2018年10月14日，中国国务院总理李克强在《欧洲时报》发表题为《故友新知　共创未来》的署名文章。

故友新知 共创未来

A time to renew friendship and embrace a brighter future

It is a great pleasure for me to visit the beautiful country of the Netherlands for the first time as Chinese Premier. To me, this country is by no means a strange, faraway land, but a familiar place. About 20 years ago when I was working in a Chinese province, I visited the Netherlands and was deeply impressed by its modern agriculture and thriving tourism, ports and logistics, to name just a few. So this is like a visit with old friends.

很高兴作为中国总理首次访问荷兰。于我而言，荷兰不但不陌生，反而很熟悉。20多年前，我在中国地方工作时就曾到访荷兰，贵国发达的现代农业、旅游业、港口、物流等，给我留下深刻印象。可以说，我这次来，也是探访故友。

Although I haven’t had many chances to come back, I have been following the development of this country and that of China-Netherlands relations. I am glad to see continued progress in our bilateral ties and cooperation in recent years, most notably the establishment of an open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation during X1’s successful state visit here in 2014. Another milestone was recorded in the history of our relations earlier this year when King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte paid visits to China within two months.

这些年，尽管没有到访，但我一直关注荷兰发展和中荷关系。我高兴地看到，近年来两国关系与合作不断向前发展。特别是2014年X1成功对荷兰进行国事访问，中荷建立起开放务实的全面合作伙伴关系。今年以来，威廉-亚历山大国王和吕特首相2个月内相继访华，创造了中荷关系史上新的纪录。

There is a proverb in both Chinese and Dutch which urges people to strike while the iron is hot. I hope my upcoming visit will do the same and promote further progress of the interactions and cooperation between our two countries.

中荷两国有句意思相近的成语——趁热打铁。我愿通过此次访问荷兰，推动两国关系与合作持续发展。

The Netherlands has been associated with many achievements. To historians and economists, it is the birthplace of the world’s first share-holding company, first stock exchange and first modern bank. To business leaders, it is home to many renowned multinationals. Humanities scholars admire your country for its contribution to arts and philosophy. In the travelogues of tourists, the Netherlands is the picturesque Garden of Europe and Land of Windmills.

荷兰所能引发的联想非常丰富——在历史学家、经济学家的眼中，荷兰是第一家股份制公司、股票交易所和现代银行的诞生地；企业家们说起荷兰，津津乐道于这片土地培育了一批知名跨国公司；人文学者们仰慕荷兰在艺术、哲学等领域对世界的贡献；在游客的旅行印象里，荷兰是风景如画的“欧洲花园”“风车之国”。

On the Chinese side, silk and porcelain made in China arrived in this country as early as centuries ago. The Netherlands was among the first western countries to recognize the People’s Republic and enter into long-term cooperation on scientific research with us. If we compare our histories and national journeys, we can find similarities in national traits between the Chinese story and the Dutch story.

早在几个世纪前，中国的丝绸与瓷器就运到荷兰。荷兰是最早承认新中国、最早同中国开展长期性科研合作的西方国家之一。回顾我们各自的历史与奋斗历程，在“中国故事”与“荷兰故事”中，有一种相似的精神气质。

In the long fight against natural disasters, the Dutch people have built dams and dikes and reclaimed land from the sea to overcome the constraints imposed by the natural environment and make the most of its somewhat limited resources. Through centuries of hard work, your country has accomplished a great transformation from fighting the sea, to harnessing the sea, and to thriving and prospering by the sea. Such an enterprising, pioneering, open and pragmatic spirit is best captured by the motto on your coat of arms — Je Maintiendrai (I will maintain).

荷兰在漫长的岁月中抵御自然灾害，克服环境局限，修堤筑坝、围海造田，最大化利用自身资源趋利避害，完成了从抗海而生、向海而生、出海而生的华丽蜕变。这种勇于拼搏、敢为人先、开放务实的精神浓缩为一句镌刻在荷兰国徽上的铭文——“坚持不懈”。

For the Chinese nation, it has faced many turmoil and challenges both internal and imposed from the outside through the centuries. But the Chinese people have always emerged stronger by overcoming the difficulties and obstacles and forged a national character of industry, courage and perseverance. Similarly, in the past four decades of reform and opening-up, we have encountered unprecedented risks and challenges; but we stayed the course and never flinched. A long journey is made through taking small steps. If there is one thing that we have learned along the way, it is that we shall always maintain.

回顾中华民族几千年历史，我们曾饱经内忧外患，正是在一次次攻坚克难、爬坡过坎中发展壮大，锤炼出勤劳勇敢、不屈不挠的民族品质。改革开放40年来，我们直面很多从未遇到过的风险与挑战，笃定前行，毫不动摇。如果说我们在“积跬步”中取得了“至千里”的成就，其中一个重要的经验就是——“坚持不懈”。

Today, facing the headwinds of unilateralism and protectionism as well as the challenges of climate change and terrorism, we need to be clear about the direction where we are going. We should ask ourselves the question: do we opt for openness or stay behind closed doors, go forward or backward?

