9月26日，《中国日报》发表了中国人民对外友好协会会长林松添题为“坚守东方共同文化价值 为构建成熟稳健的中日关系贡献民间力量”英文署名文章。林松添围绕中日邦交正常化50周年，聚焦新时代的中日关系，回顾历史、审视当下、展望未来，深入阐释中日在长期交流互鉴中所形成的东方共同文化价值的历史脉络、时代价值和重大意义，并表示，本会将与两国各界一道，坚守东方共同文化价值，为构建成熟稳健的中日关系贡献民间力量。
现将英文全文转载如下（中文版附后）：
Time to jointly build the Asian century
Lin Songtian
In the course of more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, Chinese and Japanese peoples have learned from each other’s cultures, promoted mutual development and made important contributions to the progress of human civilization.
Since ancient times, China has regarded “peace”, “harmony” and “amity” as the most precious factors of bilateral and multilateral relations. They used to be essential elements of Japan’s culture, too, in the past.
In their long history, the peoples of the two countries have helped build the East Asian civilization, promoted the formation of Confucian culture, and developed “harmony without uniformity”, believed in “being united and working in concert”, and followed the Oriental philosophy of “people-first”. Their spiritual ties and historical traditions, and the Oriental values they share should be passed down to the next generations.
However, in modern times, giving “peace”, “amity” and “harmony” a silent burial, Japan embraced colonial thinking from Western powers to “disengage from Asia and integrate into Europe”. This led to the rapid development of Japanese militarism, prompting the country to take the “evil path” of aggression, expansion and colonization of other countries.
Japan waged a heinous war against China, unleashing untold sufferings on the Chinese people and leaving the Japanese people distressed. History serves as a guide for the future. So China and Japan should use history as a mirror to look forward to the future, jointly promote peaceful development, seek lasting friendship and create a better future for the two countries.
The 21st century is the century of Asia. Over the past few decades, Asia has maintained overall stability and achieved rapid economic growth, which is called as an “Asian miracle”. The center of the world’s gravity has been shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the East is rising and the West has likely declined.
A peaceful, stable and increasingly united Asia enjoying lasting prosperity is something the United States-led West does not want to see. That’s why it is using the “divide and rule” tactic to incite ideological and bloc confrontations in order to sabotage the general environment of peace and friendship in Asia.
Facts show that the Cold War mentality, hegemonic policies and power politics are the main factors threatening global peace and stability. By triggering confrontations, forming cliques, bullying other countries and forcing them to take sides, some Western countries are driving the wagon of history backward. But their attempts are doomed to failure.
It is regrettable that some politician in Japan seem eager to follow the tune of the US, and aggressively promote so-called values diplomacy. By doing so, they will end up poisoning the atmosphere of peace and development in Asia, and force Japan to lose its independence and go down the wrong path again.
As the second- and third-largest economies in the world, China and Japan shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the sustainable development of Asia and leading Asian cooperation in the right direction. So the two countries should firmly oppose the interference of external forces in the region, demonstrate Asia’s resilience, wisdom and strength, and build Asia into a region of peace and stability, and a key driver of global growth.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. Half a century ago, the then leaders of the two countries, with great strategic wisdom and extraordinary political insight, made the important decision to normalize diplomatic ties, ending the postwar confrontation between the two sides and writing a new chapter of peace, friendship and cooperation.
Since then Sino-Japanese ties have forged ahead. Today, the Sino-Japanese relationship is one of the most closely intertwined bilateral ties with the widest areas of cooperation. While bilateral trade has jumped from less than $1 billion to a record high of more than $370 billion, the number of people traveling between the two countries had increased to more than 12 million before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. And in recent years, the leaders of the two countries have reached an important consensus on developing bilateral ties that answers the needs of the new era.
People-to-people friendship has always been a cornerstone and source of strength for China-Japan relations. Even during trying times, friendly forces in the two countries have made important contributions to improving bilateral relations, including state-to-state relations, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting friendship.
Peace, friendship and cooperation between China and Japan are the general trend of the times and what people on both sides want, as President Xi Jinping said. Therefore, China and Japan should use the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties to promote bilateral as well as global development, continue to tread the “right path” of win-win cooperation for common development instead of adopting beggar-thy-neighbor policies, and jointly create an Asian century.
The author is president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202209/26/WS6330dfd6a310fd2b29e799b6.html
坚守东方共同文化价值
为构建成熟稳健的中日关系贡献民间力量
中国人民对外友好协会会长 林松添
今年是中日邦交正常化50周年。50年前，两国老一辈领导人以卓越的战略智慧和非凡的政治勇气，作出邦交正常化的政治决断，跨越了政治体制、社会制度、意识形态的鸿沟，结束了中日战后对立隔绝，掀开了中日关系史上的崭新一页。
50年来，中日关系虽历经风雨，但始终在曲折中向前发展，各领域交流合作取得了丰硕成果，不仅造福两国人民，也惠及地区和世界和平与发展。中日双边贸易额从50年前不足10亿美元，跃升至2021年的3700多亿美元，且实现了双向投资，互为重要经贸互利合作伙伴。两国人文领域友好交流合作方兴未艾。两国已缔结友城关系261对，地方友好交流合作已成为推动两国关系的载体和纽带。疫情前，两国每年人员往来超过1200万人次。
2021年，两国领导人就构建契合新时代要求的中日关系达成了重要共识，为两国关系发展指明了方向，提供了根本遵循。
“五十而知天命”。中日关系50年的历史和现实一再表明，只要双方相互尊重、互学互鉴、求同存异，恪守东方共同的文化价值，顺应和平与发展的时代潮流，把握和平、友好、合作的正确方向，坚定走和平友好道路，中日两国完全可以和平共处、合作共赢、共同发展。
中日地缘相近、文缘相通，同属儒家文化圈，在长期交流互鉴中形成了东方共同的文化价值。儒家文化讲仁爱、重民本、守诚信、崇正义、尚和合、求大同。中国人自古崇尚“和合”，日本人将“和”视为本国文化精髓。“以和为贵”、“和而不同”、“和衷共济”、“天下大同”等“和合”思想和以“以人为本”的民本思想已成为中日人民共同的价值追求，成为中日关系的宝贵财富和共同遵循的东方价值观，值得倍加珍惜，代代相传，发扬光大。
鉴往而知来。日本曾向中国派来遣隋使、遣唐使。1200多年前，鉴真大和尚应邀东渡日本弘法，带去了唐风文化。300多年前隐元禅师应邀东渡日本，传播黄檗文化和先进技术理念。上个世纪70年代末之后，日本的现代文化和先进技术也为中国改革开放、实现快速发展做出了积极贡献。如此中日文化交流互鉴与经济互利合作的范例数不胜数，让人记忆犹新，为推动两国经济社会文化发展和地区和平安全稳定发挥了重要作用，也增进了两国人民友好。
二战后，日本回归理性、务实，坚持走和平发展道路，在东西方沟通与合作中发挥积极的桥梁作用，不仅实现了本国经济社会快速发展，也成就了“亚洲奇迹”，成为亚太地区和平稳定与发展繁荣的受益者和贡献者。
纵观2000多年中日交往史，凡是日本坚守东方共同的文化价值观，日本和亚太国家就共享和平与发展红利；相反，凡是日本跟着西方走殖民扩张邪路，就会陷入歧途，做出损人不利己的非理性行为。
当前，中日关系面临新老问题交织凸显，正处在不进则退的关键路口。两国政府和人民都必须严肃认真思考一个什么样的中日关系和地区与世界局势最符合两国和两国人民的根本利益这一基本问题。
中日两国是搬不走、也是没有选择的近邻，唯一能选择的就是坚守东方文化自信，尊重历史，坚持走以和为贵、共同发展之路，共同警惕和反对域外因素干扰，坚定维护中日和平发展局面，携手推动构建契合新时代要求的中日关系，将更加成熟稳定、健康强韧的中日关系带到下一个50年。
当今世界既不太平也不安宁，和平与发展的时代主题面临前所未有的严峻挑战。某些国家为了维护自身霸权地位和既得利益，固守冷战思维和丛林法则，把国家主要资源和精力用于煽动意识形态对抗和集团对立，人为制造能源、粮食危机，肆意破坏全球产业链供应链资金链安全稳定。
令人欣慰的是，和平与发展仍是当今时代主题。要和平、谋发展、促合作仍是各国人民的共同期待。世界政治经济重心已从大西洋转向太平洋，“东升西降”已成为当今世界的大趋势，“中治西乱”已成为国际社会的大现实，全球治理进入了“亚洲时刻”。21世纪是亚洲的世纪。这是亚洲各国人民团结奋斗的结果，也是历史发展的必然趋势。新时代呼唤亚洲各国团结合作，构筑更加紧密的命运共同体。
“察势者明，趋势者智。”中日都是本地区和世界重要国家，肩负着维护亚洲和平稳定、促进发展繁荣的重任，相信我们有足够的智慧和能力解决面临的困难和问题。只要我们双方共同传承和弘扬和而不同、和衷共济的东亚智慧，携手推动区域团结合作，就能把亚洲建设好，并打造成为世界的和平稳定锚、增长动力源、合作新高地。
中日友好的根基在民间，关键在人民。民间友好始终是中日关系发展的重要基石和力量源泉。在实现中日邦交正常化的历史进程中，中日民间友好力量从未缺席。在极端困难的情况下，西园寺公一和廖承志等两国有识之士不惧安危、携手合作，为打破两国关系坚冰、深化互利合作、促进人民友谊发挥了“以民促官”的作用，作出了重要贡献，必将永载史册，永励后人。
中华民族历来崇尚知恩图报、重情重义。在中国全面建成小康社会之际，中国人民对外友好协会以竖立国际友人杰出代表雕像群和图片展等形式，深切缅怀西园寺公一先生等矢志致力于国际正义事业和中外友好事业的先贤们。
习近平主席指出，中日和平、友好、合作是人心所向、大势所趋。站在新的历史起点上，本会愿与中日两国各界一道，高举中日友好旗帜，重温邦交正常化初心，坚守东方共同文化价值，顺应和平与发展时代潮流，携手为构建契合新时代要求的中日关系贡献民间力量！
