中英共克时艰，携手构建人类卫生健康共同体
“Better to be Friends than Rivals” China and the UK Can Join Hands to Overcome the Pandemic and Contribute to a Global Community of Health for all
刘晓明大使在《中国日报》发表署名文章
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Contributes an Article to China Daily
2021年1月7日
7 January 2021
2020年，在21世纪第三个十年开启之际，世纪疫情肆虐全球，百年变局加速演变，世界面临空前挑战。面对严峻形势，中国着眼大局、坚守正道，与英国守望相助，携手合作，为两国及全球抗疫注入动力，为践行人类命运共同体理念贡献力量。双方抗疫合作有五大亮点：
At the dawn of the third decade of the 21st century, the worst pandemic in 100 years ravaged the world, precipitating the profound changes unseen in a century and posing unprecedented challenges to the world. The grave pandemic situation calls on all countries to bear in mind the larger picture and do the right thing. It is in this spirit that China and the United Kingdom have come to each other’s assistance and fought the pandemic hand in hand, strengthening the response at home and abroad, and contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. There have been five highlights in China-UK cooperation:
一是高层保持沟通，协调抗疫政策。在疫情暴发初期，习近平主席同英国首相约翰逊在一个多月时间里两次通电话，就中英抗疫合作强化共识、指明方向，强调“病毒不分国界、不分种族，全人类只有共同努力，才能战而胜之”。胡春华副总理、中央外事工作委员会办公室主任杨洁篪、国务委员兼外长王毅、国家卫健委主任马晓伟等分别同英方相关领导人保持沟通，全面落实两国最高领导人重要共识。我本人和中国驻英国使馆也与英国主管部门及地方政府加强沟通协调，推进双多边抗疫合作。
First, there has been close high-level communication, ensuring coordination of their public health responses. At the beginning of the outbreak, President Xi Jinping and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had two telephone conversations in a little over one month, during which they built up consensus and charted the course for China-UK cooperation. President Xi stressed that viruses know no borders or races, and the only way to defeat them is working together. Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Minister of the National Health Commission Ma Xiaowei have maintained communication with UK counterparts to fully implement the important agreements reached between President Xi and Prime Minister Johnson. The Chinese embassy in the UK has also enhanced communication and coordination with government departments and local governments in the UK in order to enhance China-UK cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally.
二是加强经验交流，提高防控水平。中英卫生官员、医学专家和一线医务人员积极分享诊疗与防疫经验。不久前，中国国家卫健委与英国卫生和社会保障部共同举办第五次中英卫生对话，双方重点就疫情防控、世卫组织改革和支持发展中国家抗疫等议题深入交流，重申继续加强抗疫合作，共同维护两国及全球民众健康。
Second, there have been closer exchanges of experience in prevention and control which has led to better results. Health officials, medical professionals and front line health workers from China and the UK have readily shared their diagnosis, treatment and prevention experiences. Not long ago, the National Health Commission of China and the Department of Health and Social Care of the UK held the fifth China-UK Health Dialogue, where the two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on prevention and control measures, World Health Organization reform and support for response in developing countries. This was a reiteration that China and the UK will continue stepping up cooperation to safeguard the health of the people in our two countries and beyond.
三是发挥各自优势，深化科研合作。中国多所大学、科研机构与英国牛津、剑桥、帝国理工学院等大学在新冠病毒检测和药物、疫苗研发方面开展有效合作，两国企业也积极参与科研合作。值得一提的是，牛津大学-苏州先进研究中心与牛津大学工程科学学院团队联合开发出新冠病毒迅速检测技术，并在伦敦希思罗机场以及英国有关社区、医院、学校、大型活动场所等投入使用，取得良好效果。
Third, there has been deeper cooperation on scientific research that has brought together the respective strengths of both countries. Chinese universities and research institutions have carried out effective cooperation with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London on tests, medicines and vaccines. Businesses of the two countries have also taken an active part. A rapid COVID-19 test developed by a joint team from the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research and Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science has been put to use in Heathrow Airport and some communities, hospitals, schools and large-scale event venues in the UK and has achieved good effects.
四是践行患难与共，相互支援物资。在武汉抗疫关键时期，英国政府向中方紧急运送两批急需抗疫物资，英国各界也纷纷捐钱捐物，支持中方抗疫。在英方抗疫紧要关头，中方投桃报李施以援手，各级政府、企业、民众均向英方捐赠医疗物资。其中，山东省联合工作组逆行来英，向英方提供呼吸机等重要抗疫物资。中方还克服困难，协助英方在华采购超过1亿件防疫物资。
Fourth, there has been mutual assistance in supplies and mutual goodwill in times of hardship. At the height of China’s fight against the virus in Wuhan, the UK government sent two shipments of badly-needed medical supplies to China and British people from all walks of life donated funds and supplies. When the virus spread in the UK, Chinese governments at various levels, businesses and ordinary citizens donated medical supplies to reciprocate the kindness of the British people. A joint team from Shandong province came to the UK and brought critical supplies, including ventilators, when the UK was at a critical point in its response to the virus. Despite the shortage of supplies at home, the Chinese side assisted the UK side in procuring over 100 million medical items.
