主题:强烈推荐:布莱尔华尔街日报撰文谈京奥后的中国和世界 -- 平天下
英国前首相布莱尔《华尔街日报》撰文谈京奥后的中国和世界
布莱尔一直是我比较尊敬的政治人物。这篇文章写的比较中肯,能够激发读者的思考。
本人在此翻译摘要,与大家分享:
- 布莱尔在《华尔街日报》发表题为《帮助中国拥抱未来》的文章
- 布莱尔: 北京奥运会开幕式登峰造极,可能永远无法被超越。
- 布莱尔: 北京奥运会留给中国的遗产是:标志着一个新纪元,展现了一个开放不可逆转的中国。随着现代化中国的形象日益鲜明,(西方)人们对中国的无知和恐惧也将逐渐消失。
- 布莱尔:中国人民和青年对中国及其取得的进步成就展现出真正的、真诚的骄傲和自豪。(而不是西方某些媒体一直宣称的生活在 internal oppression 内部压迫、external aggression 对外侵略 的tyranny 暴政政权的阴影中。哈哈。)
- 布莱尔:东方的崛起对我们(西方)不应是威胁,而是巨大的机会。
- 布莱尔承认:政治稳定对于中国经济和政治改革的必要性。
- 布莱尔承认:一个中国政策的正当性,以及对维护世界和平和稳定的积极作用。(西方)对于西藏问题应当有敏感性。 (终于承认了!)
- 布莱尔:在21世纪,如果没有中国的充分参与,我们难以做好任何事情。我们今天面临的挑战是全球性的,而中国现在是环球的主要力量。因此,不论是气候变化、非洲事务、全球贸易,还是无数的安全问题,我们都需要中国发挥建设性作用。
- 布莱尔:数个世纪以来,世界的权力中心都在西方,首先是大英帝国,然后是20世纪的美国。我们要能够容忍和接受与崛起的远东分享世界权力这一新的事实。
- 2012年伦敦奥运会提供了一个向东方展示现代西方的窗口。
- 布莱尔:(西方和东方)应该相互学习、相互尊重。这是21世纪的行事之道。
原文:
We Can Help China Embrace the Future
By TONY BLAIR
August 26, 2008; Page A21
Wall Street Journal
The Beijing Olympic Games were a powerful spectacle, stunning in sight and sound. But the moment that made the biggest impression on me came during an informal visit just before the Games to one of the new Chinese Internet companies, and in conversation with some of the younger Chinese entrepreneurs.
These people, men and women, were smart, sharp, forthright, unafraid to express their views about China and its future. Above all, there was a confidence, an optimism, a lack of the cynical, and a presence of the spirit of get up and go, that reminded me greatly of the U.S. at its best and any country on its way forward.
These people weren't living in fear, but looking forward in hope. And for all the millions still in poverty in China, for all the sweep of issues -- political, social and economic -- still to be addressed, that was the spirit of China during this festival of sport, and that is the spirit that will define its future.
During my 10 years as British leader, I could see the accelerating pace of China's continued emergence as a major power. I gave speeches about China, I understood it analytically. But I did not feel it emotionally and therefore did not fully understand it politically.
Since leaving office I have visited four times and will shortly return again. People ask what is the legacy of these Olympics for China? It is that they mark a new epoch -- an opening up of China that can never be reversed. It also means that ignorance and fear of China will steadily decline as the reality of modern China becomes more apparent.
Power and influence is shifting to the East. In time will come India, too. Some see all this as a threat. I see it as an enormous opportunity. But we have to exercise a lot of imagination and eliminate any vestiges of historic arrogance.
The volunteer force that staged the Games was interested, friendly and helpful. The whole feel of the city was a world away from the China I remember on my first visit 20 years ago. And the people are proud, really and honestly proud, of their country and its progress.
No sensible Chinese person -- including the country's leadership -- doubts there remain issues of human rights and political and religious freedom to be resolved. But neither do the sensible people -- including the most Western-orientated Chinese -- doubt the huge change, for the better, there has been. China is on a journey. It is moving forward quickly. But it knows perfectly well the journey is not complete. Observers should illuminate the distance to go, by all means, but recognize the distance traveled.
