前驻英国大使、中国论坛特约专家刘晓明接受英中贸协书面采访

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适逢中英建立大使级外交关系 50 周年，中国前驻英国大使（2010-2021）、中国论坛特约专家刘晓明近日接受英中贸易协会的书面采访，阐述了他任大使的11年里中英外交关系的演变。中国论坛特此转发，以飨读者。

1、您可否与我们分享您在出使英国期间最难忘的瞬间？

我出使英伦11年，是中英关系史上任期最长的驻英大使，也是中国历史上任职时间最长的驻外大使。11年间，与中英两国朋友们共话友谊、共促合作的一幕幕情景，成为我最宝贵、最温馨的回忆。其中最令我难忘的，就是连续10年参加特拉法加广场的春节庆典活动，与英国民众共同庆祝新春佳节。

特拉法加春节庆典不仅是伦敦首屈一指的多元文化盛事，也是亚洲地区以外规模最大的春庆活动，每年都吸引约70万民众观看。庆典活动之所以令人印象深刻，因为它跨越国界时空、超越文明隔阂，既呈现了中国歌舞、书画、舞龙舞狮等中华传统文化节目，也包括了西方歌剧、乐队演出等节目，书写了中西方文明交流互鉴、彼此启迪的生动故事，搭建了中西方文化交相辉映、美美与共的大舞台，成为滋养中英友谊的厚沃土壤，为两国人文交流与合作注入了强劲动力。庆典活动得到了英国王室和政府的支持，英国女王伊丽莎白二世和首相曾分别向活动发来贺信。此外，唐宁街10号首相府也连续多年举办春节招待会，我和夫人都应邀出席，与在英华侨华人社团共迎佳节、共贺新春。

我高兴地看到，尽管受疫情影响，但今年特拉法加广场上仍然悦动着庆祝虎年的舞狮队，仍然吸引着热情的观众驻足观赏。这就是英国朋友常说的“演出必须继续”。

2、您认为您出使英国期间取得的最大成就是什么？

最令我感到自豪的是，中英两国发扬敢为人先的“破冰精神”，在中国与西方国家关系中发挥了引领作用：英国在西方大国中第一个申请加入亚投行并向亚投行专门基金注资，第一个发行人民币债券，第一个任命“一带一路”特使，第一个签署《“一带一路”融资指导原则》。同样，中国在欧盟国家中率先与英国建立全面战略伙伴关系，第一次在境外发行人民币主权债券和央行票据选择了伦敦，推动伦敦成为全球最大人民币离岸交易中心，中国对英投资也高居对欧洲国家前列。这些“第一”是彼时中英关系走在中西方关系前列的生动写照，也是我担任大使期间见证的重要成就。

3、在您出使英国期间，中英关系中最重要的外交事件是什么？

2015年习近平主席对英国进行国事访问，双方由此开启了中英关系“黄金时代”，这无疑成为中英关系近年来最重要、意义最深远的“高光时刻”。那是一次名副其实的“超级国事访问”，英方给予超高规格礼遇，伦敦塔桥和格林公园根据英国王室最高礼仪共鸣放103响礼炮，伊丽莎白二世女王为习主席举行隆重欢迎仪式，两次设宴款待习主席夫妇，王室三代众多成员参加接待；卡梅伦首相在正式活动后，还邀请习主席夫妇赴乡间别墅做客，并亲自陪同访问曼彻斯特。这次访问期间，中英确立了“面向二十一世纪全球全面战略伙伴关系”的新定位，达成启动沪伦通等近150项合作成果，为中英友好夯实了更牢基础，也为中英关系开辟了广阔前景。尽管中英关系此后经历了一些波折，但中英合作符合两国根本利益，互利共赢始终是中英合作的主旋律。我相信，在两国和两国人民的共同努力下，中英关系一定能拨云睹日、重焕光彩！

4、在您出使英国期间，中英关系取得了哪些发展？

出任中国驻英大使的11年里，我有幸与英国4任首相和6任外交大臣共事，同王室主要成员保持良好交往。这期间，中英高层对话机制更加丰富，中英关系的全球意义更加凸显，中英彼此情谊不断加深。

一是两国领导人保持沟通和交往，中英举行了5次总理会晤、5次战略对话、8次经济财金对话，还开启了两国高级别人文交流机制和高级别安全对话。

二是两国在联合国、二十国集团等国际组织框架下加强协作，在支持多边主义和自由贸易、反对单边主义和保护主义、携手应对气候变化等全球性挑战方面共识更加突出，在国际和地区热点问题上保持沟通协调。

三是两国相互了解不断加深，民意基础逐步扩大。11年来，中英年度人员往来数量翻了一番，达200万人次；在英中国留学生数量增长一倍多，达22万。英国已成为中国学生留学的首选地。两国文化、科技、创新交流合作成果丰硕，英国成为第一个与中国签署《科技创新合作战略》的国家。新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来，两国人民守望相助、共克时艰的友好情谊令人感动。

