叢宏彬：『一帶一路』的中國使者

2012年的元旦，在四大國際會計師事務所之首的普華永道工作了17年的叢宏彬，收到了一份來自迪拜的邀請，并沒告訴他要做什么，只說有些事情要談，于是叢宏彬就去了。

對于迪拜，叢宏彬并不陌生。迪拜地處東西方交匯的戰(zhàn)略要地，是全球貿易、商旅、金融和投資的重要樞紐，它是阿聯(lián)酋7個酋長國之一。迪拜的酋長，同時還是阿聯(lián)酋的副總統(tǒng)兼總理。

前幾年，叢宏彬的兩個團隊曾受聘給迪拜做過兩個項目。讓叢宏彬納悶的是，到底是什么事，要讓迪拜酋長親自與他約談。

“我們希望你能來與我們一起工作。”迪拜酋長說。

那時，叢宏彬已是普華永道大中華區(qū)的合伙人，身居高位、事業(yè)順風順水，妻子和年邁的父母都在身邊，讓他可以輕松享受親情。

“宏彬，你要知道，我要讓你做的這些工作，不光是為了迪拜和阿聯(lián)酋，同樣對你的祖國也是好的?！?/p>

兩個人的交談持續(xù)了近40分鐘，酋長的一席話，從此改變了叢宏彬的人生軌跡。

迪拜地處東西方交匯的門戶，擁有成熟的基礎設施，出色的人才配套，兼容并包的文化，他們正積極爭取來自中國企業(yè)的投資。中國，也有意將迪拜作為貿易和轉口貿易的中心。這種天然的互補關系，讓迪拜成為推進中國“一帶一路”建設的重要支點。

迪拜酋長在2010年時提出了一個口號：“LOOK EAST！”（向東看）后來變成了阿聯(lián)酋的國家戰(zhàn)略，迪拜酋長找叢宏彬，就是為了加強和建立與中國更緊密的關系。

從小就夢想當“外交官”的叢宏彬，有種接近夢想的感覺。

于是他欣然接受邀請。

年近半百的叢宏彬，出任獵鷹國際董事總經(jīng)理一職。5年間，叢宏彬穿梭在中國和迪拜之間。迪拜冠名中國乒乓球隊，在北京、上海舉辦迪拜周；在迪拜舉行博鰲亞洲論壇等等，叢宏彬成了迪拜、甚至阿聯(lián)酋的一張中國名片。

叢宏彬出身于軍人世家，父親是山東文登人，母親來自臨沂蒼山，他從小在部隊大院長大。1980年，叢宏彬考入山東大學，畢業(yè)后，先后任職中國教育部、德國西門子、普華永道，做到了大中華區(qū)合伙人。

“我小時候有個夢想，特別想做外交官！”在迪拜，這個“一帶一路”的支點上，不關乎金錢，只為少時外交官的夢想，叢宏彬這位中阿民間使者，撐起的是一位山東人異國他鄉(xiāng)不泯的家國情懷。

（本文綜合《五洲四海山東人》部分內容，圖片由受訪者提供）

編輯／欒小惠

○迪拜最吸引人的是生活方式，叢宏彬熱愛在沙漠里遨游。The best attraction of Dubai is its lifestyle. Cong Hongbin likes roaming in the desert.

○叢宏彬接受迪拜當?shù)孛襟w采訪。Cong Hongbin accepted a local media interview in Dubai.

應本刊邀請，叢宏斌寫下了他眼中的迪拜——

迪拜是一座很特別的城市，最明顯的是沖擊感，比如現(xiàn)代化的建筑與近于原始的沙漠，繁華奢侈的生活與占人口比例很大的外來勞工，伊斯蘭宗教的規(guī)矩與自由世界的吃喝玩樂等等。迪拜具有極強的粘合力，常常讓人不知不覺地成為迪拜的常駐居民。前幾年一家知名調研公司對在迪拜國際金融中心工作的外國人做了個調查發(fā)現(xiàn)，近80%的人在迪拜的時間比他們原來計劃的時間要長；同時超過90%的人并不認為迪拜是自己的家。我認識已在迪拜生活了四代的印度家族，所有的人幾十年都是每兩年或三年續(xù)一次簽證一直延續(xù)到今天的。迪拜事實上已是他們的家，但感覺上他們隨時可以走。

迪拜的現(xiàn)代化程度很高，一流的交通設施，著名的航空公司，世界第三大的貿易中轉港，中東北非的金融中心，人才中心，頂級的旅游休閑場所和服務體系，所有這一切一點不輸世界其他城市（如倫敦）。來到迪拜讓你真真切切感到的是處在一個發(fā)達社會中。特別是迪拜的安全感，又給迪拜增加了吸引力?，F(xiàn)實中也有許多反差。比如迪拜整體的環(huán)保意識還不強，經(jīng)常在沙漠海灘見到被丟棄的垃圾；另外，排隊這樣的事，整體意識也不夠。這可能與大量的勞工人口有關。

