中国驻英国大使刘晓明在英国汇丰集团春节午宴上的讲话
2011年2月16日，伦敦海德公园文华东方酒店


Speech by H.E. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the HSBC Chinese New Year Lunch
16 February 2011, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

 

 

尊敬的汇丰集团主席范智廉先生，
女士们、先生们：


Mr Douglas Flint,
Ladies and Gentlemen,


今天是农历正月十四，中国人民仍然沉浸在新春的喜庆氛围中，明天又将迎来中国又一个重要的传统节日——元宵节，我很高兴应邀与汇丰集团的各位朋友们齐聚一堂，共庆佳节。我要给大家拜个晚年，祝大家在兔年里身体健康，事业兴盛。


Today is the 14th day of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rabbit. The celebrations are still going on across China. Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, another important traditional festival for the Chinese people. It is my great pleasure to join you today at the HSBC Chinese New Year Lunch. I would like to offer my best wishes to you all, for a happy and prosperous year of the Rabbit.


回首已经过去的虎年，中英经贸合作成果可圈可点。中英货物贸易额首次超过500亿美元，英国累计在华实际投资超过170亿美元，中国在英国投资按项目计算在各国中升至第6位。卡梅伦首相访华、李克强副总理访英时，经贸成为访问的一大亮点，双方企业签下了数十亿美元的大单。两国经贸合作领域不断拓展，新能源、节能环保、创意产业等越来越成为合作重点。


The Year of the Tiger has been a robust year for China-UK trade and investment. Our two-way trade has now topped 50 billion US dollars for the first time and actual UK investment in China has exceeded 17 billion US dollars. China also became the 6th largest investor in the UK. During Prime Minister Cameron's visit to China and Vice Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the UK, the two countries signed agreements worth billions of dollars, raising our economic cooperation to a new high. Yet there are still great potentials to be tapped in areas such as new energy, energy-saving and environment-friendly industries, as well as the creative industry.


我特别要祝贺去年汇丰集团在华业务取得骄人成绩。汇丰在华开设分支机构已超过100家，并在上海设立了新的中国总部，同时也是首家开设县域支行的外资银行；汇丰还是第一家在全球六大洲完成跨境贸易人民币结算服务的国际性银行；汇丰连续第九年被权威国际媒体评为“中国最佳外资商业银行”，品牌效应继续递增。


I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the HSBC on its highly successful business in China with over 100 branches and a new national headquarters in Shanghai. The HSBC was the first foreign bank to set up branches at the county level in China. It was the first international bank to offer cross-border RMB settlement services in 6 continents. And it was named by Finance Asia as the Best Foreign Commercial Bank in mainland China for 9 consecutive years. Small wonder that HSBC is widely recognised as a symbol of success in China.


我也要感谢汇丰集团长期以来支持中国的教育和社会发展，推动和赞助中英两国人文领域交流和合作，促进中英关系健康稳定发展。特别值得一提的是，汇丰投资超过2000万美元的“汇丰与气候伙伴同行”计划中国项目，有效支持了中国在节能减排方面所作努力，充分显示了汇丰的企业社会责任。


I also wish to thank the HSBC for its long and tireless support for education and social services in China. You have done a good job in promoting people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation for a sound China-UK relationship. What is more, you invested more than 20 million US Dollars in the "HSBC and Climate Partners" China Programme to support our emission reduction efforts, a worthy symbol of your sense of corporate responsibility.


女士们，先生们！


Ladies and Gentlemen,


20年前的早春2月，邓/小/平先生视察上海时指出：“金融很重要，是现代经济的核心。金融搞好了，一着棋活，全盘皆活。”20年来，中国大力发展现代金融服务业，发挥金融在现代市场经济中的地位和作用。国际金融危机不仅不会使中国金融业止步不前，反而会使其加快迎头追赶的步伐。中国将继续按照入世承诺，进一步扩大在金融服务领域的开放，外资银行会享受到更加公平的竞争环境。


Twenty years ago in his visit to Shanghai, Mr Deng Xiaoping commented that "Finance is very important, as it is the core of the modern economy. A sound financial industry is the key to economic success." Over the past 2 decades, China has put vigorous efforts into developing a modern financial industry as an important part of its market economy. The international financial crisis will not deter China from pursuing financial reforms. The Chinese financial industry will only redouble its efforts to catch up with Western countries. China will continue to open its financial sector in line with its WTO commitments and create a level playing field for foreign banks.


今年是中国“十二五”规划的开局之年，我们将在未来五年内进一步深化改革开放、加快经济发展方式转变，积极扩大内外需求，提高利用外资质量和效益，并支持中国企业“走出去”，全面参与国际合作。这将为中英金融合作提供更加广阔的空间，也将为包括汇丰在内的英国金融机构提供难得的发展机遇。


This year is the beginning of China's 12th Five-Year Plan. In the next five years, we will press ahead with reform and opening-up. Greater efforts will be made to upgrade China's economic model, boost domestic and international demand and improve the quality and efficiency of foreign investment. Bold steps will be taken to encourage Chinese companies to "go global" and be active participants in international cooperation. This will create broader scope for China-UK financial cooperation as well as more opportunities for the HSBC and other British financial institutions.


我很喜欢汇丰集团的中文名字，“汇丰”寓意“汇聚卓越，丰收成果”。我祝愿汇丰集团在新的一年里不断开拓市场，充分发挥“环球金融、本地智慧”的特色和优势，为企业和消费者提供更优质的服务，创造更优异的业绩。我也衷心期待汇丰在促进中英关系和中英经贸合作方面发挥更大的作用、做出更大的贡献。


I like the Chinese name of the HSBC "Hui Feng" very much. In Chinese, Hui means bringing the best together and Feng means a bumper harvest. I wish the HSBC even greater success in 2011. I'm confident you will broaden your markets and provide even better services to your clients as "the world's local bank". I look forward to even greater contributions by the HSBC to our business cooperation and to China-UK relations in the new year.


谢谢。
Thank you.