The Chinese leadership is understandably preoccupied with internal development. Beijing and Shanghai no more paint for you the complete picture of China than New York and Washington do of the U.S. Understanding the internal challenge is fundamental to understanding China, its politics and its psyche. We in Europe have roughly 5% of our population employed in agriculture. China has almost 60%. Over the coming years it will seek to move hundreds of millions of its people from a rural to an urban economy. Of course India will seek to do the same, and the scale of this transformation will create huge challenges and opportunities in the economy, the environment and politically.
For China, this economic and social transformation has to come with political stability. It is in all our interests that it does. The policy of One China is not a piece of indulgent nationalism. It is an existential issue if China is to hold together in a peaceful and stable manner as it modernizes. This is why Tibet is not simply a religious issue for China but a profoundly political one -- Tibet being roughly a quarter of China's land mass albeit with a small population.
So we should continue to engage in a dialogue over the issues that rightly concern people, but we should conduct it with at least some sensitivity to the way China sees them.
This means that the West needs a strong partnership with China, one that goes deep, not just economically but politically and culturally. The truth is that nothing in the 21st century will work well without China's full engagement. The challenges we face today are global. China is now a major global player. So whether the issue is climate change, Africa, world trade or the myriad of security questions, we need China to be constructive; we need it to be using its power in partnership with us. None of this means we shouldn't continue to raise the issues of human rights, religious freedoms and democratic reforms as European and American leaders have done in recent weeks.
It is possible to hyperbolize about the rise of China. For example, Europe's economies are still major and combined outreach those of China and India combined. But, as the Olympics and its medal tables show, it is not going to stay that way. This is a historic moment of change. Fast forward 10 years and everyone will know it.
For centuries, the power has resided in the West, with various European powers including the British Empire and then, in the 20th century, the U.S. Now we will have to come to terms with a world in which the power is shared with the Far East. I wonder if we quite understand what that means, we whose culture (not just our politics and economies) has dominated for so long. It will be a rather strange, possibly unnerving experience. Personally, I think it will be incredibly enriching. New experiences; new ways of thinking liberate creative energy. But in any event, it will be a fact we have to come to terms with. For the next U.S. president, this will be or should be at the very top of the agenda, and as a result of the strength of the Sino-U.S. relationship under President Bush, there is a sound platform to build upon.
The Olympics is now the biggest sporting event in the world, and because of the popularity of sport it is therefore one of the events that makes a genuine impact on real people. These Games have given people a glimpse of modern China in a way that no amount of political speeches could do.
London 2012 gives Britain a tremendous chance to explore some of these changes and explain to the East what the modern West is about. One thing is for certain: Hosting the Olympics is now a fantastic opportunity for any nation. My thoughts after the Beijing Games are that we shouldn't try to emulate the wonder of the opening ceremony. It was the spectacular to end all spectaculars and probably can never be bettered. We should instead do something different, drawing maybe on the ideals and spirit of the Olympic movement. We should do it our way, like they did it theirs. And we should learn from and respect each other. That is the way of the 21st century.
Mr. Blair, former prime minister of Great Britain, is teaching a course on faith and globalization at the Yale Schools of Management and Divinity.
