Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Manchester on the second leg of his State Visit to the UK. He is the first Chinese President to visit Manchester. There is much anticipation, from all sides, about the experience of President Xi in Manchester. It is therefore a State Visit of tremendous and profound significance.
今天，中国国家主席习近平将抵达曼彻斯特，开始对英国国事访问的第二站行程。这是中国国家主席首次到访曼彻斯特，也是曼彻斯特各界翘首以待的一次访问，具有重要和深远的意义。
Manchester is a household name in China. As a historical city, it played a core role in the rise of the British Industrial Revolution and witnessed the birth of Marxism. Today, this city is known for its cutting-edge invention of graphene and football excellence – two of the most famous football teams in the world are based here. It is also a vibrant hub of the Northern Powerhouse.
曼彻斯特在中国享有盛名。它是历史名城，既目睹了工业革命的兴起，也见证了马克思主义的诞生，历史底蕴深厚。它是"红砖之城"和"足球之城"，是英国"北方经济中心"的核心城市，充满着现代活力。
The people of Manchester and the people of China have traditional ties that date back a long time. In 1898, Archibald John Little, a merchant from Manchester, was the first man to steer a steam boat more than 1,000 miles into China along the Yangtze River. This epic journey took him through the ‘Three Gorges' to reach Chongqing. That was the prelude to Manchester's ties with China's western region. In 1986, just as China introduced reform and opening-up policies, Manchester established sister city ties with China's Wuhan city on the Yangtze River. This twinning has always been an outstanding example of twinning between Chinese and British cities. A more recent, and famous story was that of Chinese footballer Sun Jihai, who played for Manchester City and who was fondly known by British fans as the "Sun of Man City".
曼彻斯特人民与中国人民交往源远流长。早在1898年，来自曼彻斯特的商人立德乐第一个驾驶轮船通过三峡抵达中国重庆，揭开了与中国西部交往的序幕。在中国改革开放伊始的1986年，曼彻斯特就与中国武汉结为友好城市，树立了中英姐妹城市中的典范。英国球迷们更难忘记曾活跃在曼城足球队的中国球员孙继海，亲切地称他为"曼城的太阳"（Sun of Man City）。
In the last decade, as the China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership deepened, the city of Manchester and many local governments in China have made much progress in their co-operation. The sister city ties between Manchester and Wuhan have grown stronger. The Manchester China Forum hosted by the ten district councils of Greater Manchester is attracting enthusiastic participation across the social spectrum. The Manchester Airport City was a first of its kind in Britain. The airport is also the first project from the China-UK Memorandum of Understanding on infrastructure cooperation to go into operation. Holroyd Precision Limited, after the acquisition by Chongqing Machinery & Electric Company, has seen its business flourish and boosted the local job market. Furthermore, China is a founding member of Manchester-based SKA organization, short for Square Kilometre Array.
近十年来，随着中英关系全面战略伙伴关系的深入发展，曼彻斯特与中国地方的各领域合作屡创佳绩。曼彻斯特与武汉的友城交流与合作日益深入。大曼城地区十市共同建立"曼城中国论坛"，吸引各界人士积极参与。曼彻斯特空港城项目成为中英基础设施合作备忘录签署以来的首个实施项目，亦是英国第一个空港城。重庆机电并购的霍洛伊德精密制造公司各项业务蓬勃发展并促进了当地就业。中国也是位于曼彻斯特的平方公里阵列射电望远镜组织（SKA）创始成员国。
President Xi Jinping will visit Manchester with Prime Minister David Cameron. They will take part in a rich variety of events, from economic, trade and cultural, to scientific and technological. There will be opportunities for the President to reach out to people from all walks of life here in Manchester, highlighting China's emphasis on forging closer ties with Britain at the local level. There will also be new growth opportunities for Manchester and the Northern Powerhouse. The President's visit will certainly offer encouragements in three aspects.
