在中国美国商会举行的工商界答谢晚宴上的讲话

Speech at the Appreciation Dinner Held by the American Chamber of Commerce in China

外经贸部部长石广生

Mr. SHI Guangsheng
Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation

（2000年12月5日）

December 5, 2000

尊敬的普理赫大使、主席先生，

Respected Ambassador Joseph Prueher, Mr. Chairman,

女士们、先生们：

Ladies and Gentlemen,

    感谢中国美国商会举办今晚的宴会，使我们有机会和众多的朋友见面。

    At the outset, may I express gratitude to AmCham-China for holding this Appreciation Dinner that enables us to meet so many friends.

    再过25天，人类将迈入新的世纪和新的千年。回顾过去，我们高兴地看到，中美两国经贸合作与交流不断加强，双边进出口贸易、投资合作规模进一步扩大，中美经贸关系业已成为中美双边关系中的重要组成部分。两国企业界的大力推动是中美经贸关系蓬勃发展活力的重要源泉。今年，中美经贸关系在平稳发展中取得了积极成果，长期困扰中美经贸关系的"正常贸易关系"问题终于得到了解决。这再次证明，发展健康稳定的中美经贸关系符合中美两国的根本利益，也是两国人民的共同愿望。今晚，我想特别指出的是，多年来，中国美国商会为促进中美经贸关系的健康发展、推动美对华"正常贸易关系"的通过做了大量卓有成效的工作，我们对此表示感谢与祝贺。

   
There are 25 days to go before the entire human kind embraces a new century and another millennium. In retrospect, we are pleased to take note the constant reinforcement of Sino-US cooperation and communications in trade and economy. With the expansion of bilateral trade and investment collaboration, Sino-US economic and trade ties have become a crucial part of the overall bilateral relations. An important source of vigor in the energetic development of Sino-U.S economic and trade cooperation derives from the active promotion of enterprises on both sides. This year, the economic and trade relations between the two countries developed steadily and made many positive achievements. The PNTR issue, which has nagged the bilateral trade for quite a long time, was eventually solved this year. It has once again proved that a stable and healthy Sino-US economic and trade relationship both serves the fundamental interest of the two countries, and represents the common aspiration of the two peoples. What I would like to specially point out is that the American Chamber of Commerce in China has done enormous work effectively for the sound development of Sino-US trade relations and the passage of PNTR for China in the United States. We do appreciate your contribution and congratulate on your achievement.

    中国是最大的发展中国家，拥有占世界五分之一的人口和广阔的市场。中国的发展离不开世界，世界的繁荣也需要中国。在经济全球化不断发展的今天，任何有影响的国际组织如果没有中国的参与都是不完整的，不具有广泛的代表性。中国为加入世界贸易组织付出了多年的努力，现在这一进程已经到了最后阶段。中国加入世贸组织多边议定书的起草工作正在加快进行，中国成为世贸组织成员已为期不远了。随着加入世贸组织，中国将以更加积极的姿态，进一步深化改革，扩大开放，有步骤地推动金融、保险、电信、外贸、内贸、旅游等服务领域的开放，逐步对外商投资实行国民待遇。中国加入世贸组织不仅有利于中国的改革开放和经济发展，也有利于世界经济的繁荣。当然包括美国在内的各个成员也会从中国市场开放中获得巨大的利益。

   China, as the biggest developing country, holds one fifth of the world population and boasts broad market. Therefore, China can't develop in isolation of the world, neither can the world prosper in the absence of China. Today, as the economic globalization continues, no influential international organization will be complete or representative with broad base if keeping China as an outsider of it. China has dedicated years of efforts to join the World Trade Organization. For the time being, the accession process has entered into the final stage. As China accelerates the drafting of multilateral protocol on its accession to the WTO, it won't be long before China becomes a full member of this organization. Following the accession, China will take a more active stance in further deepening its reform and opening-up, steadily promoting deregulation in service sectors such as finance, insurance, telecommunication, foreign trade, domestic trade and tourism, and gradually granting national treatment to foreign investors. China's entry into the WTO is not only conducive to China's reform and opening-up process, but also beneficial to global prosperity. And for sure, every member of that organization including the United States, will be rewarded with paramount benefit alongside the wider opening of Chinese market.