现在的政策就是拿钱铺路。。。HU总到外国访问,别人就像迎接财神爷一般。。。
呵呵。。。
一方面,比起他在德国、法国曾经的同事,再考虑到英国、西方整个媒体界的主流观点,他发表这些言论是要有很大政治勇气和智慧的。好在他已经退休了。
另一方面,他还很年轻,希望保持自己在世界的影响力,同时不忘靠演讲和写作赚外快。不要忘记他还是某美国金融企业的咨询顾问。
在飞机上看报纸也看到这篇,十分赞赏。我想这是他的真心话。布莱尔是一个十分聪明的人,才智和克林顿有一比。不巧碰上小布什,为了英国利益只能绑在美国战车上,白白毁了自己的英名。现在不受政治牵挂了,可以说一点真话了。他还是对影响整个西方世界的未来走向有抱负的。
世界报 中国2008:成功与挑战
星岛环球网 www.stnn.cc 2008-08-28
只有心怀叵测之人才会否认北京奥运会的成功。当尤塞恩·博尔特赢得男子200米金牌并打破世界纪录的时候,“生日快乐”的音乐在“乌巢”响起。这让法国电视台的解说员禁不住感叹:“奥运会组织得非常出色,而且还充满人情味。”中国人为保证奥运会的成功,投入了他们的实力,也投入了他们的真心。
三大成功
北京的成功首先是组织上的成功。他们运用各种手段来保证实现这个目标。在北京、天津、沈阳、青岛、上海、秦皇岛和香港、比赛场馆的建设都遵守了招标要求,成千上万的志愿者对观众表现出了极大的关注。捍卫法语作为奥运会官方语言地位的承诺也得以兑现。通过汽车单双号限行和奥运会专用车道等措施,中国人成功地疏通了北京。
在非凡的奥运会开幕式上,组织的成功也造就了一次交流的成功。人在空中行走并点燃火炬,精彩地展现了人类的梦想。这个开幕式在21世纪之初尤其传达出这样一个信号:“中国需要世界,世界需要中国。”从伟大的发明到保护地球,中国人将人类的共同遗产展现出来。
伴随着体育爱国主义的成功,中国人民的热情被凋动起来,自然加强了国家的民族凝聚力,这也是中国领导人要实现的一个明确目标,尤其是在经历了四川大地震之后。加强凝聚力便是第三大成功。
1998年法国举办世界杯足球赛的时候,我们有过同样的经历。尽管遭遇种种危机和困难,体育上的胜利能够加强一个国家的凝聚力。中国渴望这种成功,也赢得了这种成功。这种成功把中国推到了全球化的最前沿。
三大挑战
现在中国应该迎接重大挑战,承担起自己应该担负的战略角色和责任。
第一大挑战是保持稳定。和谐不是无所作为。温家宝总理说得对:“1%的法国人行动起来是法国人的问题,可是1%的中国人行动起来就是世界问题。”
世界显然需要中国的稳定,但是这种稳定不能成为奉行保守主义的借口。中国的外贸应该更趋平衡,中国的经济增长应该更关注保护环境,世界贸易组织的原则能够被更好地遵守……世界上人口最多的中国人民追求稳定的目标与改革的政策并不矛盾。
同样,文化多样性也不能成为扩大相对主义的倍口。多极世界应该尊重中国的思想、尊重它悠久的历史、伟大的文明。西方犯了个错误,以为可以使中国的思想也全球化。在儒家、道家和佛家思想的影响下,亚洲总是务实而不教条,他们重变革轻创新,重社会轻个人。
这种不同的思想对世界也同样有用、西方的傲慢不能说服中国人相信:只有接受一个最低限度的共同价值观,文化多样性才能存在下去。当然,和平是这些最低限度价值观中最为重要的一条;就此而言,“和平崛起”的概念是具有积极意义的。但是除此之外,关于人类的共同思想还有待建设,或许可以通过中国智慧中“人人平等”的观念来做到这一点。
中国将要面对的第三大挑战是自由,它是世界性的人权恩想的核心内容。中国人己经从第29届奥运会上听到人们对于人权的呼唤。
当西方媒体指手画脚提到这个问题的时候;中国人非常反感。相反,他们愿意面对面地进行讨论。8月8日,当萨尔科奇总统向胡锦涛表明他很珍视我们的价值观时,胡锦涛明确回答:“我们并不认为中国的人权状况完美无缺,我们决心予以改善。”
我们都希望西藏可以重新对游客开放,以便让人看到这些变化。但是我们不要忘记,西方人并不是最有资格对其他文化指手画脚地说教,因为他们认为西方的价值观首先是为西方利益服务的。(作者 法国前总理让-皮埃尔·拉法兰)
台上的言不由衷啊
