7月21日，在对卢旺达共和国进行国事访问前夕，国家主席习近平在卢旺达《新时代报》发表题为《中卢友谊情比山高》的署名文章。文章如下：

On July 21, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled “China and Rwanda: A Friendship Higher than Mountains” on mainstream Rwandan newspaper The New Times ahead of his state visit to the African country. The following is the full text of the article:

中卢友谊情比山高

China and Rwanda: A Friendship Higher than Mountains

中华人民共和国主席　习近平

Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China

应保罗·卡加梅总统邀请，我将于7月22日至23日对卢旺达进行国事访问。这是我首次访问贵国，也是中国国家主席首次到访卢旺达，我对此行充满期待。

At the invitation of President Paul Kagame, I will pay a state visit to Rwanda from 22 to 23 July. It will be not only my first visit to Rwanda but also the very first visit to Rwanda by any Chinese President. I am full of expectation for this visit.

卢旺达有“千丘之国”美誉。这里风景秀丽、四季如春、物产丰饶，这里人民勤劳勇敢、自强不息，是非洲大陆上一片充满生机的土地。

Known as the “land of a thousand hills”, Rwanda is blessed with picturesque sceneries, a spring-like weather all year round, and rich endowment of natural resources. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of the brave and hard-working Rwandan people, this country has remained a vibrant land on the African continent.

近年来，在卡加梅总统领导下，卢旺达政府和人民励精图治、奋发图强，成功走出了一条符合本国国情的发展道路。当前，卢旺达政通人和、百废俱兴，社会长期稳定，经济持续快速增长，国际和地区影响力不断提升，给非洲乃至世界上面临发展振兴重任的国家树立了榜样。我为此感到高兴，衷心祝愿卢旺达在发展振兴道路上不断取得新的更大成就。

In recent years, under the leadership of President Kagame, the government and people of Rwanda have made pioneering efforts to blaze a development path that suits its national conditions. Enjoying good governance and social harmony, Rwanda is making progress on every front of development. With sustained stability and robust economic growth, Rwanda has seen a continued rise in its regional and global influence, and has set an example for countries who face the similar tasks of national development and rejuvenation in Africa and beyond. I am heartened to see these accomplishments and sincerely wish Rwanda still greater success on its way forward.

“相知无远近，万里尚为邻。”中卢两国虽然相距遥远，国家大小、制度、文化不尽相同，但两国人民有着深厚传统友谊。中卢在历史上都曾遭受深重灾难，因此都倍加珍惜当前国家稳定、民族团结、经济发展的局面，都为自己取得的发展成就感到自豪。

As a Chinese poem reads, “Good friends feel close to each other even when they are thousands of miles away.” Despite the vast geographic distance and differences in size, system and culture between China and Rwanda, our peoples enjoy a deep traditional friendship. Both our two countries endured great sufferings in history. That is why we cherish the national stability, ethnic unity and economic development we now enjoy, and take pride in what we have accomplished along the way.

1971年中国同卢旺达建立外交关系。47年来，双方始终坚持真诚友好、平等相待，中卢两国人民友谊经受住了国际风云变幻的考验。两国人民彼此信赖、互帮互助，中卢友好深入人心。近年来，在双方共同努力下，中卢关系快速发展，各领域合作成果丰硕，不断焕发新的活力。中国已成为卢旺达第一大贸易伙伴和第一大工程承包方。我们高兴地看到，中国援建的阿马霍罗国家体育场里上演了多场精彩赛事，成为卢旺达民众休闲娱乐的重要场所。穆桑泽职业技术学校已成为卢旺达北方省最大的职业技术培训中心。即将实施的打井200口项目将有效缓解11万多民众饮水困难。中国企业家积极响应卡加梅总统提出的“卢旺达制造”发展战略，创办的服装公司为卢旺达发展本国制造业作出了积极贡献。中国公司修建的公路占卢旺达国家公路总里程70%，已成为家喻户晓的明星企业。

China and Rwanda established diplomatic relations in 1971. Over the past 47 years, our two countries have treated each other as equals with sincerity and friendship. Based on mutual trust and assistance, our friendship has stood the test of the changing international landscape and taken root in our people’s hearts. In recent years, thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, our bilateral ties have achieved fast expansion and demonstrated fresh vitality with fruitful cooperation in all areas. China has become Rwanda’s biggest trading partner and project contractor. We are glad to see that the Amahoro National Stadium built by China has hosted many spectacular sports games and become a popular recreation and entertainment venue for the Rwandan people. The Musanze Integrated Polytechnic Regional Colleague has grown into the biggest professional training center in the Northern Province. The project of drilling 200 wells, soon to be delivered, will help ease water shortages for over 110,000 people. The garment factory that a Chinese entrepreneur has set up in response to President Kagame’s “Made in Rwanda” development initiative is playing a positive role in growing Rwanda’s manufacturing sector. Another Chinese company has made itself a household name in Rwanda as it undertakes 70% of Rwanda’s national highway construction.

“国之交在于民相亲。”中卢人文交流丰富多彩，越来越多的卢旺达民众对中国和中国文化产生浓厚兴趣。每年有数百名优秀的卢旺达学子获得中国政府奖学金赴华留学。卢旺达大学孔子学院注册学员已近5000人，卢旺达武术协会有2000多名学员。在为卢旺达援建的马萨卡医院、基本戈医院里，中国医疗队用他们的医术和仁心救死扶伤，两所医院为60多万民众提供医疗服务。正在实施的“万村通”卫星电视项目将为卢旺达300个村庄配备数字电视，极大丰富15万多农村百姓的精神文化生活。

People-to-people friendship holds the key to good state-to-state relations. The rich and diverse people-to-people exchanges between our two sides have led to a growing interest in China and Chinese culture among the Rwandan people. Each year, several hundred talented young Rwandan students go to study in China on Chinese government scholarships. The number of registered students in the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda is approaching 5,000. The Rwanda Kung Fu/Wushu Federation has over 2,000 participants. At the Masaka Hospital and the Kibungo Hospital, two hospitals built by China, caring and highly-skilled members of the Chinese medical teams are providing much needed services to more than 600,000 local people. Digital TV services will soon be brought to 300 villages in Rwanda under an ongoing project of providing access to satellite TV to a total of 10,000 Rwandan villages, enriching the cultural life of over 150,000 rural residents.

