Osaka businessman Hiroaki Tsukamoto refers to President Xi Jinping as a 30-year friend of the family. The 63-year-old said their dealings have given him deep insight into how Xi has devoted himself to "delivering a better life to people".
日本大阪企業(yè)家塚本博亮視習(xí)近平主席為相交30年的家族友人。這位63歲的企業(yè)家說，通過與習(xí)主席相處，他深刻了解到他是如何致力于“為人民謀幸福”的。

"President Xi bridges me and my family with China," he said. "My father introduced him to me, and ever since then, our bond has grown stronger.
他說：“習(xí)主席為我們一家搭起了與中國溝通的橋梁。我通過父親與習(xí)主席相識，如今，我們的友誼更加牢固?！?/p>

"In my dealings with (Xi), he has always cared more about the overall situation of people, about their welfare, about their happiness and wellbeing."
“通過交往我深知，他時刻心系群眾，關(guān)心人民的福祉和幸福安康?！?/p>

The friendship between the Tsukamoto family, Xi and China goes back to the 1980s, when Tsukamoto's father, Yukishi Tsukamoto, was one of two foreigners who set up a company in Fuzhou, Fujian province, that made mobile homes.
習(xí)近平與塚本家族的友誼可以追溯到上世紀(jì)80年代，當(dāng)時，塚本的父親塚本幸司在福建省福州市與人合伙成立了一家生產(chǎn)移動房屋的公司。

Hiroaki Tsukamoto vividly recalled Xi's first visit to his family in Japan in 1991, when Xi was Party secretary of Fuzhou. "With his charisma, Xi enchanted my family," he said.
塚本博亮清晰地回憶起時任福州市委書記的習(xí)近平1991年訪問日本時第一次到訪他家里的情景。他說：“習(xí)主席的個人魅力征服了我們?nèi)胰恕！?/p>

"I guess that even in those early days, the idea of delivering a better life to people and building a society of common prosperity was forming in his mind."
“我認(rèn)為，早在那時，為人民創(chuàng)造更美好生活，建設(shè)一個共同富裕的社會的想法已經(jīng)在他腦海中形成。”

Tsukamoto's feeling that Xi is devoted to delivering a better life to people was borne out by Xi's only visit to Japan as president while attending the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in 2019.
2019年，習(xí)近平赴日本大阪出席二十國集團(tuán)（G20）領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人第十四次峰會，這是迄今為止他唯一一次以國家主席身份訪問日本。這次訪問印證了塚本的感受。

In a speech titled "Working Together to Build a High-Quality World Economy" that Xi gave at the summit, he said: "We must keep in mind our shared future. By expanding common interests and taking a long-term view, we can realize enduring peace and prosperity in the world and deliver a better life to all our people."
習(xí)近平在峰會上發(fā)表題為《攜手共進(jìn)，合力打造高質(zhì)量世界經(jīng)濟(jì)》的講話，他表示：“我們要立足共同利益，著眼長遠(yuǎn)發(fā)展，致力于實(shí)現(xiàn)世界持久和平繁榮、各國人民安居樂業(yè)?！?/p>

It appears that Xi's concerns for improving people's lives go back even further than Tsukamoto might have imagined.
其實(shí)，習(xí)近平對為民謀福的關(guān)注可能比塚本想象的還要早。

In a speech in June to the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, Xi told of his being a farmer on the Loess Plateau in north-central China.
今年6月，習(xí)近平在全球發(fā)展高層對話會上發(fā)表講話，他談到了自己在中國中北部黃土高原當(dāng)農(nóng)民的經(jīng)歷。

"In the late 1960s I worked as a farmer in a small village on the Loess Plateau. There I experienced firsthand the hardships in farming and saw how the local people struggled to make ends meet.
“上世紀(jì)60年代末，我在中國黃土高原的一個小村莊當(dāng)農(nóng)民，切身體會到了百姓的稼穡之難和衣食之苦?！?/p>

"Their longing for a better life has stayed in my mind ever since. Half a century later, I revisited the village and found the villagers no longer in want of food or clothing, as evidenced by the smiles on their faces. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, 'Only when the granary is full will people learn etiquette; only when people are well-fed and clothed will they know honor and shame.'
“他們對美好生活的渴望深深印在我的腦海里。半個世紀(jì)后，我重訪故地，看到鄉(xiāng)親們吃穿不愁，衣食無憂，臉上洋溢著幸福的笑容。中國古人說：‘倉廩實(shí)而知禮節(jié)，衣食足而知榮辱?！?/p>