迪拜最吸引人的是生活方式。迪拜的野外活動很豐富，上天入海，戲浪沖沙，室內滑雪，徒步登巖等設施完備，交通便利，輕松可達。迪拜還建設了數(shù)十公里的人工海邊棧道以及世界最長的戶外自行車道?？梢哉f，迪拜是一個值得你來探索的寶藏。

中國與迪拜的關系近些年來發(fā)展迅速。自2014年起連續(xù)多年成為迪拜最大的貿易伙伴。在迪拜工商會注冊的中國公司有3000多家，而在阿聯(lián)酋經(jīng)商的中國公司超過4500家。中國公司在迪拜的業(yè)務主要還是一般貿易。迪拜有一個號稱中國之外最大的貿易城——龍城。興旺時每個周末能有10萬人的流量。當然近些年來來自中國的投資在逐步增加。這些投資主要在能源、工程承包和房地產(chǎn)領域。投資的效果參差不齊，也反映了中國投資人需要提高投資專業(yè)度才能保證投資帶來收益。

中國2013年提出“一帶一路”倡議后，已有80多個國家與中國簽署了“一帶一路”合作備忘錄。阿聯(lián)酋從一開始就積極支持“一帶一路”倡議。阿聯(lián)酋是亞洲基礎設施開發(fā)銀行的初始會員，2015年兩國重新簽署了350億人民幣貨幣互換協(xié)議；2017年5月，阿國務部長蘇爾坦博士率團參加了“一帶一路”峰會；最新的合作是中國正式簽署參加迪拜2020年世博會的合同以及阿布扎比全球資本市場與上海股票交易所簽署的設立“一帶一路”資本市場的合作備忘錄。

迪拜是天然的“一帶一路”倡議的支撐點。它的地理位置輻射“一帶一路”覆蓋的主要區(qū)域；它的交通連接度非常高，是區(qū)域最大的航空海運樞紐。作為區(qū)域金融資本、人才及專業(yè)服務中心的迪拜，聚集著一些世界頂級的專業(yè)機構可為“一帶一路”提供全面的支持。我們期待著迪拜/阿聯(lián)酋未來更多地參與“一帶一路”建設。

叢宏彬 2018年5月 寫于迪拜

○在迪拜，叢宏彬圓了自己的“外交官”夢，并成為迪拜、甚至阿聯(lián)酋的一張中國名片。In Dubai, Cong Hongbin realized his dream of being a“diplomatist”, and became a Chinese image icon in Dubai and even the UAE.

○叢宏彬接受迪拜當?shù)孛襟w采訪。Cong Hongbin accepted a local media interview in Dubai.

On the New Year’s Day 2012,Cong Hongbin, who had worked in the accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) for 17 years, received an invitation from Dubai, which said there was something to be discussed with him but without telling what the specifics were. So he fl ew to Dubai.

For Hongbin Cong, Dubai is not an unfamiliar place. As one of the seven United Arab Emirates (UAE), it is strategically located at a junction between the East and the West, serving as an important hub for global trade,business, fi nance, and investment. The Emir of Dubai is also the Vice-president and Prime Minister of the UAE.

Several years before, two teams led by Cong Hongbin had been invited to undertake two projects in Dubai. What puzzled him this time was what the Emir would want to discuss with him in person.

“We hope you can come and work with us,” The Emir said.

At that time Cong Hongbin was already the partner of Price Waterhouse Coopers in the region of Greater China.Along with his wife and parents, Mr.Cong enjoyed a high position, a smooth career and a happy family.

“Hongbin, what I ask you to do is not only for the benefit of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates; it will do good to your own country as well.”

They talked for nearly 40 minutes and the talk changed the course of his life.

Located at the intersection between the East and the West, Dubai is a country with well-developed infrastructure, brilliant talents, and allembracing culture. It was then striving for investments from China and China also intended to take Dubai as a hub for counter trade and transit trade. This natural complementary relationship renders Dubai a pillar city in promoting the Belt and Road initiative.

As early as in 2010, the Emir proposed the slogan “LOOK EAST!”,which later became the national strategy of the UAE. He invited Cong Hongbin to Dubai this time just for the purpose of promoting and building a closer relationship with China.

Upon hearing these words,Cong Hongbin had a feeling that his childhood dream of becoming a diplomat was coming closer.

So he accepted the invitation readily.

Born in a family of soldiers,Cong Hongbin grew up in the army courtyard. His father is from Wendeng,Shandong province and his mother from Cangshan, Linyi. He was admitted to Shandong University in 1980 and after graduation he had worked in China’s Ministry of Education, Siemens of Germany, Price Waterhouse Coopers,and then became a partner at PWC Beijing.

“When I was a child, I had a dream of becoming a diplomat!” As a folk messenger between China and UAE, Cong Hongbin began his work for his childhood dream in Dubai, the supporting point of “One Belt and One Road” with a passionate love for his country.

At the age of about 50, Cong Hongbin took the position of Managing Director of Falcon &Associates. For five years, traveling between China and Dubai, he has helped Dubai extend sponsorship deal with Chinese Table Tennis, held Dubai Week in Beijing and Shanghai, and hosted the Boao Forum for Asia in Dubai, becoming China’s name card in Dubai, even in the UAE.