戴秉国在中美智库南海问题对话会上的讲话（中英对照）

三、南海的温度必须逐步冷却下来

III. The situation in the South China Sea must cool down.

现在，南海的温度已经很高了，已有人在叫喊什么“今夜开战”了，如果任由温度上升，可能发生意外，甚至把整个南海搞乱，进而把亚洲搞乱！那样，南海周边地区国家遭殃，亚洲国家遭殃，美国也会遭殃。决不能让这样的事情发生，这个地方绝不能变成西亚北非那个样子。谁放纵事态发展，酿成大祸，谁就必须承担历史责任。

The temperature of the South China Sea is now high enough. Some people even clamored for “fight tonight”. If such momentum went unchecked, accidents could happen and the South China Sea might sink into chaos and so might the entire Asia. Should that happen, it will be countries around the South China Sea, the Asian countries and even the US itself that will suffer. We must not let this happen, and not allow Asia to become another West Asia and North Africa. Anyone intent on fueling the flames and unleashing disastrous outcomes will be held accountable by history.

要使南海的温度真正降下来，相关国家都要做出实实在在的努力。

Cooling down temperatures in the South China Sea requires concrete efforts by all countries concerned.

首先，当务之急是仲裁庭停止审理菲律宾的仲裁案，如强行推出非法仲裁结果，任何人、任何国家均不得以任何方式执行非法仲裁结果，更不得强压中国执行裁决。尤其是要严格约束菲律宾不得采取任何挑衅活动，否则中方决不会坐视不管。

First, the urgent priority is to stop the arbitration case initiated by the Philippines. If the tribunal insisted on its way and produced an “award”, no one and no country should implement the award in any form, much less to force China into implementation. And the Philippines must be dissuaded from making any further provocation. Otherwise, China would not sit idle.

第二，中美在南海没有一分一厘的领土争议，在南海上也不存在根本的战略利益冲突，不能以此来定义中美关系。我们必须把它放在两国关系中的合理位置，把南海塑造成中美合作而非对抗冲突的场所，防止其对中美关系的全局形成不应有的干扰或破坏。如果因判断错误、处置不当而断送掉40多年来双方苦心经营起来的好端端的中美关系，那中美两国人民是绝不会饶恕的。

Second, China and the US have neither disputes over even one inch of territory nor fundamental clash of interests in the South China Sea. The South China Sea issue should not be allowed to define China-US relations. Rather, this issue should be put in perspective against larger bilateral relations and be transformed into an area of cooperation rather than arena for confrontation. We must forestall undue disruptions or damages to the overall China-US relations as a result of differences over this issue. The people of China and the US will not forgive us, if we let the basically sound China-US relations cultivated by both sides over the past forty years be ruined by misjudgment and mishandling over this issue.

中方的立场和主张我已讲清楚了，我想再强调几点：

I have made China’s position and views clear. Let me conclude with a few more personal observations.

首先，美方如果不能回归当初承认中国对南沙群岛拥有主权的立场，也应真正恪守在领土主权争议问题上不选边站队的承诺。如美国真心愿意维护南海乃至亚太和平稳定，支持建立基于规则的秩序，就应该明辨是非，尊重事实，反对或约束有关国家对中国采取挑衅行动，鼓励本地区国家通过双边谈判协商和平解决争议，全面有效落实《南海各方行为宣言》。

First of all, even if the US is unable to go back to its position of recognizing China’s sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, it should honor its stated position of not taking sides on issues concerning territorial disputes. If the US is truly committed to peace and stability in the South China Sea and the wider Asia-Pacific and a rule-based order, it should judge the issue on its merits, respect facts, oppose or restrain provocations by certain countries against China and encourage countries directly concerned to settle the disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation and implement the DOC fully and effectively.

第二，不要把南海问题放大为一个战略问题，习惯性地用西方国际关系理论和历史典故来解释和预测中国，认为中国把南海视为“亚洲版加勒比海”，要实施“亚洲版门罗主义”，把美国挤出亚洲。甚至猜测中国要借此问题与美方比拼谁能主导南海、亚洲和世界。这完全是无端的猜想！中国与传统西方大国不一样，作为一个五千年的东方文明，中国有完全不同的文化传统、政治思维和国际视野。对中国而言，南海问题就是关乎自身领土主权、安全、发展利益和海洋权益问题，是防止丧失我们固有领土的悲剧重演问题，简单而朴素，没有其他考量。我们无意也无力与谁进行什么“战略比拼”。我们没有野心统治亚洲，更没有野心统治地球，就是南海，我们也从没有说过全都是我们的。我们只有一个“野心”，就是做好中国自己的事情，让近14亿中国人能过上比较体面的、有尊严的日子。中国要和平崛起的神圣权利，中国人要过好日子的神圣权利是不应该被任何人剥夺、也是任何人也剥夺不了的。