当前，卢旺达正在积极致力于实施“2020远景”发展规划，中国正在为实现“两个一百年”奋斗目标不懈努力。中卢合作发展面临历史性机遇。去年3月，卡加梅总统成功访华，我同他就新形势下深化两国各领域合作达成重要共识，为中卢关系未来发展作出了全面规划。我期待通过这次访问，为中卢传统友好和各领域合作注入新动力，推动两国关系迈上新台阶，蒂结新硕果，更好造福两国人民。

With Rwanda actively implementing its Vision 2020 Umurenge Program and China working toward its centenary goals, historic opportunities beckon for our cooperation. During his visit to China in March 2017, President Kagame and I reached important consensus on deepening cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and made overall plans for the future growth of relations between our two countries. I hope my upcoming visit will inject new impetus to our traditional friendship and all-round cooperation, take bilateral relations to a new level, and produce fruitful results to the benefit of our peoples. 

——坚持相互尊重，深化政治互信。双方要从战略高度和长远角度看待和发展双边关系，密切各层级交流合作，共享发展经验，为两国关系长期健康稳定发展筑牢政治基础。中方坚定支持卢方走自主选择的发展道路。

– We need to uphold mutual respect and deepen political mutual trust. We should view and grow our relations with a strategic and long-term perspective. By way of enhancing exchanges and cooperation at all levels and sharing development experience, we will be able to cement the political foundation for the sound, steady and sustained growth of our relations. China firmly supports Rwanda in following the development path it has independently chosen.

——加强发展战略对接，扩大各领域合作。双方要发挥互补优势，拓展合作领域和途径，加强两国在基础设施建设、矿业、贸易投资等领域务实合作，将中卢友好更多更好转化为实实在在的合作成果，更好惠及两国人民。

– We need to connect our development strategies and expand cooperation in all areas. By leveraging our complementarities and broadening the scope and channels of cooperation, we will be able to advance practical cooperation in infrastructure, mining, trade and investment, translating our friendship into concrete outcomes and delivering more benefits to our peoples.

——推动文明互鉴，丰富人文交流。双方要加强教育、文化、卫生、旅游、航空、人力资源培训等领域交流合作，夯实两国关系发展的社会和民意基础，让中卢友好更加深入民心。

– We need to promote mutual learning between civilizations and further enhance people-to-people exchanges. Deeper exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, health, tourism, aviation and human resources training will help cement the social foundation for bilateral relations and gain increasing public support for our friendship.

——密切沟通协调，加强国际事务协作。中方赞赏并支持卢旺达作为非盟轮值主席国为维护非洲团结、促进非洲发展发挥更大作用。双方要继续在国际和地区事务中密切沟通协调，坚定维护广大发展中国家共同利益。

– We need to strengthen collaboration in international affairs through closer communication and coordination. China commends and supports the efforts of Rwanda, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), to play a bigger role in preserving Africa’s unity and promoting its development. Our two countries will continue to firmly uphold the common interests of developing countries through close communication and coordination in regional and international affairs.

中卢友好是中非友好的缩影。几十年来，中非始终真诚友好、团结合作，是休戚与共的命运共同体和合作共赢的利益共同体。中国将秉持真实亲诚理念和正确义利观，同包括卢旺达在内的广大非洲友好国家一道，加强交流，增进互信，扩大合作。一个多月后，中非合作论坛峰会将在北京召开。我欢迎卡加梅总统以卢旺达总统和非盟轮值主席双重身份赴华与会，期待着同他会面，并同论坛其他成员方领导人一道，共商中非友好合作大计，共绘中非发展美好蓝图。

The friendship between our two countries is an epitome of the friendship between China and Africa. For decades, China and Africa have treated each other with sincerity and friendship. We are a community with a shared future and common interests, featuring solidarity and win-win cooperation. Going forward, China will continue to deepen communication, mutual trust and cooperation with Rwanda and with other friendly African countries, based on the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and the approach of upholding justice and pursuing shared interests. In just over a month’s time, China will host a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing. I will welcome President Kagame to the summit in his capacity as President of Rwanda and as the rotating AU chair. I look forward to meeting with him and other leaders of FOCAC members to draw up a blueprint for furthering China-Africa friendship and cooperation and promoting our future development.

卢旺达有悠久的“乌姆干达”文化，强调大家通过互帮互助、共同参与来实现共同目标。中国有一句类似的谚语叫做“人心齐，泰山移”。当今世界，各国相互联系和依存日益加深，同时也面临许多共同挑战。中卢两国应该同心协力、同舟共济，为实现互利共赢、共同发展，构建中卢、中非命运共同体携手前行。我深信，在两国政府和人民共同努力下，中卢关系必将迎来更加美好的明天。

The decades-old Umuganda culture in Rwanda encourages joint efforts and mutual help for common goals. A Chinese saying contains a similar message, “People with one mind and heart have the power to move a mountain.” In a world of increasing inter-connection and inter-dependence, countries are faced with many common challenges. It is important for China and Rwanda to join hands for mutual benefit and common development and for a community with a shared future between our two countries and between China and Africa as a whole. I am convinced that with the joint efforts of our two governments and peoples, China-Rwanda relations will embrace an even brighter future.