自古以来，互联互通就是人类社会的追求。我们的祖先在极为艰难的条件下，创造了许多互联互通的奇迹。丝绸之路就是一个典范，亚洲各国人民堪称互联互通的开拓者。

Connectivity has been a yearning of mankind since ancient times. Our ancestors braved extremely harsh conditions to create wonders of connectivity. The Silk Road was just a case in point, giving the Asian peoples the well-deserved title of connectivity pioneers.

人类在发展，社会在进步。当前，国际金融危机影响犹在，世界经济和国际贸易增速放缓。与此同时，新一轮产业革命和科技革命蓄势待发，区域性自由贸易安排层出不穷，结构调整和改革创新成为世界潮流。亚洲国家必须积极作为，在亚洲资源、亚洲制造、亚洲储蓄、亚洲工厂的基础上，致力发展亚洲价值、亚洲创造、亚洲投资、亚洲市场，联手培育新的经济增长点和竞争优势。实现这些目标，互联互通是其中一个关键环节。

As humanity moves forward, our society is progressing. At present, with the impact of the international financial crisis lingering, global economic growth and trade have both slowed down. At the same time, a new round of industrial and technological revolution is poised to take off, free trade arrangements at the regional level are cropping up one after another, and structural adjustment, reform and innovation are becoming a prevailing trend of the world. Against such a backdrop, Asian countries ought to redouble their efforts to build on their traditional strengths in resources, manufacturing capacity, savings and as the world’s workshop and acquire new strengths in value-added, innovation, investment and market, with a view to cultivating together new growth areas and new competitive edges. In achieving all these goals, connectivity holds a key link.

今天，我们要建设的互联互通，不仅是修路架桥，不光是平面化和单线条的联通，而更应该是基础设施、制度规章、人员交流三位一体，应该是政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通、民心相通五大领域齐头并进。这是全方位、立体化、网络状的大联通，是生机勃勃、群策群力的开放系统。

The connectivity we talk about today is not merely about building roads and bridges or making linear connection of different places on surface. More importantly, it should be a three-way combination of infrastructure, institutions and people-to-people exchanges and a five-way progress in policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, trade link, capital flow, and understanding among peoples. It is a wide-ranging, multi-dimensional, vibrant and open connectivity network that pools talent and resources from all stakeholders.

亚洲互联互通建设既面临机遇，也存在困难。各国制度和法律差异较大，各方需求千差万别，各类机制协调不尽人意，等等。资金问题最为突出，据亚洲开发银行测算，2020年以前亚洲地区每年基础设施投资需求高达7300亿美元。解决这些问题，仅靠一个或几个国家努力是做不到的，只有广泛建立伙伴关系，心往一起想，劲朝一处使，才能不断取得积极成效。

Asia faces both opportunities and difficulties in connectivity development. The challenges come from diversity of systems and laws in various countries, the divergent needs and requirements among stakeholders, and the less than satisfactory coordination among the existing mechanisms. The issue of funding stands out as the most challenging. According to an Asian Development Bank estimate, Asia as a whole needs as much as 730 billion US dollars per year in infrastructure investment before 2020. To address these and other problems, the efforts by a single or several countries are far from adequate. Only by building extensive partnerships where all will think and work in unison, can we expect to achieve positive results.