来自小国的伟大外交家

来自小国的伟大外交家

Great Diplomat from Small Country

会见来自小国的杰出外交官

中国有句俗话叫“弱国无外交”，但也有例外，有时尾巴会摇来摇去。对中国来说，第一次世界大战结束的巴黎和会就是一个典型的例子。毕业于哥伦比亚大学的外交官顾维钧在外交舞台上脱颖而出，虽然才华横溢，但最终还是没能扭转中国处于不利地位。但他对国家尊严和领土完整的勇敢捍卫产生了深远的影响，引发了全国人民的愤怒，改变了中国现代史的进程。他不屈服于帝国主义列强的坚定意志，使他成为中国国内公认的人物。

快进到 21 世纪，我们发现了另一位来自看似小国的杰出外交官：塞尔维亚的武克·耶雷米奇，这个国家人口只有 660 万。他在职业生涯中创造了三项显着的记录：32 岁时成为塞尔维亚最年轻的外交部长，37 岁时成为最年轻的联合国大会主席，以及来自一个小国的旅行里程最多的外交部长——在任期间登上了 1,000 多个航班，访问了 100 多个国家。对于塞尔维亚这样一个大国来说，如此不懈的外交是前所未有的。这些惊人的数字充分说明了一位生活和呼吸着外交的人的不屈不挠的精神。

对于耶雷米奇来说，外交是他的第二天性。作为一个天生的外交家，他将每一次挑战都视为机遇，熟练地驾驭着变幻莫测的全球政治。

尽管塞尔维亚的全球影响力有限，但耶雷米奇仍然坚信对话和外交是维护国家核心利益的手段。他的坚韧和口才极大地改善了塞尔维亚与邻国的关系。欧盟取消了对塞尔维亚的签证要求，耶雷米奇本人成为首位免签证进入欧盟国家的塞尔维亚公民，这证明了他的外交成功。

耶雷米奇外交生涯的亮点无疑是他担任第 67 届联合国大会主席。他的背景是硬科学和软管理技能的独特结合——这得益于他在剑桥大学（物理学）和哈佛大学肯尼迪学院（战略领导力）接受的教育。他的外交方法结合了科学家的分析精度和战术大师的战略远见，在宏观视野和对细节的细致关注之间取得平衡。

如今，每当提到塞尔维亚，人们就会想起塞尔维亚的另一个著名人物：世界排名第一的网球运动员诺瓦克·德约科维奇。与耶雷米奇一样，德约科维奇也因其战略智慧和坚定不移的决心而闻名。事实上，两人之间有着惊人的相似之处：两人都身材瘦削、坚韧不拔、坚持不懈、异常敏锐。他们共同的品质反映了塞尔维亚民族性格的本质。

上周，香港科技大学（广州）的学生和教师在一次大学论坛上被耶雷米奇的见解所吸引，他在论坛上就当前的地缘政治趋势发表了主旨演讲。

在唐纳德·特朗普颠覆国际规范的时代，各国——无论大小——都在努力适应新的现实。然而，杰里米奇在动荡中看到了机遇。他承认，由于美国的技术优势、军事实力和美元的主导地位，美国仍然是超级大国。与此同时，中国正在崛起，几乎与美国平起平坐，而欧洲则在技术上被中国超越，正在衰落。杰里米奇认为，西方必须摆脱对中国的偏见，中国唯一的“冒犯”就是其非凡的技术和经济崛起——现在被视为对美国霸权的挑战。

当中国加入世贸组织时，美国曾希望中国逐步采用西方式的体制。然而，杰雷米奇正确地质疑，像中国这样的文明强国为什么要被迫采用外国模式。他断言，中国必须在不受外界干扰的情况下，走自己的道路，追求自己的民族梦想。

在单边主义兴起的时代，耶雷米奇的战略敏锐性尤为明显。他指出，拥有核武器的小国仍然不可触碰——朝鲜就是一个典型例子。相比之下，乌克兰犯下了放弃核武库的灾难性错误，使其容易受到外部侵略，正如其目前与俄罗斯的冲突所见。

耶雷米奇还强调了一个关键问题：俄罗斯的经济是靠战争机器维持的。一旦恢复和平，庞大的武器库存将何去何从？历史表明，生产的武器必然会被使用。

香港科技大学（广州）校长倪明选在欢迎辞中指出，杰里米奇在外交领域的最高层经历了“严峻考验”。他决定加入该校任教，令渴望向外交大师学习的学生感到兴奋不已。对于一所致力于培养创新和战略思想家的年轻大学来说，这是一个令人振奋的发展。

甚至中国外交官也可以从学习耶雷米奇的地缘政治策略中受益。对许多中国人来说，他是当代的大战略家，让人想起孙子。如此非凡的人才来自一个小国——倪主席称之为“中国在欧洲值得信赖的朋友”——这让他的故事更加引人注目。

Great Diplomat from Small Country

Meeting a Remarkable Diplomat from a Small Nation

The Chinese have a well-known saying: "A weak country has no diplomacy." However, there are rare exceptions. Occasionally, the tail does manage to wag the dog. For China, such a moment occurred at the Paris Peace Conference that marked the end of the First World War. Wellington Koo, a diplomat educated at Columbia University, emerged as a brilliant figure on the diplomatic stage. Yet, despite his extraordinary talents, he was ultimately unable to reverse China’s unfavorable position. However, his bold defense of his nation’s dignity and territorial integrity left a profound impact, sparking a wave of national outrage that altered the course of modern Chinese history. His unwavering refusal to yield to imperial powers made him a widely recognized figure in his homeland.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and we find another exceptional diplomat from a seemingly minor nation: Vuk Jeremic of Serbia, a country with a population of just 6.6 million. He holds three notable records in his career: becoming Serbia’s youngest foreign minister at 32, the youngest UN General Assembly president at 37, and the foreign minister from a small nation who logged the most travel miles—boarding over 1,000 flights and visiting more than 100 countries during his tenure. Such relentless diplomacy is unprecedented for a nation of Serbia’s size. These staggering figures speak volumes about the indomitable spirit of a man who lives and breathes diplomacy.

For Jeremic, diplomacy is second nature. As someone born for the field, he sees every challenge as an opportunity, expertly navigating the unpredictable waters of global politics.

Despite Serbia’s limited global influence, Jeremic remains steadfast in his belief in dialogue and diplomacy as the means to safeguard his nation’s key interests. His tenacity and eloquence have significantly improved Serbia’s relations with its neighbors. A testament to his diplomatic success was the European Union lifting its visa requirements for Serbia, with Jeremic personally becoming the first Serbian citizen to enter an EU country visa-free.

The highlight of Jeremic’s diplomatic career was undoubtedly his role as President of the 67th UN General Assembly. His background is a unique blend of hard sciences and soft management skills—shaped by his education at Cambridge (physics) and Harvard’s Kennedy School (strategic leadership). His approach to diplomacy combines the analytical precision of a scientist with the strategic foresight of a master tactician, balancing big-picture vision with meticulous attention to detail.

These days, when Serbia is mentioned, another of its famous sons often comes to mind: Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked tennis player. Like Jeremic, