与英国的钢铁业一样，中国钢铁业也面临困境。不同的是，中国面临的困难更大，挑战更严峻。过去三年，中国已经压缩了9000万吨钢铁产能。2015年中国粗钢产量同比下降2.3%，是近30年来的首次下降。今后5年中国还要压减粗钢产能1-1.5亿吨。中国新一轮钢铁"去产能"将牵扯到上百万人重新安置就业，其规模远远超过英国。因此，中英两国都面临改革和重振本国钢铁业，并为可能失业的钢铁职工提供帮扶的艰巨挑战。

Like their British counterparts, steelmakers in China are also in difficulty. But unlike in Britain, the situation in China is even more serious and challenging. Over the past three years, China has reduced steel capacity by 90m tons. In 2015, for the first time in nearly 30 years, China's crude steel production fell by 2.3pc year on year. In the coming five years, China is going to cut its crude steel capacity by 100m-150m tons. This new round of reductions will result in over one million lay-offs and relocations of steelworkers, far outnumbering those in the UK. So, both China and the UK have huge challenges on our way ahead – to reform and revitalise our respective steel sectors, and to provide help and support to those workers who might lose their jobs.

中英两国政府在钢铁问题上一直保持密切沟通。今年2月底中英经贸联委会专门讨论了这一问题。上周末（4月9日），哈蒙德外交大臣访华，双方就钢铁问题充分交换意见。我本人也在不同场合向英国各界多次阐述中方立场。值得欣慰的是，中英双方都认为保护主义不是解决问题的办法，不符合社会进步和市场化原则，不符合任何一方的长远利益。我们认为，两国政府和钢铁行业应加强对话合作，共同探讨解决钢铁贸易问题。同时，解决钢铁产能过剩这一全球性问题，也需要全球钢铁业界加强沟通合作，共同维护钢铁贸易秩序，促进全球钢铁业良性发展。

The Chinese and UK governments have maintained close contact on the steel issue. In late February, the China-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission had a special discussion on this matter. Over the weekend, during Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond's visit to China, the two governments had an in-depth exchange of views over the steel issue. Here in the UK, I have spoken on many occasions and shared China's position with British people from different sectors of industry. I am pleased that China and the UK share the consensus that protectionism is not the solution, as it is retrogressive, goes against market rules and serves the long-term interest of neither side. Both sides believe that there should be closer dialogue and co-operation between our governments. Working with, rather than against, each other is the only way leading to a solution. Overcapacity in the steel industry is a global problem. It therefore calls for a global solution with stronger communication and co-operation among all steelmakers worldwide, who have the joint responsibility to uphold the order of steel trade and promote the sound development of the global steel industry.