此次习近平主席在卡梅伦首相陪同下访问曼彻斯特，将参加经贸、人文、科技等丰富多彩的活动，与曼彻斯特各界人士亲切交流，这充分体现了中方高度重视发展与英地方关系。习主席访问将为曼彻斯特及"北方经济中心"带来新的发展机遇，体现在三个"推动"。
Through his visit, the President will encourage the dovetailing of Chinese and British development strategies. From China's One Belt, One Road initiative and Made in China 2025, to Britain's National Infrastructure Plan and Northern Powerhouse, the two countries are working to pool their respective strengths and align their endeavours. The President's visit will encourage both countries to match their strategies, policies and project for win-win co-operation and to facilitate commercial partnership between themselves and in third-party markets. The outcome will be common development for all. In all these efforts, Manchester, as the hub of the Northern Powerhouse, has an important role to play.
首先，访问将推动两国发展战略对接。中英正结合各自优势，将中方"一带一路"倡议、"中国制造2025战略"与英方的"北方经济中心"、"基础设施升级投资计划"等重大发展战略实现有效对接。访问将推动中英双方深入探讨上述战略的双赢合作，加强政策与项目对接，促进两国在彼此市场和第三方市场的商业合作，促进共同发展。曼彻斯特作为"北方经济中心"核心城市在此方面可发挥重要作用。
The President's visit will encourage productive co-operation at the local level. Both China and the UK are open for business. Their respective strengths in economic and trade co-operation are well matched. During the state visit, President Xi will attend the launch of a new direct flight between Manchester and Beijing. These are on top of a host of substantial co-operation agreements to be signed between the two sides covering economy, trade, investment, infrastructure, scientific innovation, manufacturing and sports. Together, they will catapult exchanges and cooperation between Manchester, the Northern Powerhouse and Chinese cities across the board. In addition, the visit also plans to achieve a rippling effect, encouraging Liverpool, Leeds and other northern cities to further their win-win cooperation with their sister cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou.
其次，访问将推动地方务实合作。中英都秉持对外开放的政策，经贸合作优势互补明显。国事访问期间，习主席将出席北京和曼城通航仪式。中英双方还将签署诸多内容丰富的合作协议，所有这些都将助推曼彻斯特及"北方经济中心"与中国地方城市在经贸、投资、基础设施建设、科技创新、制造业、体育等领域的交流与合作。访问还将产生辐射效应，带动利物浦、利兹等周边城市与其友城上海、杭州等的互利共赢合作。
The President's visit also aims to encourage local and cultural exchanges. This year is the very first China-UK year of cultural exchange. This has proved a very popular programme that has featured events showcasing the very best and most innovative aspects of Chinese culture to the people of Manchester. Britain has by far the largest number of Chinese students in any country in Europe. In turn, British people have supported the creation of the largest number of Confucius Institutes in any country of Europe. A third of the Chinese students, who are studying in the UK, are based in areas around Greater Manchester, and 3,600 of them are in the University of Manchester. As a result of this visit, Manchester will likely become more attractive to Chinese students and Chinese tourists, and I am sure the attraction will be mutual. This will mean more frequent coming and going between the people of both our countries, which will help enhance understanding and forge close friendship.
第三，访问将推动地方人文交流。今年是首个中英文化交流年，中国文化季活动已向曼彻斯特民众展现了中国文化的精髓和创意，获得普遍欢迎。英国是欧洲拥有最多中国留学生和孔子学院的国家，而在曼彻斯特周边地区的中国留学生就占全英中国留学生的三分之一，曼彻斯特大学就有中国留学生3600人。相信此次访问将带动更多中国学子到曼彻斯特学习，吸引更多中国游客到访曼彻斯特，也会推动更多英方朋友到中国旅游和学习，不断增进两国人民间的相互了解和友谊。
Nothing can separate people with common goals and ideals, not even mountains and seas. There is certainly a great deal that Chinese and British cities have in common. I am looking forward to very positive outcomes from President Xi's visit to Manchester. These are outcomes that will further the co-operation and deepen the friendship between the people of China and the UK. This State Visit will usher in a "Golden Era" of China-UK friendship and co-operation at the local level in cities like Manchester.
"志和者，不以山海为远"。我相信习近平主席对曼彻斯特的访问将取得丰硕成果，全面提升两国地方层面的合作，深化两国人民的持久友谊，开创中英地方友谊与合作的"黄金时代"。