与此同时，中英政治制度、发展阶段、历史文化不同，在一些问题上仍存在分歧，双边关系并非一帆风顺。但我始终认为，中英作为具有全球影响的大国，肩负着维护世界和平与发展的重任，合作才是中英关系的主流和正道。只要双方能着眼大局、顺时应势，本着相互尊重、平等相待的精神加强沟通、相向而行，中英关系定能超越分歧，实现健康稳定发展。

5、您出使英国期间克服的最大阻碍是什么？

英国是最早承认新中国的西方大国，也是最早同新中国开展经贸往来的西方大国之一。时至今日，两国交流覆盖各个方面，涉及各个领域，广度和深度均今非昔。但令人遗憾的是，中英之间仍然存在“了解赤字”和“认知赤字”。这也是我在任期间努力克服的最大阻碍。我曾说过，英国是一本值得细读的书，中国也是如此。可惜在英国，一些人只看到封面，甚至道听途说了一些不负责任的“书评”，就认为这就是中国。我担任驻英大使期间，一直尽力向英国各界展现一个真实、友好、充满机遇的中国。为此，我遍访英国各地，北至最北端的设得兰群岛的耶尔岛，南至英吉利海峡诸岛，从英格兰到苏格兰，从北爱尔兰到威尔士，从皇家属地到海外领地；广泛接触英国各界人士，积极推进中英相互了解和各领域合作；发表演讲700余场，在主流报刊撰文170多篇，接受主流媒体采访170多次。我衷心希望英中贸协能继续发挥好桥梁作用，为增进中英了解、缩小两国之间的“了解赤字”和“认知赤字”贡献力量。

6、在您出使英国期间，您认为英中贸协在促进中英经贸联系方面发挥了哪些作用？

中英经贸合作取得的成就，离不开英中贸协和两国工商界人士的辛勤付出。我任中国驻英大使期间，英中贸协先后在白乐威爵士、沙逊勋爵、古沛勤爵士的领导下，积极为中英两国工商界牵线搭桥，为双方深化务实合作献计献策。同时，英中贸协积极宣介中英经贸合作成果，引导英国各界客观全面看待中国发展并增进对华正确认知，维护中英合作，发挥了重要作用。

一是运用自身影响力，多次公开发声，要求英政府展现对华友好的意愿，稳定工商界对华合作信心，深化中英互信，维护合作大局；

二是先后发布两期《英国就业对中英联系的依赖性》（UK Jobs Dependent on Links to China）专题研究报告，讲述中英共赢合作故事，强调同中国合作对英国经济的重要性，呼吁理性对华态度；

三是通过组织具有影响力的研讨会，积极影响公共舆论，为中英良性互动创造平台，对双方聚焦合作、增进互信起到很好的效果；

四是2020年新冠肺炎疫情暴发以后，英中贸协协调两国企业和金融机构捐款捐物，两国工商界用实际行动演绎了中英携手抗疫、共克时限的故事。

可以说，英中贸协不仅为我在英履职提供了鼎力支持和帮助，更为加强中英互信、扩大双方战略共识和利益作出了重要贡献。

7、您认为中英在经贸领域取得的最大成就有哪些？

我出使英国11年，中英在贸易投资、大型项目、金融及“一带一路”合作等方面都取得了长足进展。

2009年至2020年，中英货物贸易额从392亿美元增至924亿美元，其中英国对华出口增长约20倍。至2021年1月底我离任时，英国在华直接投资存量达264.2亿美元；中国对英直接投资存量达181.1亿美元，较2009年底时的10.2亿美元增长约17倍，英国成为中国在欧洲第二大投资目的地。欣克利角C核电站作为中国在欧洲最大单笔投资，成为中英合作旗舰项目。

11年间，在英设立分行的中资银行增加到8家；“沪伦通”正式开通，多家中资企业在伦交所上市，开创了中国与境外资本市场互联互通先河；伦敦成为世界第一大人民币离岸交易中心和第二大人民币离岸清算中心。中英签署“一带一路”第三方市场合作协议，在第三方市场融资、专业技术与服务等方面积极开展合作。

中英经贸互利合作给两国人民带来了实实在在益处：中国企业在英建成当时欧洲最大电池储能项目；中国投资的纯电动、低排放出租车驶上了伦敦街头；英国美食饮品通过“进博会”的平台走上了中国百姓餐桌；中国投资为英国当地创造了可观税收和就业，也为英国企业转型升级和产业高质量发展提供了动力。总之，中英经贸关系潜力巨大，前景广阔，我期待双方合作在下一个50年再创辉煌！

Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Gives an Interview to the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC)

1.Can you tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments during your time as ambassador to the UK?

