篇章:李克强 《期待访问希腊》 Looking Forward to Visiting Greece In this beautiful season when the pansy flowers are in full bloom, I will soon lead a Chinese government delegation to Greece. My wish is to consolidate the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Greek people and open up new prospects for a deeper China-Greece relationship. China and Greece, two ancient civilizations with proud history and splendid culture, have both made significant contribution to human civilization. I was fascinated by the Greek mythologies when I was a boy and many stories are still fresh on my mind. The spectacular scenes in Homer s epic poems and the wise morals of Aesop s Fables are well known in China. And philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are no stranger to the Chinese people. As far as I know, the Chinese culture and ancient Chinese sages like Lao-Tze and Confucius are also well known and respected in Greece. In the past 42 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Greece have respected, trusted and helped each other. There are many touching stories about this true friendship tested by difficult times. We will never forget how Greece assisted us in the three large-scale evacuations of overseas Chinese nationals. The Chinese people still remember vividly that back in February 2011, despite the mounting risks and difficulties amidst the war, the Greek shipping companies provided vessels and helped 13,000 Chinese people leave Libya and transit in Greece on their way back home. Likewise, when Greece was caught in the sovereign debt crisis, China promptly extended help to the best of its ability. We are happy to see that through tremendous efforts, the Greek government and people have achieved notable progress in tackling the debt crisis. Our longstanding friendship has served as the solid foundation of the bilateral relationship. |