    世界经济全球化的发展趋势已成为不可逆转的历史潮流，以信息化为基础，以网络经济为代表的新经济正蓬勃发展。新经济以其巨大的活力和良好的发展前景，倍受世界各国政府和企业界的关注，成为全球经济新的增长点。包括美国在内的发达国家，以自己雄厚的经济实力和科技优势，抢占了新经济的发展先机。中国作为世界上最大的发展中国家，也在密切注意新经济的发展情况，深入研究其带来的机遇和挑战。同时中国将立足自己的国情，努力创造适宜新经济发展的环境，积极主动地参与经济全球化的进程，迎接新经济发展带来的机遇和挑战。新经济的发展在美国走过了将近十年的时间，已经积累了大量的经验。美国具有较强的优势并且有雄厚的资金支持。中国拥有强大的科技人才队伍，巨大的市场也富有吸引力。中美双方在这方面有很大的合作潜力。我们希望双方能加强合作与交流，共同促进新经济健康有序地发展。

    The economic globalization has become an irreversible historical trend. The information-based new economy represented by the Internet economy is advancing vibrantly. The enormous vitality and promising future of the new economy has caught attention from the governments and enterprises of all countries around the world since it it regarded as a new growth point for the world economy. Developed countries including the United States, with their strong economic strength and technological advantages, has taken the lead in grasping the growth opportunities generated from the new economy. China, as the biggest developing country, is also closely following the evolvement of the new economy and making in-depth study on the opportunities and challenges arising thereof. Moreover, China will actively participate in the process of economic globalization and face up to the challenges and opportunities brought about by the development of new economy, based on its national reality and by cultivating a favorable environment for the growth of new economy. So far, 10 years of rich experience on how to develop the new economy has piled up in the United States that enjoys considerable advantages and abundant fund. In China, we have a strong team of talents in science and technology, and a magnetic, broad market. Therefore, enormous potentials remain untapped in Sino-US cooperation. We are hopeful that the two sides shall consolidate collaboration and communication, so as to jointly foster an orderly and sound development of the new economy.

    女士们、先生们：

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

中国改革开放和现代化进程的加快为外国投资者提供了良好的发展商机，主要在以下方面：第一，中国继续实施扩大国内需求的方针政策，加快经济结构的战略性调整，为外商投资在农业、水利、能源、交通、通信、原材料、环保、高技术、重大装备等领域提供了广阔的空间。第二，中国正在实施西部大开发战略。中西部地区现有的工业基础、技术力量以及丰富的自然资源和劳动力资源优势为外商参与中国中西部地区的合作开发提供了有利条件。第三，中国的国有企业正在根据建立现代企业制度的目标要求，探索能够转换经营机制和增强企业活力的途径，吸收外商投资进行改组改造是其中的重要措施之一。第四，中国的高新技术产业具有广阔的市场前景。跨国公司来中国设立研发中心，投资于高新技术产业、技术研究开发项目，参与高技术产业化以及传统产业的技术改造，可以充分利用中国现有技术力量和大量的高素质人才，享受相应的优惠政策。第五，扩大服务业的对外开放是中国实现经济协调发展的一个重要举措。美国投资者在发展服务业方面拥有丰富的经验和先进的管理方法，我欢迎美国投资者能抓住机遇，积极参与中国的金融、保险、商业零售、外贸、会计师事务所等中介服务组织的发展。

The acceleration of China's reform, opening-up and modernization process offers business opportunities for foreign investors mainly in the following aspects: firstly, China will continue implementing the policy of stimulating domestic demand and making strategic adjustment to its economic structure. A broad space has therefore been created for overseas capital to flow into such areas as agriculture, water conservancy, energy, transportation, telecommunication, raw material, environment protection, hi-tech and heavy or large equipment; secondly, China is carrying out the strategy of developing the West. In the central and western regions, the existing industrial foundation and technological strength, as well as rich natural resources and labor resources have provided favorable conditions to foreign investors to cooperatively explore the central and western part of China; thirdly, the Chinese enterprises are exploring new ways to reform their operational mechanism and rejuvenate themselves in accordance with the goal of establishing modern corporate system. One of the major measures is to absorb foreign capital into the reform and restructuring process; fourthly, China enjoys a promising market in terms of its high-tech industry. Multinational corporations can make full use of the existing technological forces, large number of highly-qualified personnel, and preferential policies, when setting up R&D centers, investing in high-tech industry & technology research development projects, or participating in the commercialization of high-tech and the technological renovation of traditional industries; fifthly, the expansion of the opening up of the service industry to the outside world is a very important move in China's efforts to achieve the coordinated development of its economy. American investors have rich experience and advanced management methods in the development of service industry. I would like to encourage American investors to seize the opportunities in China and actively participate in the development of intermediary agencies such as finance, insurance, retailing, foreign trade and accounting firms.

新的世纪已经来临，人类文明的发展日新月异。国际社会的成员更加紧密地联系在一起，这就要求我们增加信任，加强合作。我希望，致力于投资中国的美国工商界朋友们跟上未来中国现代化建设的步伐，不断开辟合作渠道，拓宽合作的深度和广度，为自己的资本、技术和管理实力找到更加广阔的用武之地。

The new century is approaching and human civilization is evolving with each passing day. Members of the international community are becoming more and more closely interlinked, which requires us to enhance mutual trust and strengthen cooperation. It is my hope that the American friends in the business circle who are dedicated to investing in China would keep up with the pace of China's future modernization development, consistently explore new cooperation channels to enhance our cooperation both in depth and in magnitude, and consequently give full play to their own competence of capital, technology and management.

    谢谢大家。                                   

Thank you all for your attention.