Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow on March 21.Photographer: Pavel Byrkin/AFP/Getty Images 摄影师：帕维尔·伯金/法新社/盖蒂图片社

By Rosalind Mathieson 2023年8月30日 彭博社

All roads no longer lead to Rome. They lead to Beijing.

条条大路不再通罗马。他们通往北京。

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was wrapping up her trip to China as UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrived — the most senior British diplomatic visitor in five years.

美国商务部长吉娜·雷蒙多即将结束她的中国之行，英国外交大臣詹姆斯·克莱弗利也抵达——他是五年来最高级的英国外交访客。

Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely follow in October to attend President Xi Jinping’s marque Belt and Road Forum — a showcase for China’s investment and trade clout internationally. In between, Xi is expected to travel to the Group of 20 summit in India late next week.

俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京 (Vladimir Putin) 可能会在 10 月出席习近平主席举办的著名“一带一路”论坛——展示中国的国际投资和贸易影响力。在此期间，习近平预计将于下周晚些时候前往印度参加二十国集团峰会。

There’s been careful groundwork laid for months for US President Joe Biden and Xi to talk directly, with Raimondo part of a parade of US officials to China to help put a floor under ties. A one-on-one with Biden looks unlikely at the G-20, but could come later in the year in America.

几个月来，美国总统乔·拜登和习近平的直接对话一直在精心准备，雷蒙多是众多美国官员中的一员，他们前往中国帮助奠定两国关系的基础。在 20 国集团峰会上与拜登进行一对一的会谈似乎不太可能，但可能会在今年晚些时候在美国举行。

The flurry of activity comes as the slowdown in China’s economy gathers pace. Indeed, the bid by Xi to wean Chinese companies off a dangerous diet of debt once and for all could see economic contagion spill to other parts of the world.

随着中国经济放缓步伐加快，一系列活动随之而来。事实上，习近平试图让中国企业一劳永逸地摆脱危险的债务负担，这可能会导致经济蔓延到世界其他地区。

So keeping a dialogue going with Beijing is crucial. Even as the US and nations in Europe have slapped trade and regulatory penalties on China for what they say is coercive economic behavior, they can’t afford to have the world’s second largest economy crater.

因此，与北京保持对话至关重要。尽管美国和欧洲国家因中国的胁迫性经济行为而对中国进行了贸易和监管处罚，但他们也无法承受世界第二大经济体陷入困境的后果。

Economists Trim China Forecasts 经济学家下调中国预测

Outlook darkens as data for second-largest economy flashes warning signs

第二大经济体数据闪现警告信号，前景黯淡

Source: Bloomberg survey 资料来源：彭博社调查

Xi in turn needs relations with the US, UK and others on a surer footing to steady his economy. He, too, has an incentive to talk.

习近平反过来需要与美国、英国和其他国家建立更稳固的关系，以稳定其经济。他也有说话的动力。

But Xi also wants to keep shoring up his alternate power blocs. That means keeping Russia in the tent, and pushing through the expansion of the BRICS grouping that includes Brazil and South Africa.

但习近平也希望继续巩固他的替代权力集团。这意味着将俄罗斯留在帐篷内，并推动包括巴西和南非在内的金砖国家集团的扩张。

And right now Xi is the most powerful leader that Putin — condemned by the US and its allies for his invasion of Ukraine — has in his corner.

目前，习近平是普京支持的最有权力的领导人，普京因入侵乌克兰而受到美国及其盟友的谴责。

Cleverly and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.聪明的中国国家副主席韩正今天在北京人民大会堂。Photographer: Florence Lo/AFP/Getty Images摄影师：Florence Lo/法新社/盖蒂图片社