Spanning the Maritime Silk Road: China and Somalia Show True Friendship, Can Stand the Test of Adversity
跨越海上丝绸之路：中索真诚友好、历久弥坚
Chinese Ambassador Qin Jian to Somalia
驻索马里大使覃俭
20 August 2020
2020年8月20日
As a Chinese poem says, “Good friends feel close to each other even when they are separated by vast distance”. Although China and Somalia are far apart geographically, friendly exchanges between the two peoples can be traced back 600 years ago to when Zheng He, a famous Chinese navigator, visited Somalia many times. Since then, the two peoples have been closely linked by the Maritime Silk Road.
“相知无远近，万里尚为邻”。中索两国虽相距遥远，但两国人民的友好交往可追溯到600年前，当时中国著名航海家郑和曾多次访问索马里。自那时起，海上丝绸之路把两国人民紧紧联系在一起。
Somalia became the first country in East Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1960, and the two countries have achieved fruitful results in exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy, education, sports, science and technology and healthcare, and other areas. In 1964, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Somalia. From 1960 to 1991, the Chinese government helped Somalia with 89 projects, encompassing agriculture, healthcare, culture and education, people’s livelihoods and infrastructure such as Somalia’s national stadium, Benadir hospital, national grand theater, a reservoir, water supply system and North-South national highway, which are still celebrated by the Somali people. China also sent 13 batches of medical teams to Somalia, with a total of nearly 400 doctors, curing thousands of Somali people. The friendship between China and Somalia is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.
索马里于1960年成为东非第一个同中国建交的国家，两国在政治、经济、教育、体育、科技、卫生等领域的交流与合作成果丰硕。1964年，周恩来总理访问索马里。1960年至1991年，中国政府帮索马里建设了农业、医疗、文化、教育、民生和基础设施等项目，迄今国家体育场、贝纳迪尔医院、国家大剧院、水库、供水系统、南北国家公路等仍被索马里人民称颂。中国向索马里派出了13批医疗队，为数千名索马里人民治愈了疾病。中索友好深深扎根于两国人民心中。
The two countries have always respected and supported each other. Somalia has long adhered to the principle of one China, and China has respected Somali sovereignty and political independence. In 1971, with the firm support of Somalia and other African fraternal countries, China gained its legitimate seat in the United Nations. Since Somalia unfortunately fell into a civil war in 1991, China has continued to support Somalia’s pursuit of peace in the fields of economy, education, health, personnel training and development assistance, and has spoken up for Somalia in multilateral platforms such as the UN Security Council, called on the international community to support for Somalia and promote the early solving of the Somali issue, made unremitting efforts to foster political peace, economic development, social progress and improvement of people’s livelihoods in Somalia.
索马里一贯坚持一个中国的原则，中国尊重索马里的主权和政治独立。1971年，在索马里等非洲兄弟国家的坚定支持下，中国恢复了在联合国的合法席位。自1991年索马里不幸陷入了内战以来，中国继续支持索马里追求和平，在经济、教育、卫生、人员培训和发展援助等领域提供支持,并在联合国安理会等多边国际领域为索仗义执言，呼吁国际社会加大支持，推动索马里问题早日解决，为促进索马里政治和平、经济发展、社会进步和民生改善做出了不懈努力。
The two countries have always cherished sincere and friendly feelings. In recent years, the Chinese government has provided scholarships to Somalia every year to help it develop human resources and train talent for national development. At present, there are more than 1,300 Somali students studying in China. The Somali language is being taught in Beijing Foreign Studies University. The visits, participation and training of Somali government officials, women’s delegations, media delegations, youths and think tank scholars to China have promoted people-to-people exchanges and deepened the traditional friendship between the two countries. Chinese enterprises and businessmen have invested in Somalia and made positive contributions to the local economic and social development.
近年来，中国政府每年向索马里提供政府奖学金，帮助索马里开发人力资源，培养国家建设人才。北京外国语大学正式教授索马里语。索马里政府官员、妇女代表团、媒体代表团、青年、智库学者赴华访问、参会和培训，促进了两国之间人文交流，加深了传统友谊。中国企业和商人在索马里投资兴业，为索马里经济社会发展作出了积极贡献。
The two countries have always helped each other. During the severe droughts and floods in Somalia, the Chinese government and people have lent helping hands and provided emergency humanitarian food and disaster relief material assistance to the Somali government and people. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, China and Somalia have jointly fought the pandemic with solidarity and cooperation. The Chinese government and civil society have provided material assistance to the Somali government and people to help with their treatment and prevention and control efforts. Somalia on its part offered China invaluable support at the height of China’s battle with the novel coronavirus. These fully demonstrate “True friendship will stand the test of adversity”, and the brotherhood between China and Somalia during these testing times.
在索马里发生严重洪涝灾害期间，中国政府和人民伸出援手，向索马里政府和人民提供了紧急人道主义粮食和救灾物资援助。新型冠状病毒疫情爆发以来，中国和索马里团结合作，共同抗击疫情。中国从政府到民间向索马里提供了抗疫物资援助，帮助索马里开展防控。索马里政府和人民在中国人民抗疫的最重要时刻给予了宝贵声援。这些充分体现了中索两国同舟共济、共克时艰、患难与共的兄弟情谊。
As good brothers and sisters, good partners and good friends, the two peoples love peace and are eager for development. Without peace, there will be no development, and without peace, there will be no happy life for the people.
作为好兄弟、好伙伴、好朋友，两国人民热爱和平、渴望发展。没有和平就没有发展，没有和平就没有人民的幸福生活。
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Somalia. Looking back over the past, the relations between the two countries have withstood the test of time and the evolving of the international landscape and yielded fruitful results.
今年是中国和索马里建交60周年。回顾过去，两国关系经受住了时间和国际风云变幻的考验，成果丰硕。
Looking to the future, China and Somalia will work together and forge ahead, and there are bright prospects for their relations. Under the frameworks of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation, the Forum on China and Arab Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, the two countries will work together to develop cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade, infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, capacity building and cultural exchanges, to achieve mutual benefits. China will continue to adhere to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and work together with the Somali government and people to jointly champion a new chapter for friendly cooperation between our two countries and two peoples and make joint contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
展望未来，两国将携手共进，前景光明。让我们在中非合作论坛、中阿合作论坛和一带一路建设的框架下，拓展两国经贸、基础设施建设、农业、医疗卫生、教育文化、能力建设、人文交流等各领域的友好合作，奋力发展，合作共赢。中方将继续贯彻落实习近平主席提出的真实亲诚对非原则，秉持正确义利观，与索马里政府和人民共同谱写两国友好合作的新篇章，为构建人类命运共同体做出贡献！