布莱尔华尔街日报撰文:我们可以帮助中国拥抱将来
时间:2008-08-28 14:25 来源:环球时报
美国《华尔街日报》8月26日文章,原题:我们可以帮助中国拥抱将来
北京奥运会堪称壮观,强有力地震撼了人们的视听。不过,给我留下最深印象的是开幕式前对一家中国互联网公司的非正式拜访,以及与部分中国年轻企业家的对话。
这些中国人,无论男女,都聪明、敏锐、坦率,不害怕就中国及其将来表达自己的观点。最主要的是,他们充满自信和乐观,没有愤世嫉俗,那种积极进取的精神让我想起鼎盛时的美国以及一路前进的任何国家。这些人没有恐惧,而是满怀希望地憧憬未来。尽管无数中国人仍生活在贫困当中,尽管中国存在一大堆有待解决的政治、社会和经济问题,但正是这次体育盛会所表现出的精神将塑造该国的未来。
在担任英国首相的10年里,我亲眼见证了中国崛起为大国的步伐不断加速。我在演讲中谈论中国,但只是在理性上理解它。我没有切实感受到,因而无法在政治上完全理解。自从离任以后,我先后四次访华,不久还将重访。人们问我这届奥运会将给中国带来什么?奥运会标志着一个新纪元———中国的开放进程已无法逆转。随着现代化中国的形象变得更清晰,对中国的无知和恐惧将会逐渐淡出。权力和影响力正朝东方转移。一些人视之为威胁。我把它看作是巨大的机遇。但我们必须努力发挥想像力,必须消除任何残存的历史傲慢。北京给人的感觉跟我20年前首次访华时的中国印象有着天壤之别。中国人对他们的国家及进步感到由衷自豪。
没有一个理智的中国人———包括该国领导人———会怀疑他们还有尚待解决的人权和政治及宗教自由问题。与此同时,也没有一个理智的中国人(包括最西化的中国人)会怀疑他们取得的巨大进步。中国正在旅途中,它迅速地往前行进,但它十分清楚旅程尚未结束。观察家们应该设法指出未完之旅,但也应该承认所走过的路程。
中国领导层为国内的发展问题忧心忡忡,这是可以理解的。理解中国的内部挑战是理解中国及其政治和心理的基础。我们欧洲有大约5%的人口分布在农业。而中国将近有60%。今后中国将寻求把数亿人从农村搬到城市。
对于中国来说,这种经济和社会的转型必须伴随着政治稳定。这样做也完全符合我们的利益。一个中国政策不属于放任的民族主义。这是一个生存问题,关系到中国在现代化进程中能否以和平和稳定方式凝聚一心。这也是为什么西藏对中国来说不仅仅是宗教问题还是一个重大政治问题的原因所在。
因此,我们理应继续通过对话就人们应该关切的问题与中国接触,但我们在这样做时至少应该考虑到中国的看法。这意味着西方需要与中国建立牢固的伙伴关系,这种关系不仅扎根于经济,而且深入到政治和文化领域。事实是,倘若没有中国的完全参与,21世纪没有什么可以良好运行。有关中国的崛起可能被夸大了。例如,欧洲的经济规模仍然大于中国和印度的总和。
但是正如奥运会及奖牌榜所显示的,事情不会一成不变。这是历史性的变革时刻。再过10年,到时人人都会看到这一点。奥运会如今已成为世界上最大的体育赛事,世人对体育的热爱使得奥运会成为能对现实的人们造成切实影响的事件之一。这届奥运会使世人一窥现代化中国的面貌,其效果没有任何政治演讲能够做到。(作者英国前首相布莱尔,汪析译)
不知我们花了多少银子才让他给我们说好话,政客的话,听听就行
如果老布今后一贯如此表现良好的话,天朝也懂得礼尚往来。
下台后的英国政要多半会转变态度,向中国示好。
当年的港督彭定康与中国政府搞得很僵,中国舆论对他也多半冷嘲热讽,自从他转到欧盟任职后,不断向中国示好,后来居然被请到中央党校发表演讲。看来,对华态度转变已经成为英国政坛的某种风气了。
或者屁股决定嘴巴。下台后,不需要对国家大局负直接责任了,说话顾忌就少,就容易说真话,说实话。
他下台了想扮statesman,挽回一点伊战受损的名声,作过中东特使,还莫名其妙搞过大而无当的inter-faith conversation。当然还有下台了想捞钱。下台的政客说真话?哈。
呼的每一口气,背后都有agenda。台上要选票,台下要身段风采legacy。
“1%的法国人行动起来是法国人的问题,可是1%的中国人行动起来就是世界问题。”