flows of people. I am confident that with more cultural, educational and youth exchanges, China-Australia friendship will strike deep roots among our peoples and be passed on from generation to generation.

The Asia-Pacific is where China survives and thrives. It is also the common home of China and Australia. It is the shared desire of China, Australia and our neighbors to see the Asia-Pacific enjoy stability and order, development and prosperity and continued regional integration. Under the current circumstances, China and Australia should follow the region’s trend of peace, development and cooperation, join hands to take concrete actions and send positive signals to stabilize market expectations, convey confidence and contribute our share to the region and beyond.

Hopefully, when we look back at this particular moment in China-Australia relations, we can say proudly that we have, with selfless sharing and enormous courage, turned challenges of our time into historic opportunities; and we have, in a disoriented era beset by uncertainties, contributed the impetus needed for China-Australia relations and the world to move forward.