I served as the Chinese ambassador to the UK for 11 years, the longest serving one in the history of China-UK relations and in China as well. The most enjoyable moments, over that period of time, were those I shared with Chinese and British friends in promoting friendship and cooperation. Those have become my precious and fond memories. And the most unforgettable of all was the Chinese New Year celebration in Trafalgar Square. I went to the event for 10 consecutive years to join the British people in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year celebration in Trafalgar Square is a leading multi-cultural event in London, and the biggest Spring Festival celebration outside Asia, attracting around 700,000 people every year. The celebration is impressive because it transcends national boundaries and cultural differences. It presents not only traditional Chinese cultural performances such as Chinese songs and dances, painting and calligraphy, dragon and lion dance, but also Western opera and musical performances. It is a platform for both Chinese and Western cultures and a nurturing ground for China-UK friendship, enriching our people-to-people ties. That is why it enjoys support from the royal family and the British government, receiving congratulatory messages from H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister.  In addition, Downing Street No.10 has held Chinese New Year receptions for a couple of years. My wife and I have been invited to attend, joining the local Chinese communities to celebrate the New Year. 

I am glad to see that this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there were still lion dances in Trafalgar Square in celebration of the Year of the Tiger, which attracted a lot of passers-by to watch. Indeed, just as my British friends often say, “the show must go on!”

2.What do you think were the biggest ambassadorial successes during your time as ambassador to the UK?

What has made me most proud is the “ice-breaking spirit” in the China-UK relationship, which has led the way for China’s relations with the Western world. Of the major western countries, Britain was the first to apply for the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) membership and inject capital into its special fund; the first to issue RMB bonds and appoint a special envoy for the Belt and Road cooperation, and the first to sign the Guiding Principles on Financing the Belt and Road Initiative. 

On China’s part, we established a comprehensive strategic partnership with the UK earlier than other European countries; we chose London to issue the first RMB sovereign bonds and central bank bills overseas, in support for London to become the world’s biggest offshore RMB trading center. China’s investment in the UK surpassed that in most other European countries. These “firsts” epitomized the China-UK relationship leading the way for China’s relations with Western countries. They were important milestones that I witnessed as ambassador to the UK.

3.What were the most significant diplomatic moments between the two countries during your time as ambassador to the UK?

President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK in 2015 ushered in the “Golden Era” of China-UK relations. This is undoubtedly the most important and far-reaching moment, the very highlight, of bilateral relations in recent years.

That was indeed a “super” state visit. Britain greeted President Xi with exceptional protocol: at Tower Bridge and Green Park, a 103-gun salute was fired, the highest British royal salute; Queen Elizabeth II held a grand welcoming ceremony for President Xi and hosted two banquets for President Xi and Madame Peng, with most of the royal family in attendance. After the state events, Prime Minister Cameron invited President Xi and Madame Peng to Chequers, and accompanied them on a visit to Manchester.

That visit has lifted the bilateral relationship to a “global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century”, and produced nearly 150 deliverables, including the launch of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect. It consolidated the China-UK friendship and opened up broader prospects for bilateral relations. Despite some twists and turns in the following years, cooperation remains in the fundamental interest of both countries as it benefits both sides. I am confident that with the concerted efforts of our two countries and peoples, China-UK relations have a brighter future and will regain its full vigor.

4.How have ambassadorial relations evolved since your time as ambassador to the UK?

During my 11 years as China’s ambassador to the UK, I had the honour of working with four British prime ministers and six foreign ministers and staying in touch with key members of the royal family. During that period, the China-UK high-level dialogue mechanisms grew more expansive, the global significance of China-UK relations more prominent, and the friendship between the two countries closer.

First, the leaders of the two countries kept regular communications and interactions. China and the UK held five prime ministerial meetings, five strategic dialogues and eight economic and financial dialogues. A high-level people-to-people and cultural exchange mechanism, as well as a high-level security dialogue, were launched.

Second, the two countries enhanced coordination under the UN, the G20 and other international frameworks. We were more united on supporting multilateralism and free trade, opposing unilateralism and protectionism, and jointly addressing global challenges like climate change. The two countries also stayed in communication and coordination on international and regional hot spots.

Third, the two countries deepened mutual understanding and people’s support for bilateral relations. Over the past 11 years, the number of annual visits between China and the UK has doubled to 2 million. The number of Chinese students in the UK increased more than onefold to 220,000. Britain has become the country of choice for Chinese students seeking to study abroad. Bilateral exchanges and cooperation in culture, science, technology and innovation have yielded fruitful results. Britain was the first country to sign the Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Strategy with China. In the face of COVID-19, the two peoples rendered each other support and stood together in solidarity.