如今，面对单边主义、保护主义的逆流，面对气候变化、恐怖主义的挑战，未来何去何从？是开放还是保守？是前进还是倒退？

The Netherlands is a trading nation and China has been pursuing development through opening-up. As beneficiaries of the rules-based multilateral order, our two countries are likely to give similar answers to the above question. We would agree that the answer lies in making a stronger commitment to uphold multilateralism, free trade, economic globalization and an open world economy, and striving to sustain the hard-won global recovery with concrete and concerted efforts. Let’s join hands to maintain the Dutch story and the Chinese story and promote world peace and development.

以贸易立国的荷兰和致力于开放发展的中国，都是以规则为基础的多边秩序的受益者，相信我们会给出一个共同的答案——筑牢多边主义、自由贸易、经济全球化、开放型世界经济的堤坝，以实际行动携手合作，让历经曲折的全球经济复苏坚持不懈，让“荷兰故事”和“中国故事”坚持不懈，让世界的和平与发展坚持不懈！

We need to build on our friendship and further enhance it. This is because we need to rise up to new challenges in the global context. Moreover, the development driven by a new round of reform and opening-up has created new space for cooperation between our countries. As a Dutch saying goes, happiness doubles when you share it. Likewise, opportunities will multiply when we share them.

说荷兰是新知，不仅因为面对当今世界的新问题，中荷要共迎新挑战，更因为中国新一轮改革开放的发展进程，给了中荷合作新空间。荷兰有句谚语，与人分享，快乐加倍。我们认为，与人分享，机遇也会加倍。

China and the Netherlands, at different development stages, have much to offer each other economically. Efforts to advance the Belt and Road Initiative will provide more opportunities to leverage the advantageous location of the Netherlands as the gateway to Europe and facilitate connectivity between China and Europe by making full use of the convenient land, sea and air transportation in this country. The boom of new growth drivers and upgrading of the industrial structure in China will cultivate new areas of technological cooperation. Chinese people’s pursuit of a better life with higher household spending promises a new market for quality Dutch products. China’s innovation-driven development strategy being implemented in full swing will offer new impetus for creative industries in the Netherlands to join in the development of the innovation economy in China. With a host of measures in place to deepen reform and expand opening-up, especially to widen market access for foreign investment in services sectors, the financial sector included, China will generate more promising business opportunities for Dutch companies and investors.

处于不同发展阶段的中荷两国，有着很强的经济互补性。共建“一带一路”倡议的推进，将为荷兰充分发挥欧洲门户的区位优势和水陆空交通的便利、助力中欧互联互通提供新机遇；中国经济新动能的蓬勃发展和产业结构的转型升级，将为中荷在诸多领域开展技术合作开辟新高地；中国广大民众对生活品质的追求和消费能力的不断提升，将为荷兰优质产品进入中国打开新市场；中国创新驱动发展战略的深入实施，将为荷兰发挥创意产业优势参与中国的创新经济增长注入新动力；中国一系列深化改革、扩大开放措施的逐步落地，特别是服务业、金融业外资准入的放宽，将使中国成为荷兰企业投资兴业更广阔的热土。

China will make greater efforts and take faster steps to improve its business environment, expand market access for foreign investors, and protect intellectual property rights. This is a commitment China has made not just to the world but more so to serve China’s own development. We will stay committed to these goals. The process of reform and opening-up will see China further align its domestic rules with international practices and seek development synergy with the rest of the world. The Netherlands and other countries are welcome to share in China’s development opportunities. Together, through friendly competition and cooperation, we will prevail over difficulties and challenges and open up new vistas for common progress.

中国在优化营商环境、扩大外资市场准入、保护知识产权等方面的力度会更大，步伐会更快，这是我们对世界的承诺，更是中国自身发展的需要。我们会朝着既定的目标坚持不懈走下去。中国改革开放的进程，就是与国际通行规则不断接轨、与世界各国的发展不断对接的过程。我们欢迎包括荷兰在内的各国分享中国的发展机遇，也有信心在良性的竞争与合作中共同成长，在克服困难、解决问题中开一片天地，有一番作为。

I have come to the Netherlands to renew and enhance a long-running friendship. A bright future dawns only when we maintain. I trust that the Netherlands known for its pioneering spirit will be an early bird in China’s new round of reform and opening-up. With joint efforts, China, the Netherlands and Europe as a whole will all embrace a brighter future.

我带着对故友的情谊、对新知的期待再访荷兰。美好的未来不会自动向我们走来，需要我们坚持不懈地向其走去。我相信，敢为人先的荷兰将在中国新一轮改革开放进程中抢占先机，中荷乃至中欧的携手同行将为我们创造一个共同的美好未来！