尊敬的各位贵宾、来宾，大家好。

Distinguished guests and everyone, good to see you all.

我是鸠山由纪夫。我来自与中国拥有2000多年交流历史的邻国日本。

I am Hatoyama Yukio. I am from Japan, a country with a history of exchanges with China for over 2,000 years.

首先，我要衷心祝贺第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛开幕。

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations on the opening of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Congratulations!

这是我除了香港以外，自2020年1月以来，时隔3年9个月再次访问中国大陆。而之所以长时间未能访问中国，理由不必多说，自然是新冠疫情。今天能够再次见到中国的朋友们真是感慨万千。

Personally, apart from Hong Kong, this is my first visit to the Chinese mainland since January 2020, after a gap of 3 years and 9 months. Needless to say, the reason for my long absence from China is due to the outbreak of COVID-19. It is truly overwhelming for me to be able to see my Chinese friends in person again after such a long time.

在疫情暴发的最初阶段，我们日中之间就互相寄送口罩，展开了基层的暖心交流。对于中国朋友给予的援助，作为一名日本人，我想再次表达由衷的感谢。

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were heartwarming exchanges in grassroots level between Japan and China, such as sending masks to each other. Once again, I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to our Chinese friends for the tremendous support we received. Thank you very much.

患难才能见真情。我坚信，虽然表面上可能存在一些问题，但是日中之间的纽带是无法切断的。

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Despite various surface-level issues, I am convinced that the bonds between Japan and China are unbreakable.

要描述今天的世界，没有比“混沌”更贴切的词语了。在这混沌之中，我常常问自己，国际关系应该呈现怎样的面貌？

There is no word more fitting than "chaos" to describe the world today. In the midst of this chaos, I have been asking myself what the ideal form of international relations should be.

我认为，各国在尊重自身尊严的同时，也应该尊重他国的尊严，这种关系才是当今最需要的。

I believe that it is crucial for nations to not only uphold their own dignity but also respect the dignity of other countries. This kind of relationship is what is most needed in today's world.

我将这种精神称为“友爱”。 基于这种友爱精神，仅让有相同价值观的国家友好合作，敌视持不同价值观的国家是不对的。建立一个让持不同价值观的国家互相理解、尊重，并且相互合作的社会，这才应该是外交的目标。

I call this the spirit of fraternity. Based on this spirit, it is not correct to only allow friendly cooperation among countries with similar values, and to be hostile to countries with different values. Establishing a society that fosters mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation among countries with different values. This, I believe, should be the goal of diplomacy.

然而，今天，特别是以西方国家为中心，故意煽动价值观对立，试图激化地缘政治对立的行为，让我深感危机。正因如此，能够有这么多国家的代表团聚集在这个论坛上，是非常有意义的事情。

However, today, especially in Western countries, there is a movement to deliberately inflame conflicts in values and exacerbate geopolitical tensions, which I think is dangerous. Therefore, the fact that delegations from so many countries have gathered at this forum is of great significance.

这是让我们对未来充满期望的、具有划时代意义的事情。我向包括中国政府在内的所有相关人员表示敬意。

And I believe it is a groundbreaking event that fills us with hope for the future. I express my respect to the Chinese government and all those involved for their efforts.

实际上，时至今日，“一带一路”在量和质上都取得了巨大的发展。

In fact, the Belt and Road has made significant progress in terms of quantity and quality.

关于我多年来一直提倡的东亚共同体，我也想简要谈一下。

Here, I would like to briefly touch on the concept of the East Asian Community, which I have been advocating for years.

作为一名政治家，我的梦想是在东亚实现类似欧盟那样的共同体。在种族、宗教、政治体制，经济规模都差异巨大的亚洲，有人认为这不可能。但我完全不这么认为。

As a politician, my dream is to establish a community in East Asia like the European Union. Some say it is impossible in Asia, where races, religions, political systems, and even economic scales are diverse, but I completely disagree.

东亚共同体并不需要和欧盟同样的机制。东亚有东亚的方式。基于相互尊重、相互理解、相互帮助、以及自立和共生的友爱精神，在东亚设立一个常设的论坛是我的出发点.

The East Asian Community does not need to have the same mechanism as the EU. East Asia has its own way. Based on the spirit of mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual assistance, self-reliance, and symbiosis, setting up a permanent forum in East Asia will be the starting point.

因此，我们不仅仅要讨论贸易、金融等问题，还要讨论教育、文化、环境、能源、医疗、福祉、防灾，甚至包括安全保障等各种问题。

Therefore, we have to discuss not only trade and finance but also a wide range of issues, including education, culture, environment, energy, as well as health, welfare, disaster prevention, and even security.

我认为基于友爱精神的东亚共同体和基于“仁”和“恕”思想的“一带一路”倡议具有共同目标，它们有着很强的亲和性。

I believe that an East Asian community based on the spirit of fraternity and the Belt and Road Initiative based on the philosophy of benevolence and forgiveness share common goals and strong affinities.

我坚信，“一带一路”的发展对于东亚共同体的建设，对于习近平主席所提倡的人类命运共同体的实现，都将产生积极而深远的影响。

I am convinced that the development of the Belt and Road will have a positive and profound impact on the construction of the East Asian Community and the realization of President Xi Jinping's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.

再次祝愿第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛取得巨大成功，我在此结束我的致辞。

Once again, I extend my best wishes for the success of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. With this, I conclude my address.

非常感谢大家的聆听。

Thank you very much for your kind attention.