通往领导的道路是服务

文/李小龙（Setope So’oa’emalelagi，萨摩亚） 译/张佳艺

我在萨摩亚的一个风景如画的村庄里长大，村庄叫Leulumoega，意为“安息之所”。萨摩亚是南太平洋的一个偏远岛国，距离中国大陆约10399公里。历史上，我长大的村庄在古代是地区酋长聚集和颁布习惯法的地方，人们逐级形成了家庭、宗族、村庄和地区，最后出现了政府。即使在殖民统治时期，当地的文化传统也并没有随着时间推移而被摒弃。对萨摩亚人来说，保留至今的政府制度是传统的部落酋长制度与宪法议会制度结合的产物。在欧洲人到来和1830年书面文字诞生之前的约3000年里，萨摩亚指定的“都城”举行的主要会议内容是高度仪式化的事务，社会组织、演说家及其家人都会为此精心准备，以确保每个人的发声都能被听到，社会的根基和分支都有发言权，领导地位得到保障和尊重。

I grew up in a picturesque village in Samoa called Leulumoega Tuai,literally translated as “the resting place”.Samoa is a remote island nation in the South Pacific,some 10,399 km from mainland China.Historically my village in ancient times was where district chiefs would gather and promulgate customary laws. People organized themselves into family units,clans,towns,districts,and finally,the government.Cultural traditions are difficult to discard over time,even during periods of colonial rule. For Samoans,the system of government which remains to this day is its traditional ‘Matai’ system or chieftain system mixed with a Constitutional Parliamentary system. For about three thousand years before the arrival of Europeans and the written script in 1830,chief conferences at designated ‘capitals’ in Samoa were highly ritualized affairs social organization orators and their families would make careful preparations to ensure that everyone’s views were heard,that the root and branch of society had a voice,and that leadership was secured and honored.

具有巨大包容性的两会

2023年的中国两会对我看待中国的方式产生了深远影响，让我对中国的国家治理有了深入了解。全国人民代表大会及其常务委员会行使国家立法权；3月4日起的之后两周里，近3000名人大代表聚集在北京人民大会堂这座宏伟建筑中。两会在这样一个历史的、传统的、非凡的标志性政治场所召开，这一场面令我心生敬畏与尊重。

让我印象最深刻的是中国在讨论国家要事时的包容性，尤其体现在讨论规模及范围上，从经济到教育、全球多极化的愿景，再到优先促进贫困国家的发展。在解决社会问题方面，中国不遗余力。正如受人尊敬的中国记者李晶晶（两会召开期间全程进行了跟踪报道）3月24日在北京接受采访时说道：“中国是全过程人民民主，社会各阶层都能参与到决策过程中来。两会是人民决策、立法、选举政府领导班子、向中央政府提建议的根本保证。”她还阐述了一些外国媒体往往忽略或搁置的问题，她说：“来自县、市、省的代表在两会召开前几周就开始开会了，为什么？这是为了确保从底层到高层、从地方到中央，来自社会各阶层的意见和建议都能够传到北京。”她提到她曾采访了一位山东省一所农村学校的女教师，这名女教师的主要人生目标是改变农村儿童的命运。15年来，这位女教师提出了240多项建议，一半以上的建议被写入了中国的相关法规。令人想不到的是，这些建议范围十分广泛，包括改善学校设施、招聘合格的音乐和艺术教师以及招聘儿童心理学家等。

The Two Sessions with great inclusivity

The Two Sessions of 2023 have profoundly affected how I look at China and have given me an incredible insight into Chinese governance.The National People’s Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee exercise national legislative power.From March 4,2023,and the last two weeks,nearly 3,000 deputies have gathered in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,a magnificent building.Two Sessions in such a historical,conventional,extraordinary landmark political venue,this scene makes me awe and respect.

What impressed me most was the “inclusivity”,the “scale”,the “range” of national issues discussed,from economics to family planning and a vision of global multi-polarity to boosting the development of poorer countries. In fact,in social matters,no stone was left unturned. In the words of respected Chinese international correspondent Li Jing Jing (who covered the entire conference) in an interview in Beijing on March 24,2023,“China is about ‘whole process peoples democracy’ involving all sectors of society in the decision-making process.The two sessions is the fundamental guarantee for people to make decisions,legislate,elect government officials and give proposals to the central government.” She articulated something which foreign media either overlooked or put in the out tray. She said “representatives from counties,cities,provinces meet respectively weeks in advance of the Two Sessions itself. Why? To make sure opinions and proposals from the full spectrum of society,from the bottom to the top and from local govemment to central government to make it to Beijing”. As if to reinforce her analysis,she cited interviewing a female teacher in a rural school in Shandong province whose principal goal in life was to improve a lot of children in rural schools. Fifteen years later,with over 240 proposals,over half of her suggestions have been written into Chinese relevant law. Astonishing! from improving school facilities to recruiting qualified music and art teachers to child psychologists.