Nonetheless, given our differences in political system, stage of development, history and culture, China and the UK take different views on some issues and bilateral relations are not always plain sailing. But as two major countries with global influence, China and the UK shoulder an important responsibility to uphold world peace and development. China-UK relations must stay on the track of cooperation. I believe when the two countries look at the overall picture, meet the trend of the times, enhance communication and cooperation in a spirit of mutual respect and equality, China-UK relations will transcend the differences and enjoy sound and stable development.

5.What were some of the biggest obstacles you overcame during your time as ambassador to the UK?

Among the major Western countries, Britain was the first to recognize the People’s Republic and among the first to develop trade relations with us. As we speak, exchanges between the two countries are multi-faceted and involve all fields, with a breadth and depth unseen in the past. Nevertheless, the “deficit” of mutual understanding and mutual perception still exist. That was the biggest obstacle I tried to overcome during my tenure. I once said that Britain is like a good read, and so is China. Unfortunately, in Britain, some people only look at the book cover or listen to some kind of irresponsible “book review”, and they think they have known the real China. During my time as ambassador, I did my level best to present to the British society a true China that has friendship and opportunities to offer.

To that end, I visited around the UK, from the northernmost Yell of Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands in the South, from England to Scotland, from Northern Ireland to Wales, and from royal dependencies to overseas territories. I developed extensive contacts with Britons of all social sectors to promote China-UK mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields. I gave over 700 speeches, published over 170 articles in mainstream newspapers and gave 170 plus interviews to mainstream media. It is also my hope that the CBBC will continue to serve as a bridge that helps the two countries overcome the “deficit” in mutual understanding and perception.

6.How do you think CBBC helped UK-China business relations during your time as ambassador to the UK?

China-UK trade relations wouldn’t have come thus far without the hard work of the business communities in both countries and the CBBC as well. During my time as the Chinese ambassador, I have seen the Council, under the leadership of Sir David Brewer, Lord Sassoon and then Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, connecting the businesses of China and the UK and offering good suggestions for practical cooperation. The CBBC has done a lot to let people know the benefits of China-UK trade relations and encourage all sectors of the British society to view China’s development in a fair and comprehensive way. You have played a big role in promoting a right perception of China and Britain’s cooperation with China.

More specifically, the CBBC has: 

First, tapped into its influence and spoken up multiple times for the British government to extend friendship, stabilize businesses’ confidence in China-UK cooperation, deepen mutual trust and keep such cooperation intact; 

Second, published two issues of the UK Jobs Dependence on Links to China, a research endeavor to reveal the win-win nature of China-UK cooperation and its importance to the British economy, calling for a rational approach to China; 

Third, organized high-profile seminars to guide the public opinion, creating platforms for sound interactions between the two countries and contributing to bilateral cooperation and mutual trust; 

Fourth, coordinated Chinese and British companies and financial institutions to extend COVID-control supplies to each other, bringing the two countries closer in this trying time.

In sum, the CBBC not only gave me strong support and enormous help when I served as ambassador, but more importantly, did great service to the mutual trust, strategic consensus and shared interests between our two countries.

7.What do you think have been the biggest achievements regarding trade and investment between the two countries?

During my 11 years in the UK, the two countries came a long way in trade and investment, major projects, financial and the Belt and Road cooperation.

From 2009 to 2020, trade in goods between China and the UK increased from US$39.2 billion to US$92.4 billion, and British exports to China grew by nearly 20 times. By the end of January 2021, when I left the UK, its direct investment in China reached US$26.42 billion, while China’s direct investment in the UK amounted to US$18.11 billion, about 17 times higher than the US$1.02 billion at the end of 2009. Britain has become China’s second largest investment destination in Europe. The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, China’s single biggest investment endeavor in Europe, stands as a flagship of China-UK cooperation.

Over the past 11 years, the number of Chinese banks with UK branches has risen to eight. The Shanghai-London Stock Connect was officially launched, and more Chinese enterprises went public at the London Stock Exchange, enabling the very first links between Chinese and foreign capital markets. London has become the world’s largest offshore RMB trading center and the second largest offshore RMB clearing center. China and Britain signed an agreement to extend their Belt and Road cooperation to third markets, spanning the sectors of financing, professional expertise and service.

The mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation has delivered tangible benefits to the people of both countries: Chinese enterprises built in the UK the then largest battery energy storage project in Europe; Chinese-invested electric and low emission taxis run in the streets of London; British foods and drinks are on the kitchen table in Chinese households, thanks to the China International Import Expo. Chinese investment has contributed considerably to the tax revenues and job creation in the UK, while giving impetus for British companies and industries to transform, upgrade and move toward higher-quality development.

In sum, I believe that China-UK economic and trade ties have vast potential and enormous prospects. The next 50 years will see an even more brilliant chapter of China-UK cooperation.

文章首发于2022年4月28日“中华人民共和国外交部”官方网站