五是坚持多边主义，共担国际责任。中英积极推动全球抗疫合作和公共卫生治理，支持世卫组织在国际抗疫中发挥核心作用。李克强总理出席“全球疫苗峰会”，与英方等共同为“全球疫苗免疫联盟”筹资；两国均加入“新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划”，促进全球疫苗公平分配；两国积极落实二十国集团缓债倡议，为发展中国家抗疫提供助力。近期，双方启动新的抗疫及卫生合作项目，提高初级卫健机构对病毒管控能力，并为推广疫苗和诊疗方法提供支持。此外，双方还举办非洲抗疫视频座谈会，探讨中英非抗疫三方合作。
Fifth, there has been a firm joint commitment to multilateralism and international responsibilities. China and the UK have made vigorous efforts to enhance global cooperation in response to the pandemic and global governance on public health. Both countries have supported the World Health Organization in playing a central role in the global health crisis. Premier Li Keqiang attended the Global Vaccine Summit and worked with the UK and other participating parties to raise funds for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. The two countries joined the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan to promote fair distribution of vaccines around the world. They have also taken vigorous measures to implement the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative to provide support for the response of developing countries. Recently, new cooperation projects in pandemic response and healthcare were launched to improve the virus management and control capacity of primary healthcare institutions and to provide support for the wide application of vaccines, diagnostic methods and treatment. A webinar was also held to discuss tri-party cooperation between China, the UK and Africa.
2020年以来，中英经贸合作与人员往来不可避免地受到疫情影响。但随着中国成功控制疫情并实现复工复产，中英经贸合作正企稳向好，双方携手抗疫更是推动两国民众之间的友谊不断升华，为两国关系持续发展打下良好基础。
Unavoidably, the pandemic affected the business cooperation and personnel exchanges between China and the UK in 2020. However, as China effectively placed the virus under control and got the economy back on track, China-UK business cooperation has shown a momentum of steady growth.
2021年对于中英均是具有历史性意义的重要一年：中国将开启“十四五”规划，踏上全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程；英国结束脱欧过渡期，进入打造“全球化英国”的新阶段。新形势下，中英关系将迎来更多新机遇，双方在贸易、投资、金融、科技、教育、医疗卫生等领域合作潜力巨大，在维护多边主义、抗击新冠疫情、应对气候变化、促进自由贸易、推进经济复苏等方面合作前景广阔。特别是两国分别计划于5月和11月举办《生物多样性公约》第15次缔约方会议（COP15）和《联合国气候变化框架公约》第26次缔约方会议（COP26），双方正就此加强沟通协作，致力于共同为国际环保和全球气候事业做出积极贡献。
The year 2021 has historic significance for both China and the UK: China will embark on a new journey of implementing the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-25) and building a modern socialist country in all aspects; the UK, having completed Brexit, will enter a new stage of building a “Global Britain”. There will be new opportunities for the relationship this year, and there will be enormous potential and promising prospects for China-UK cooperation in trade, investment, financial services, science and technology, education and healthcare, as well as in safeguarding multilateralism, fighting against the pandemic, addressing climate change, upholding free trade and promoting the global recovery. In particular, China and the UK will host the 15th Conference of the Parties to Convention on Biodiversity and the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in May and November respectively. The two sides are enhancing communication and coordination on global environmental protection and climate response.
毋庸讳言，过去一年，中英关系也经受考验。英方在涉港、涉疆等问题上做出的一系列错误言行，导致中英关系遭遇严重困难。中英关系在新的一年能否重归正轨、重启合作，很大程度上取决于英方是否真正将中方视为伙伴而非对手，是否尊重中方核心利益和重大关切，是否在两国关系中恪守互不干涉内政等国际关系基本准则。
Despite all these positive factors, 2020 was not without tests for the relationship. A series of wrong remarks and actions by the UK side on issues related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region caused severe difficulties for the bilateral relations. Will the relationship return to the normal track and will cooperation resume in the new year? This will, to a large extent, depend on whether the UK sees China as a partner or a rival, respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and abide by the basic norms governing international relations, including non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. The ball is in the court of the UK side.
寒冬终将过去，春天即将来临。在即将结束持节英伦11年任期之际，我想表达两个心愿：一是中英双方继续深化抗疫合作，推进疫苗研发和公平分配，为人类早日战胜新冠病毒贡献力量；二是双方本着相互尊重、平等相待、互利共赢的精神，增进互信，排除干扰，防范各类“政治病毒”，确保中英关系健康稳定发展，共同推动构建人类卫生健康共同体。
Winter will end and spring will arrive. As I am about to complete my tour of office in the UK, where I have served as Chinese ambassador for 11 years, I would like to express my two wishes for the China-UK relationship: First, I hope China and the UK will continue deepening their pandemic response cooperation, promoting the research and fair distribution of vaccines and contributing to an early global victory. Second, I hope China and the UK will deepen mutual trust, resist disruptions and guard against “political viruses” in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, so as to ensure the sound and steady development of the relationship and jointly promote the building of a global community of health for all.