Second, one should not be too ready to frame the South China Sea issue as a strategic issue or interpret and predict China’s behavior by drawing from western theories of international relations and history. It would be nothing but baseless speculation to assert that China wants to make the South China Sea an Asian Caribbean Sea and impose the Monroe Doctrine to exclude the US from Asia or that China is trying to compete with the US for dominance in the South China Sea, Asia and even the world. Unlike traditional western powers, China, an oriental civilization that goes back five thousand years, has distinctive culture, values, political thinking and view of the world. For China, the South China Sea issue is all about territorial sovereignty, security, development and maritime rights and interests. It is all about preventing further tragic losses of territory. China’s thinking is as simple as that. And there is no other agenda behind it. We have no intention or capability to engage in “strategic rivalry” with anyone. We have no ambition to rule Asia, still less the Earth. Even in the context of the issue in question, we have never claimed we own the entire South China Sea. We only have one ambition, which is to manage our own affairs well and ensure a decent life and dignity for the nearly 1.4 billion Chinese people. China’s right to rise peacefully and deliver a better life for its people should not and will not be taken away by anyone.

第三，美方对南海问题的强势介入要降下来。人们十分关切的是，美国不断强化亚太地区军事同盟，推进军力前沿部署。去年以来，美进一步加强对华抵近侦察和“航行自由计划”。美国少数人士的言论充斥着强烈的对抗倾向。中国老百姓打开电视、翻开报纸就看到美国航母舰机从万里之外开到中国家门口耀武扬威，听到美国高级军官声言“今夜开战”。美国朋友们，如果你们处在中国老百姓的位置，会作何感想？是不是觉得太有损你们国家在世界上的形象了呢？中美互动不应是这样的哟！当然，中国人并没被吓倒，哪怕美国全部10个航母战斗群都开进南海，也吓不倒中国人！在美方强势介入南海的背景下，有些国家恃美自重，有了利用大国博弈捞取好处的冲动，在海上采取更多挑衅行动，给南海局势增添变数，导致了南海局势反复升温。其实这种局面归根到底并不符合美方的利益。弄不好会不由自主地被人逼下水，付出意想不到的惨重代价。情绪冲动的国家相信也会逐渐冷静下来思考：中国已经同它们作为邻居和平友善地生活了几千年、几万年。今天这个邻居在共同生活的这个地区没有侵略谁，没有干涉谁的内政，没有颠覆谁的政权，也不组建对抗性的政治军事集团，除了维护自己的主权、安全和发展利益，并不称王称霸。今后需要世世代代与之比邻而居的仍然是友善的中国而非远在天边的另一个大国。

Third, the US’s heavy-handed intervention in the South China Sea issue needs to be scaled back. There is deep concern about the US continued reinforcement of its military alliances in the Asia-Pacific and forward deployment of its military assets. Since last year, the US has intensified its close-in reconnaissance and “Freedom of Navigation” operations targeted at China. The rhetoric of a few people in the US has become blatantly confrontational. How would you feel if you were Chinese and read in the newspapers or watch on TV reports and footages about US aircraft carriers, naval ships and fighter jets flexing muscles right at your doorstep and hear a senior US military official telling the troops to be ready “to fight tonight”? Wouldn’t you consider it unhelpful to the US image in the world? This is certainly not the way China and the US should interact with each other.

Having said that, we in China would not be intimidated by the US actions, not even if the US sent all the ten aircraft carriers to the South China Sea. Furthermore, US intervention on the issue has led some countries to believe that the US is on their side and they stand to gain from the competition between major countries. As a result, we have seen more provocations from these countries, adding uncertainties and escalating tensions in the South China Sea. This, in fact, is not in the interest of the US. The risk for the US is that it may be dragged into trouble against its own will and pay an unexpectedly heavy price. Hopefully, the countries, whose recent course of action has been driven by reckless impulse, will engage in some cool-headed thinking and realize that China has been living alongside them peacefully as a friendly neighbor for several thousand years. Neither had this neighbor invaded anyone nor interfered in any country’s internal affairs. Neither is this neighbor pursuing any regime change nor building confrontational political or military blocs. All China’s endeavors are focused on protecting its sovereignty, security and development interests and it has no intention to seek dominance or hegemony. Those countries will eventually see that it is the friendly China that will remain their neighbor for generations to come instead of some faraway superpower.

