深化互联互通合作，共建和平繁荣大陆

□ 文/张小康

“26岁的火车司机阿扎马特·库利耶诺夫将黑色的操纵杆向前推，1800吨重、近半英里长的特快货运列车由中国重庆出发，穿越哈萨克斯坦、俄罗斯、白俄罗斯、波兰，抵达德国的杜伊斯堡。”一家西方主流媒体记者跟随火车司机的行程，生动描述了“渝新欧”国际铁路大动脉的景象。作为中国西部重要的制造业基地，重庆近年来开通的“渝新欧”货运班列构筑起一条“钢铁丝绸之路”，极大促进了中欧间贸易往来。“每年中国生产的数以百万计的笔记本电脑及配件，由此运往伦敦、巴黎、柏林和罗马等欧洲城市的客户。”

再过一周时间，重庆将迎来亚欧互联互通产业对话会，来自亚欧国家的政府、工商和学术界代表将围绕“创新引领行动，推进亚欧互联互通”的主题展开头脑风暴。这场对话会是李克强总理去年10月赴米兰出席第十届亚欧首脑会议期间提出的倡议。在这届首脑会议上，各国领导人曾就互联互通议题深入交换意见并达成广泛共识。

互联互通是近年来越来越多的国际组织的合作重点。作为亚欧两大洲唯一的政府间合作论坛，亚欧会议有53个成员，经济总量约占全球55%，人口、贸易额约占世界60%，在推进互联互通方面有着得天独厚的优势。笔者曾长期在亚欧国家工作，2010年接任中国亚欧会议高官，有机会就提升亚欧合作与各方人士深入交换意见。近年来一点突出感受是：在世界经济复苏缓慢，发展分化背景下，亚欧各国均面临着改革发展的重任，急需新的经济增长点和合作抓手。而互联互通有望成为新时期引领亚欧合作的灯塔，将为各国疏通经脉，破除瓶颈，实现更大发展，共享繁荣发挥积极作用。

道理颇为简单。亚洲和欧洲地缘相连，同属于一个大陆。早在2000多年前，横跨亚欧大陆的古丝绸之路就已将两大洲有机联系起来，在洲际互联互通方面引领世界风气之先。在古丝绸之路全盛时期，“驰命走驿，不绝于时月；商胡贩客，日款于塞下”，推动了人类文明的进步。亚欧互联互通是有历史渊源的。

从现实来看，亚欧会议成员发展阶段和水平各异，互补性强。深化互联互通将推进跨区域合作，拉动投资和就业，增强经济的内生动力和抗风险能力，并将有力推动亚欧各国实现可持续、创新、均衡和开放发展。换句话说，各方都看好互联互通将为亚欧大陆带来的共同繁荣的愿景。

加强互联互通也将更好维护亚欧大陆的和平稳定。冷战结束后，宗教极端势力、暴力恐怖势力和民族分裂势力三股势力抬头，而经济社会发展落后和缺乏不同文明间的交流是上述势力滋生的重要原因之一。亚欧各国基础设施、制度法规、人文交流各层次全方位联通的推进，将有效惠及民生、增加就业、消除误解、培育互信，从源头上抑制极端思想的生存空间和社会基础，为维护亚欧大陆的和平稳定注入正能量。

渝新欧货运班列是会议承办地重庆对亚欧互联互通最为直观的体会。

毋庸置疑，中国近年来提出的“一带一路”等合作倡议对区域互联互通合作起了重要激发和助推作用。中方平等协商的姿态和务实高效的作风，令很多国家动容，纷纷提出与中方对接。欧盟亚欧会议高官就曾向笔者表示，去年欧方将互联互通列为首脑会议主要议题，就是受到中方“一带一路”倡议的启发。

100多年前，英国作家吉卜林曾写到：“东方是东方，西方是西方，两者永不交汇。”但当今世界的现实是，东方需要西方，西方也离不开东方，两者已然交汇且将永远交汇。全球化时代下，世界越来越像一个地球村，亚欧也正在迈向利益、责任和命运共同体的道路上。作为中国亚欧会议高官，我衷心希望亚欧会议能以此次对话会为起点，携手深化全方位互联互通合作，共同架起各领域的“渝新欧”大通道，共建和平繁荣大陆。

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.