深化互聯互通合作，共建和平繁榮大陸

□ 文/張小康

“26歲的火車司機阿扎馬特·庫利耶諾夫將黑色的操縱桿向前推，1800噸重、近半英里長的特快貨運列車由中國重慶出發，穿越哈薩克斯坦、俄羅斯、白俄羅斯、波蘭，抵達德國的杜伊斯堡。”一家西方主流媒體記者跟隨火車司機的行程，生動描述了“渝新歐”國際鐵路大動脈的景象。作為中國西部重要的制造業基地，重慶近年來開通的“渝新歐”貨運班列構筑起一條“鋼鐵絲綢之路”，極大促進了中歐間貿易往來。“每年中國生產的數以百萬計的筆記本電腦及配件，由此運往倫敦、巴黎、柏林和羅馬等歐洲城市的客戶。”

再過一周時間，重慶將迎來亞歐互聯互通產業對話會，來自亞歐國家的政府、工商和學術界代表將圍繞“創新引領行動，推進亞歐互聯互通”的主題展開頭腦風暴。這場對話會是李克強總理去年10月赴米蘭出席第十屆亞歐首腦會議期間提出的倡議。在這屆首腦會議上，各國領導人曾就互聯互通議題深入交換意見并達成廣泛共識。

互聯互通是近年來越來越多的國際組織的合作重點。作為亞歐兩大洲唯一的政府間合作論壇，亞歐會議有53個成員，經濟總量約占全球55%，人口、貿易額約占世界60%，在推進互聯互通方面有著得天獨厚的優勢。筆者曾長期在亞歐國家工作，2010年接任中國亞歐會議高官，有機會就提升亞歐合作與各方人士深入交換意見。近年來一點突出感受是：在世界經濟復蘇緩慢，發展分化背景下，亞歐各國均面臨著改革發展的重任，急需新的經濟增長點和合作抓手。而互聯互通有望成為新時期引領亞歐合作的燈塔，將為各國疏通經脈，破除瓶頸，實現更大發展，共享繁榮發揮積極作用。

道理頗為簡單。亞洲和歐洲地緣相連，同屬于一個大陸。早在2000多年前，橫跨亞歐大陸的古絲綢之路就已將兩大洲有機聯系起來，在洲際互聯互通方面引領世界風氣之先。在古絲綢之路全盛時期，“馳命走驛，不絕于時月；商胡販客，日款于塞下”，推動了人類文明的進步。亞歐互聯互通是有歷史淵源的。

從現實來看，亞歐會議成員發展階段和水平各異，互補性強。深化互聯互通將推進跨區域合作，拉動投資和就業，增強經濟的內生動力和抗風險能力，并將有力推動亞歐各國實現可持續、創新、均衡和開放發展。換句話說，各方都看好互聯互通將為亞歐大陸帶來的共同繁榮的愿景。

加強互聯互通也將更好維護亞歐大陸的和平穩定。冷戰結束后，宗教極端勢力、暴力恐怖勢力和民族分裂勢力三股勢力抬頭，而經濟社會發展落后和缺乏不同文明間的交流是上述勢力滋生的重要原因之一。亞歐各國基礎設施、制度法規、人文交流各層次全方位聯通的推進，將有效惠及民生、增加就業、消除誤解、培育互信，從源頭上抑制極端思想的生存空間和社會基礎，為維護亞歐大陸的和平穩定注入正能量。

渝新歐貨運班列是會議承辦地重慶對亞歐互聯互通最為直觀的體會。

毋庸置疑，中國近年來提出的“一帶一路”等合作倡議對區域互聯互通合作起了重要激發和助推作用。中方平等協商的姿態和務實高效的作風，令很多國家動容，紛紛提出與中方對接。歐盟亞歐會議高官就曾向筆者表示，去年歐方將互聯互通列為首腦會議主要議題，就是受到中方“一帶一路”倡議的啟發。

100多年前，英國作家吉卜林曾寫到：“東方是東方，西方是西方，兩者永不交匯。”但當今世界的現實是，東方需要西方，西方也離不開東方，兩者已然交匯且將永遠交匯。全球化時代下，世界越來越像一個地球村，亞歐也正在邁向利益、責任和命運共同體的道路上。作為中國亞歐會議高官，我衷心希望亞歐會議能以此次對話會為起點，攜手深化全方位互聯互通合作，共同架起各領域的“渝新歐”大通道，共建和平繁榮大陸。