第四，双方应以建设性的方式妥善管控分歧。正如我刚才强调的，南海问题本质上是中国与部分南海沿岸国之间的争议，可以预见，在相当长一段时期内，这些问题是不可能解决的。关键是最终解决前采取什么态度来处理和解决争议：是挑动问题和争议、激化矛盾、怂恿对抗，还是淡化争议、搁置分歧、扩大合作？答案不言自明。中方一直坚持通过谈判协商和平解决有关争议。虽然南海问题不应是中美之间的问题，但从维护亚太和平稳定这一双方最大“公约数”出发，中方愿与美方就海上问题保持沟通，愿同包括美方在内有关各方一道努力管控局势。中美双方可以就增进地区国家互信，有效管控争议，促进海上务实合作等，进行建设性讨论，找到共同维护地区和平稳定的办法。

Fourth, China and the US need to find ways to manage their differences constructively. As I said, the South China Sea issue boils down to disputes between China and a few other littoral states. Given that these disputes are not going to be settled any time soon, the key question is how these disputes should be managed pending final resolution. Should parties provoke each other over these disputes, aggravate tensions and encourage confrontation? Or should they downplay the disputes, shelve their differences and expand cooperation? The answer is apparent. China has all along been committed to resolving the disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation. Even though the South China Sea is clearly not an issue between China and the US, China is willing to maintain communication with the US on maritime issues and work with the US and all other parties to keep the situation under control, considering our shared interest in peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. Our two sides may work together to find ways to jointly promote regional peace and stability through constructive dialogue on matters such as regional confidence-building, effectively managing disputes and advancing maritime practical cooperation.

第五，中美应努力拓展海上积极议程。中美双方都赞同“航行和飞越自由”原则。只要美国不以此挑战中国主权和安全利益，中美可以就维护航行和飞越自由在全球范围内合作。双方也应当在海洋环保、海洋科考、海上执法等涉海广泛领域加强合作，为双方在海上的互动注入更多正能量。

Fifth, China and the US need to expand their positive maritime agenda. Both countries support freedom of navigation and overflight. As long as the US does not use that as a pretext to challenge China’s sovereignty and security interests, the two countries can cooperate on a global level to safeguard such freedom. Closer cooperation is also called for in a wide range of ocean-related fields such as marine environmental protection, marine science and research and maritime law-enforcement to give a stronger boost to China-US interaction at sea.

我今年75岁了，诞生在二战战火纷飞的年代，之后，又目睹和经历过一些大国关系的起伏变化，研究过朝鲜战争、越南战争、伊拉克战争等对美国自身和别人造成的巨大损害，新世纪以来又主持过中国同美国等大国的战略对话，我们谈得很深，很好，在共同构建中美新型大国关系方面也找到了共同语言。我热爱自己的国家，热爱自己的人民，对美国人民也抱有友好感情。我真诚希望中美关系好，中国和美国都好，不要犯战略性错误而陷入冲突对抗的深渊。我今天说的有些话可能不那么动听，但心是好的，是一个可以被视为美国朋友的肺腑之言。

I was born at the height of the Second World War, and as a 75-year-old man, I either lived through or witnessed the evolutions of relations between some major countries. I have studied the Korean War, Vietnam War and Iraq War and how these wars took a heavy toll on the US. Since the turn of the century, I had the further privilege to chair China’s strategic dialogues with the US and some other major countries, which were of great depth and quality and helped produce common thinking between our two countries on building a new model of major-country relationship. I love my country and people and have nothing but profound goodwill towards the American people. I wish for the best of China-US relations and for both our countries. We must work together to avoid strategic mistakes pushing us into conflict or confrontation. Some of my remarks today might sound a little bit harsh, but I said them with the best of intentions. You may consider them words spoken from the heart of a friend of the US.

中国北宋著名诗人王安石曾写下世代传诵的名句，“不畏浮云遮望眼，只缘身在最高层”。意思是说只有登高望远，不为一时一事所扰，才能把握天下大势。在机遇和挑战交织的全球化时代，中美作为世界上最大的发展中国家和最大的发达国家以及世界前两大经济体，在促进世界经济发展、维护国际和平与安全等方面肩负着更多共同责任，面对更多共同挑战，双方合作的潜力还远远没有挖掘出来。我们要做的不是拿着显微镜聚焦问题，而是端起望远镜眺望前方，聚焦合作。中美都是富于智慧与远见的伟大民族。只要双方从共同利益出发，坚持相互尊重，平等相待，坦诚沟通，聚同化异，就一定能妥善管控分歧，并找到把分歧转化为合作机遇的金钥匙。我坚信，中美关系的前景一片光明！

Wang Anshi, a famous Chinese poet who lived in the Northern Song Dynasty wrote, “We should not be afraid of the clouds blocking our view, because we already are at the highest elevation.” It means that only by adopting a strategic vision and minimizing distractions can one understand where the trend is moving. In a globalized world full of opportunities and challenges, as the biggest developing and developed countries and the world’s two largest economies, China and the US shoulder more common responsibilities and face more common challenges in driving world economic recovery and promoting international peace and security. There is so much potential of cooperation yet to be tapped. What we need is not a microscope to enlarge our differences, but a telescope to look ahead and focus on cooperation. Both Chinese and Americans are great nations with insight and vision. As long as the two sides work for common interests, respect each other, treat each other as equals, have candid dialogue, and expand common ground, China and the US will be able to manage differences and find the key to turning those issues into opportunities of working together. I have no doubt that China-US relations will embrace a great future.

最后，预祝本次对话会取得圆满成功！

To conclude, I wish the dialogue a full success.