兼具统一性和多样性的中华民族

中国和萨摩亚之间的鲜明对比尤其体现在人口和面积方面。萨摩亚位于南太平洋中间，拥有20万人口，土地面积为海南岛的1/10，是世界地图上的一个小点。然而，它与中国在外交、移民、经济和贸易方面的关系可以追溯到19世纪初。这让我想到为什么两会提醒人们，中国的友好快速发展对经历了几十年的殖民时期的太平洋发展中国家来说会是重要的激励。全国人民代表大会和中国人民政治协商会议分别召开，商讨中国经济和社会在至少未来五年里的发展。与会者代表着中国这片广袤而神奇的土地上的每个角落、每个省份和每个民族。这片土地确实充满魔力，40年内让8亿人脱贫，这不是一夜之间的奇迹。那是什么呢？看过两会上苗族、藏族、蒙古族、回族、壮族人民自信地展示多姿多彩的服装后，你的心里就会有答案了。这只是中国56个民族中的几个例子而已。伴随着在服饰、语言和信仰方面的自豪感，油然而生的是强国愿景和爱国主义。统一性存在于多样性之中，中国在上下五千年的文明中确立了自己的发展道路。

The Chinese nation with unity and diversity

The contrast between China and Samoa could be so different,especially in population and size.Samoa is a speck on the world atlas in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean with 200,000 people and ten times smaller in land area than Hainan Island.Yet its relations with China’s diplomatic,migration,economics and trade date back to the early 1800s,which reminds me why the Two Sessions serves as a reminder that China’s warm rise is a important incentive for Pacific developing nations after decades of colonialism. The two key bodies,the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) leadership,held separate meetings but at the same time,discuss China’s economic and social development for the next five years at least in The Great Hall of the People.The very people attending the Two Sessions represent every corner,every province and every ethnic group of this vast and magical land China. The land is magical,and lifting 800 million people out of poverty in 40 years is not a trick.So,what is it? You only must look at the diversity and colorful array of costumes proudly displayed by the Miao,Tibetans,Mongols,Hui,and Zhuang,to name several of the 56 recognized ethnic minorities at the Two Sessions. Loyalty to national aspirations and patriotism comes with pride in dress,language,and beliefs. There is unity in diversity,and China has set its course over 5,000 years of civilization.

3月13日，全国人大代表参加第十四届全国人大一次会议（图片来源：新华社）

以人为本的发展哲学

全国人民代表大会闭幕时，中国国家主席习近平在大会上发表重要讲话：“我将忠实地履行宪法赋予的职责，以国家需要为使命，以人民利益为准绳。”此外，习近平主席还谈到了一种促进人民平等的哲学和一种以人为本的发展哲学，以中国特色社会主义来开辟中国式现代化。南太平洋岛国对中国发展为全球大国感到振奋，因为中国的援助和发展范围是通过“一带一路”倡议实现的。

未来五年会发生什么，时间会告诉我们答案。但无论如何，未来是光明的。正如萨摩亚酋长的一句谚语“通往领导的道路是服务”，这在2023年的中国两会上得到了充分体现。

A people-centered philosophy of development

At the close of the National People’s Congress.The Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important speech at the closing ceremony of the NPC and he said,“I will faithfully fulfill my responsibilities bestowed by the Constitution,with the nation’s needs as my mission and the people’s interests as my yardstick”. In addition,President Xi Jinping spoke of a philosophy that promotes equality among people and a people-centered philosophy of development so that modernization is shaped according to socialism with Chinese characteristics.The South Pacific Island nations are inspired by China’s emergence as a global superpower as China’s range of aid and development is realized through the Belt and Road Initiative.

What the next five years have to offer,time will tell,but the future is bright,and as a Samoan Chiefs proverb goes,“O le ala I le Matai o le tautua” translation,“The way to leadership is through service” as was reflected in the Two Sessions of 2023.