决策者｜亚太经合组织：搭建文化交流的桥梁
The mission of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is regional economic integration that would culminate in its vision for a region that is open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful. Its unique voluntary, non-binding nature allows its member economies to contribute and chart their individual course towards this collective vision.
拥有21位成员的亚太经济合作组织以推动区域经济一体化为使命，致力于推动建设开放包容、充满活力、富有韧性、和平稳定的亚太地区。亚太经合组织遵循自愿参与为原则的非约束性机制，因而能保障各成员制定自身发展路线，同时为实现组织愿景共同努力。
Beyond its high-level initiatives, shared principles and goals, APEC's most valuable contribution to Asia-Pacific integration may be its process itself. At its cores are frequent, relatively informal, consensus-driven meetings, vastly different in tone from meetings that are more adversarial in nature, such as the legalistic bargaining sessions of major trade negotiations. The aim of APEC is not about trade-offs but finding common ground and shared benefits.
亚太经合组织除了推动成员在高级别方案、共同原则和共有目标上达成共识外，其最为宝贵的贡献便是推动一体化进程本身。亚太经合组织的核心价值在于通过密集但相对非正式的会议推动各方达成共识。从基调与本质来看，亚太经合组织会议与更具对抗性的会议（例如重大贸易谈判中的法律谈判会议）截然不同。亚太经合组织的宗旨并非让各方在利益上权衡取舍，而是求同互惠。
China's recently launched Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) is one such effort to achieve the same, as it aims to promote "tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning for the development of a community with a shared future for humanity." This is consistent with the spirit of APEC. The APEC Connectivity Blueprint (endorsed in 2014, when China last hosted APEC) was a bid by members for strengthening "physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity to achieve a seamless and comprehensively connected and integrated Asia-Pacific."
基于同样的理念，中国近期提出了全球文明倡议，旨在实现不同文明包容共存、交流互鉴，为构建人类命运共同体贡献力量，与亚太经合组织的宗旨不谋而合。2014年北京亚太经合组织会议批准了亚太经合组织《互联互通蓝图》，旨在促进成员间加强软件、硬件和人员交流互联互通，建立全面无缝连接和一体化的亚太地区。
The mounting impact of geopolitical tensions, as well as of differences in policy and cultural outlook within APEC cannot be easily discounted. However, APEC's commitment to multi-sector engagement in the region by pursuing shared objectives on which all can agree has proven resilient over the years. This is evident in the continuing APEC workstreams and initiatives to further people-to-people connectivity, including multi-stakeholder engagement, facilitation of business travel mobility, cross-border education and tourism.
我们不能忽视当前日益加剧的地缘政治局势、亚太经合组织内部政策和文化差异。亚太经合组织一直坚持力争实现全体成员共同认可的目标，以实现区域内多领域合作，这一做法在亚太地区展现出强大的韧性。这种韧性不仅体现在亚太经合组织持续开展的项目和提出的倡议中，更体现在促进人员交流的举措中，包括增进利益攸关方的接触，促进商务旅行、跨境教育和出国旅游便利化等方面。
Ultimately, it's about how these 21 member economies, which are varied in terms of economic development, political structures, and culture, are able to have candid discussions focusing on commonalities rather than the divisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the region quickly came together to facilitate the movement of essential medical goods and vaccines, reducing the tariffs and ensuring faster border clearance.
亚太经合组织内的21个经济体经济发展水平、政治体制和文化背景各有不同，各方应求同存异、开诚布公地进行对话。例如，在疫情期间，亚太地区各成员就迅速团结起来，为基本医疗物资和疫苗的流通提供便利，降低关税并加快通关速度。
All these initiatives are built on what APEC already has in promoting engagement and tapping into established relationships. Members build on existing initiatives for continuity and ensure that they are doing it for the right reasons – to support each other, to see growth in each economy, and to ensure that it brings benefits to people. At the end of the day, these initiatives must put the people front and center.
这些合作倡议都建立在亚太经合组织促进交往和深化关系的基础上。同时，成员们基于现有倡议不断开拓进取，并保证其行之有道，即相互支持，促进彼此的经济增长，确保成果惠及民众。总而言之，这些倡议都必须以人为本。
Over the past years, the work in APEC has gone beyond trade and investment, also including environmental sustainability, inclusivity, digital technology, and health policy, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The well-being of people and future generations has always been put at the core of each work. Hence, it highlights the value of people-to-people connectivity and cross-cultural communication. In fact, culture has always played an important role in APEC meetings. Since 1993, when the United States hosted the first APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, each host economy has strived to offer cultural experiences to their visitors in the spirit of friendship and hospitality.
经过多年的发展，亚太经合组织涵盖的议题不再局限于经贸与投资，而是拓展至环境可持续发展、社会包容度、数字技术等领域，在新冠疫情暴发后，还特别增加了卫生政策方面的合作。在这些合作领域中，民众及子孙后代的福祉始终居于中心位置，这凸显了人际联结与跨文化交流的重要性。事实上，文化在亚太经合组织会议的举办过程中一直发挥着重要作用。自1993年美国主办首届亚太经合组织领导人非正式会议以来，历届主办方都本着友好、好客的精神，努力为参会者提供丰富的文化体验。
The value that APEC brings and will continue to bring to the table – having meetings in different member economies in different parts of the world – is how we understand the culture, the way of life and the people. Seeing and experiencing distinct parts of an economy gives a better understanding of what it means to be in APEC for member economies. It makes a big difference to get a feel of how vast an economy is and to see the various aspects of society. The interactions provide a more holistic picture of an economy and an understanding of how it works towards achieving the priorities set for a host year. Different cities give a different feel of a member economy and what it is that they're bringing to the table.
亚太经合组织在不同成员经济体间轮流举行会议。不论是现在还是未来，它的重要价值体现在能使参会者有机会深入了解当地的文化和生活方式，贴近人民群众。通过亲身体验各成员经济体的风土人情，参会者能更深刻地体会到加入亚太经合组织大家庭的意义。直观感知各成员经济体的体量，体察社会的不同侧面，能够极大地丰富参会者的认知。通过这些互动交流，参会者可以更全面地了解一个经济体，知晓其作为主办方为实现既定目标做出了怎样的努力。不同的主办城市展示出不同成员经济体的独特风貌，体现出各成员对亚太经合组织贡献的多样性。
The United States is hosting APEC again this year. Of course, when economic leaders meet in San Francisco their discussions will center around the theme "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All," focusing on supply chain resilience, digital trade, connectivity, opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, climate change, and environmental sustainability.
今年，美国再度成为亚太经合组织峰会的主办国。各经济体的领导人齐聚旧金山，他们将围绕“为所有人创造一个有韧性和可持续的未来”这一主题展开讨论，聚焦于供应链的韧性、数字贸易、互联互通、中小企业的发展机会、气候变化和环境可持续性等话题。
But just as important as these discussions will be the opportunity to witness, as China's GCI succinctly puts it, it is about the "robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation."
但同样重要的是，参会者将有机会见证国际人文交流与合作不断加强，这与中国提出的全球文明倡议的内容相呼应。
It may be time to start thinking about how to merge the two things that make APEC what it is: the process of open dialogue to reach consensus for economic issues, as well as the commitment to putting one's best cultural foot forward to enrich relationships.
如何将亚太经合组织的两大支柱融为一体：即通过开放对话，就经济议题达成共识；积极发扬优秀文化以增进彼此关系。现在也许是时候开始思考这个问题了。