A tracking report composed by a journalist of a western mainstream media has vividly described the scene of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe international railway artery: "After having slid the black-knobbed throttle forward by Azamat Kulyenov,the 26-year-old train driver,the 1,800-ton express freight train,nearly a halfmile long,departed from Chongqing.It will travel through Kazakhstan,Russia and Poland,and finally reach Duisburg in Germany.Now the overland route is being resurrected and several million laptop computers and accessories made in China are transported to European cities like London,Paris,Berlin and Rome every year."

In another week,representatives of governments,enterprises and think-tanks from 53 members of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will get together in Chongqing so as to host dialogues on strengthening connectivity partnership.This dialogue was proposed by Premier Li Keqiang during the tenth session of the Asia-Europe Summit in Milan last October,at which leaders exchanged in-depth views and reached a broad consensus for connectivity.

Connectivity has been a cooperative focus in recent years.As the only Asia and Europe forum for intergovernmental cooperation between the two continents,ASEM now has 53 members,its overall economy accounts for 55% of the global economy and its population and trade volume reach close to 60% of the world,which has a unique advantage in promoting the connectivity.The author has worked in Asian and European countries.She took the post as ASEM Senior Off icial for China in 2010 and had the opportunity to enhance Asia-Europe cooperation and in-depth exchange of views with parties c o n c e r n e d.W h a t impressed her the most recently are: in the background of slow recovery of the world economy and developing differentially,Asian and European countries are facing the task of reform and development,and in desperate need of new sources of economic growth and cooperation.Thus,connectivity is expected to be the light tower to lead the Asia-Europe cooperation in the new period,and will play an active role in providing connections and channels,getting rid of bottlenecks and achieving greater development.

In fact,Asia-Europe connectivity has its historical origins and also meets the requirement of the times.Asia and Europe,being the broad chest of the earth,are linked together and belong to the same geographic landmass.Back to more than 2,000 years ago,the ancient Silk Road linked Asia with Europe and advanced human civilization.In its heyday,as a poem says,“Thousands of messengers deliver letters on the road all day;Millions of dealers accommodate in taverns in the journey.”This trading road was mainly famous for silk goods and has pushed forward the progress of human civilization.It is as simple as that.

In reality,members of the ASEM have different levels of development stages which are highly complementary.Deepening connectivity will promote cross-regional cooperation,stimulating investment and employment and strengthening endogenous economic motivation and the ability to resist risks,also strong impetus to Asian and European countries to achieve sustainable,innovative,balanced and open development.In other words,the parties are optimistic about the vision of connectivity which will bring common prosperity to Eurasia.

Strengthening connectivity remains an important way to maintain peace in Eurasia.After the end of the Cold War,violent terrorists,religious extremists and ethnic separatists have become the prominent factors influencing the peace in Eurasia.The gradual advancement of connectivity in all-direction and multi-layer of infrastructure,legal system,and humanity exchanges in Asian and European countries will effectively benefit people’s lives,increase employment,clear up misunderstandings and foster mutual trust,thus compressing the living space and undermining the social foundation of extremist mindsets from the source,and injecting positive energy to maintain peace in Eurasia.

There is no doubt that in recent years,China's "One Belt and One Road" and other cooperative initiatives have played an important role in boosting and inspiring regional connectivity and cooperation.China’s gesture of equal consultation and pragmatic and efficient style have touched many countries;they are all willing to cooperate with China.One of the officials from European ASEM told the author that,last year the EU set connectivity as its main topic of the summit,which was inspired by China’s "One Belt and One Road" initiative.

Over 100 years ago,the British writer Kipling once wrote: “East is east,and West is west,and never the two shall meet.”However,the reality now is that the East needs the West,and vice versa,and the two have already met and will never be separated.In the era of globalization,the world is increasingly connected like a global village.Asia and Europe are on the way to a community of common interest,duty and destiny with connectivity as the locomotive to guide this historical process.As an ASEM Senior Official ,I would like to take the meeting as an opportunity to deepen connectivity cooperation between Asia and Europe so as to build a peaceful and prosperous Eurasia.