让和平的薪火代代相传，让和平的阳光普照世界——谢锋大使在庆祝建军98周年、纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年招待会上的讲话

Let the torch of peace be passed from generation to generation and the sunshine of peace illuminate the world — Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the reception marking the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army

各位来宾，各位朋友：

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

很高兴与大家欢聚一堂，共同庆祝中国人民解放军建军98周年，共同纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年。我谨向中国人民解放军全体官兵致以节日问候，向飞虎队老兵及亲属等所有爱好和平、维护和平的朋友致以崇高敬意！

It is a great pleasure to get together with you to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. First, I would like to extend my warmest festive greetings to all servicemen and servicewomen of the PLA, and also pay tribute to the Flying Tigers veterans, their relatives, and all friends who love and cherish peace!

98载岁月峥嵘，中国人民解放军始终与人民同呼吸、与祖国共奋进，为民族独立、人民解放、国家富强建立了不朽功勋，为捍卫国家主权安全发展利益提供了强大支撑，为维护世界的和平与安宁贡献了正义力量，锻造了坚不可摧的钢铁长城、当之无愧的和平之师。

Over the past 98 years, as an army of the people and for the people, the PLA has made indelible contributions to national independence, the liberation of the people and the prosperity of the country, provided strong support for upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and also played an important role in defending peace and tranquility of the world. It now stands proudly as a Great Wall of Steel, and a valiant force for peace.

自古知兵非好战，历史的刀光剑影始终映照着对和平安宁的渴望。80年沧海桑田，世界反法西斯战争的硝烟散尽，和平红利孕育出前所未有的繁荣，全球化让世界变为紧密相连的“地球村”。与此同时，地缘冲突此起彼伏,“强权即公理”沉渣泛起，世界和平与发展正经受 “压力测试”，联合国秘书长古特雷斯慨叹，“和平正四面受敌”。站在历史的十字路口，如何守护无数人用鲜血换来的和平年代？如何避免历史的悲剧重演、开创更加美好的未来？这是时代赋予我们的重大命题。

As a Chinese proverb goes, “Those who truly understand the art of war are the least willing to wage a war.” Throughout all the conflicts in history, peace and stability are the unyielding pursuit of humanity. The world we now live in is totally different from what it was 80 years ago. The dust of the World Anti-Fascist War had settled long ago. The dividends of peace have brought about prosperity never seen before, and globalization has turned the world into a closely interconnected “global village”. At the same time, though, geopolitical conflicts keep flaring up. The “might is right” fallacy is creeping back. World peace and development have come under a “pressure test”. UN Secretary General António Guterres lamented that “Everywhere we look, peace is under attack.”

At this historical crossroads, how can we sustain the hard-won peace earned through the sacrifice of countless precious lives? And how can we prevent past tragedies from repeating themselves, and create a better future? These are the questions of the era we need to answer.

我们要以史为鉴，坚定维护和平之志。80年前，中国人民同世界人民一道，以顽强意志和英勇斗争，彻底打败了法西斯主义。胜利昭告世界，正义终将战胜邪恶、光明必将压倒黑暗、进步不会让步反动。历史告诫我们，穷兵黩武、侵略扩张终将以失败告终，军事同盟、阵营对抗带不来安全，世界不能分裂应当团结，秩序不能颠覆应当维护。80年前，中美军民穿越雨林峻岭开凿史迪威公路，“美军观察组”前往延安与中国共产党人坦诚交流，中美同仇敌忾、并肩抗击法西斯，还共同参与发起旧金山制宪会议、推动建立了联合国。今天，我们应当不忘联合国宪章初心，不坠守护和平之志，维护以联合国为核心的国际体系，为“欲免后世再遭战祸”继续奋斗，让持久和平的愿景成为现实。

We need to draw lessons from history, and strengthen our commitment to maintaining peace.Eighty years ago, the Chinese people fought fearlessly with the people around the world to completely defeat fascism, thus declaring to the world that justice will ultimately triumph over evil, light will always overcome darkness, and the forces for progress will never yield to the reactionary. History has told us that warmongering, aggression and expansion are doomed to end up in failure, and military alliances and bloc confrontation cannot bring security. The world should be brought together, not torn apart, and the international order should be safeguarded, not overthrown.

Eighty years ago, Chinese and American soldiers and civilians plodded through rain forests and steep mountains to build the Stilwell’s Road. The United States Army Observation Group visited Yan’an and had heart-to-heart conversations with members of the Communist Party of China. Our two countries fought fascism side by side, and also co-sponsored the San Francisco Conference in 1945 that founded the United Nations.

Today, we should stay true to the founding mission as outlined in the UN Charter, remain firmly committed to safeguarding peace, jointly uphold the UN-centered international system, and make continuous efforts to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, so that the vision of enduring peace will become a reality.