"Throughout the years I have been to cities, towns and villages across China and visited many countries. One of my deep impressions is that only through continuous development can people's dream for a better life and social stability be realized."
“這些年，我走遍中國城鎮(zhèn)鄉(xiāng)村，也訪問過不少國家。我深深感受到，只有不斷發(fā)展，才能實(shí)現(xiàn)人民對生活安康、社會安寧的夢想?！?/p>

Xi's pursuit of delivering a better life to people was also demonstrated in his 2019 visit to Japan when he reached a number of agreements with the Japanese leadership, such as building "a bilateral relationship that fits the needs of the new era", and deepened collaboration in trade, investment, third-party markets and scientific and technological innovation, creating new growth areas for collaboration and leading regional economic integration.
2019年訪日期間，習(xí)近平與日本領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人達(dá)成多項共識，構(gòu)建“契合新時代要求的中日關(guān)系”，深化經(jīng)貿(mào)、投資、第三方市場、科技創(chuàng)新等廣泛領(lǐng)域合作，打造新的合作增長點(diǎn)，積極引領(lǐng)區(qū)域經(jīng)濟(jì)一體化。這也體現(xiàn)出他對為民謀福的追求。

Xi also had emphasized economic ties and people-to-people cultural exchanges when he met with then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
習(xí)近平在會見時任日本首相安倍晉三時強(qiáng)調(diào)，雙方應(yīng)加強(qiáng)經(jīng)濟(jì)聯(lián)系和人文交流。

"China welcomes Japanese businesses to actively expand cooperation with China and share new opportunities brought by China's development," Xi told Abe, saying that the joint development of the Belt and Road had opened up a vast space for mutually beneficial collaboration between China and Japan, and that China welcomed Japan's participation in the initiative.
習(xí)近平表示：“我們歡迎日本企業(yè)積極擴(kuò)大對華合作，分享中國發(fā)展新機(jī)遇。共建’一帶一路’倡議為中日互利合作開辟了廣闊天地，歡迎日方積極參與?！?/p>

On people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Xi said the two countries should strengthen their ties, enhance youth exchanges and promote mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.
習(xí)近平表示，雙方要拉緊人文紐帶，加強(qiáng)兩國青少年交流，促進(jìn)兩國民眾相知相親。

Since then the China-Japan relationship has endured the test of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the importance of their intertwined economic ties and mutual cultural resonance became even clearer.
此后，中日關(guān)系經(jīng)受了新冠疫情的考驗，更加凸顯了雙方經(jīng)濟(jì)聯(lián)系和文化交流的重要性。

During the early days of the pandemic, many Chinese were moved by the saying that "even though the landscapes are diverse, we share the wind and moon under the same sky". It was written about 1,300 years ago by a Japanese prince and was quoted by a Japanese organization when it sent masks and infrared thermometers to China.
在疫情初期，日本一家機(jī)構(gòu)向中國捐贈口罩和紅外線溫度計等物資時引用了“山川異域，風(fēng)月同天”這個詩句，這句詩感動了很多中國人。

When Japan was later hit hard by the pandemic, the central and local governments of China, as well as Chinese companies and civil society groups, donated more than 9 million masks, 98,000 items of other protective gear and 175,000 medical gloves to Japan in just two months.
隨后當(dāng)日本遭受疫情重創(chuàng)時，中國政府以及企業(yè)和民間團(tuán)體在短短兩個月內(nèi)向日本捐贈了超過900萬只口罩、98000件其他防護(hù)裝備和175000副醫(yī)用手套。

Japan's Ministry of Finance said that from January to September 2020, in the shadow of the pandemic, Japan's direct investment in China accounted for 26.9 percent of its total foreign direct investment in Asia, compared with 21.8 percent in 2019.
據(jù)日本財務(wù)省數(shù)據(jù)，2020年1月至2020年9月，在疫情期間，日本對華直接投資占其對亞洲直接投資總額的26.9%，而2019年為21.8%。

In the first 10 months of 2020, the value of Japan's exports to the world fell 11.8 percent. The value of its exports to the United States fell 19.1 percent, to the European Union by 16.5 percent and to member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by 15.3 percent. In the same year, Japan's exports to China plunged between January and April, but rose from May to October, compared with the corresponding period of 2019. Consequently, in the first 10 months of 2020, Japan's exports to China cumulatively rose 3.3 percent, compared with the corresponding period in 2019.
2020年前10個月，日本出口額下降了11.8%，其中對美國出口額下降了19.1%，對歐盟出口額下降了16.5%，對東盟成員國出口額下降了15.3%。同年，日本對華出口額在1月至4月期間大幅下降，但5月至10月對華出口額同比有所回升。因此，2020年前10個月日本對華出口額同比累計增長3.3%。

Three years into the pandemic, the value of trade between China and Japan remains robust, with its total value rising 15.1 percent last year.
疫情暴發(fā)三年后，中日貿(mào)易額依然強(qiáng)勁，去年中日貿(mào)易總額增長15.1%。

The world's largest free trade zone, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which took effect in January and comprises 15 countries including China, Japan and South Korea, has also helped promote economic interdependence between China and Japan.
全球規(guī)模最大的自由貿(mào)易協(xié)定——《區(qū)域全面經(jīng)濟(jì)伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定》于今年1月生效，協(xié)定涵蓋了中日韓等15個成員國，也有助于加深中日經(jīng)貿(mào)關(guān)系依存度。

"Many people say they could not have imagined what China would achieve over the years, but I foresaw it 30 years ago," said Yoshio Tanaka, who also accompanied Xi during his trip to Japan in 1991, and who is a consultant with the Japan-China Friendship Association in Kanagawa prefecture.
田中譽(yù)士夫是神奈川縣日中友好協(xié)會顧問，1991年習(xí)近平訪問日本期間他曾擔(dān)任陪同。他表示：“很多人說，他們想象不到這些年來中國能取得什么樣的成就，但我在30年前就預(yù)見到了?！?/p>

Tanaka said that in his dealings with Xi over 30 years, he has found that the Chinese leader is dedicated not only to the well-being of ordinary people but also to people's future, particularly that of young people.
田中譽(yù)士夫說，在與習(xí)近平結(jié)識的30多年里，他發(fā)現(xiàn)這位中國領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人不僅致力于造福人民，而且重視人民的未來，特別是年輕人的未來。

"I think that's why China can win the battles to eradicate extreme poverty and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects under his strong leadership," Tanaka said.
田中譽(yù)士夫說：“我認(rèn)為這就是為什么中國能夠在習(xí)主席的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下打贏脫貧攻堅戰(zhàn)，全面建成小康社會?！?/p>

"I can see that from the characteristics of (Communist Party of China) leaders like Xi. He is a real leader, a solid and tough man and a man of his word."
“我可以從習(xí)主席這樣的（中共）領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人的身上看出原因。他是一位真正的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，一個堅毅而信守諾言的人?！?/p>

In the 2019 trip, Xi also changed the life of Daichi Nakashima, a prize winner in the Panda Cup Japan Youth Essay Contest, who had written to Xi before the president visited Japan.
在2019年出訪日本期間，習(xí)近平還改變了中島大地的人生。中島是“熊貓杯”全日本青年征文大賽獲獎?wù)?，他在?xí)主席訪日前曾給他寫信。

In his letter, Nakashima extended his good wishes to Xi and said he was keen to devote himself to the cause of China-Japan friendship.
在信中，中島表達(dá)了對習(xí)主席的美好祝愿，并表示他希望投身于中日友好事業(yè)中。

In reply, Xi said he was glad to see Nakashima had been studying Chinese language and literature for a long time and encouraged young people in China and Japan to make contributions to relations between the two countries. Friendship between the two countries is rooted in people, and the future of the friendship lies in the hands of the young, he said.
習(xí)近平在給中島的回信中表示，“得知你長期學(xué)習(xí)中文并研究中國文學(xué)，我感到很高興”。他還鼓勵中日兩國青年為開創(chuàng)兩國關(guān)系更加美好的明天作出積極貢獻(xiàn)。習(xí)近平表示，中日兩國友好的根基在民間，兩國人民友好的未來寄望于青年一代。

"When I wrote the letter, I had not expected to receive a reply," Nakashima said. "So when I did I was delighted and honored."
中島稱：“當(dāng)初寫信的時候，完全沒想到會收到習(xí)近平主席的回信，相當(dāng)意外也深感榮幸。”

Nakashima said he was greatly encouraged by Xi, adding that he regarded it as his mission to make positive contributions to improving bilateral ties.
中島說，習(xí)主席的回信是對他的鼓勵，他把為兩國關(guān)系作出積極貢獻(xiàn)視為自己的使命。

記者：WANG XU
編輯：董靜
來源：中國日報