我们要不畏强暴，增强捍卫和平之力。80年前，面对武装到牙齿的日本侵略者，中国人民以铮铮铁骨战强敌、以血肉之躯筑长城，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了重要历史贡献。新中国成立之初百废待兴，人民军队装备落后，开国大典上参加阅兵的17架飞机没有一架“中国造”。今天，第一座中国空间站“天宫”全面建成，全球第一座第四代核电站投入运行，“嫦娥六号”全球第一次月背采样。中国是联合国第二大维和摊款国和安理会常任理事国中最大维和出兵国，积极推动乌克兰危机、巴以冲突等热点问题政治解决，与志同道合国家共同倡议建立国际调解院，中国的力量每增长一分，世界和平的希望就增多一分。

We need to defy challenges, and enhance our capability to defend peace. Eighty years ago, facing Japanese aggressors armed to the teeth, the Chinese people mounted a heroic resistance with extraordinary perseverance, making historic contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. In the early days after the founding of New China, our country was yet to be rebuilt from the ashes of war. The people’s army was poorly equipped, and none of the 17 planes that participated in the parade at the nation’s founding ceremony was made in China.  

Today, China’s first space station Tiangong is up and running. The world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant has been put into operation in Shandong. Chang’e-6 brought back samples from moon’s far side to Earth, the first time in human history. 

China is now the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, and the top contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the Security Council. We have been actively promoting the political settlement of hotspot issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We have also jointly advocated and established the International Organization for Mediation with like-minded nations. Every increase in China’s strength is an increase in the hope for world peace.

我们要同舟共济，共走和平发展之路。中华文明历来崇尚“以和为贵”，深知“国虽大，好战必亡”的道理。新中国成立70多年来，没有主动挑起一场战争，是五核国中唯一承诺不首先使用核武器的国家，是世界上唯一将和平发展写入宪法的大国，是当之无愧和平与安全纪录最好的大国。中国把别人用于纷争的时间用于建设，走的是和平发展的人间正道。从和平共处五项原则，到习近平主席提出构建人类命运共同体和“三大全球倡议”，中国为解决事关人类和平与发展的重大问题提供了中国方案，携手各国共谋和平、共护和平、共享和平。同时，和平是人类共同事业，需要各方共同争取和维护。只有各国都走和平发展道路，合作应对全球性挑战，国与国才能和平相处，才能把我们生于斯、长于斯的星球变得更加美好。

We need to stand in solidarity, and jointly follow the path of peaceful development.The value of peace is etched in Chinese civilization, and we are fully aware that a warlike state, however big it may be, will eventually fail. Over the past seven decades and more since the founding of the People’s Republic, we have never started a war. China is the only country among the five nuclear-weapon States to pledge no-first-use of nuclear weapons and the only major country that has written peaceful development into its Constitution. It is fair to say that China is the major country that keeps the best record in terms of peace and security. 

When some are preoccupied with strife, we have focused on building ourselves at home, and followed the path of peaceful development. From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, to the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, China has offered its solution to major issues concerning human peace and development, and has worked with other countries to seek peace, safeguard peace, and enjoy peace.

Meanwhile, peace is a common cause of humanity, and should be sought and cherished by all. Only when all countries follow the path of peaceful development and combat global challenges together can states coexist in peace and the planet we all call home become a better place.

各位朋友，

Dear friends,

当今世界很不太平，中美作为世界前两大经济体和联合国安理会常任理事国，只有维护和平合作的责任，没有冲突对抗的理由。6月5日，习近平主席同特朗普总统举行通话，再次为中美关系这艘巨轮校正航向。我们要坚持元首战略引领，把两国元首达成的重要共识变成具体的政策和实际的行动，不折不扣而不是走样变形。维护来之不易的对话合作势头，增进外交、经贸、两军、执法等各领域磋商交流。排除各种干扰破坏，特别是恪守一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报，慎之又慎处理台湾问题，防止极少数“台独”分裂分子把中美拖入冲突对抗的危险境地。希望美方以客观、理性、务实态度看待中国，以和平共处、合作共赢为目标制定对华政策，以平等、尊重、互惠方式同中方打交道，加强接触、防止误判、管控分歧、拓展合作，让中美关系重回稳定健康可持续发展的正确轨道，为世界和平、稳定、繁荣注入正能量。

The world today is far from tranquil. As the world’s two largest economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the U.S. have only the shared responsibility for safeguarding peace and cooperation, and no reason for conflict and confrontation. On June 5, President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump spoke on the phone, again recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations. It is important to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, and faithfully translate their important consensus into concrete policies and actions without distortion. It is important to sustain the hard-won momentum in dialogue and cooperation, and enhance communication in such fields as foreign affairs, economy and trade, military and law enforcement. It is important to steer clear of the various disturbances and disruptions. In particular, it is vital to abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués, and deal with the Taiwan question with extra prudence, so as to prevent the fringe separatists bent on “Taiwan independence” from dragging China and the U.S. into the dangerous terrain of confrontation and even conflict.

We hope the U.S. side will view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude, formulate its policies toward China with the goal of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, engage with China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner, strengthen contact, prevent misjudgment, manage differences and expand cooperation, so as to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of stable, sound and sustainable development, and inject positive energy into world peace, stability and prosperity.

谢谢大家。

Thank you.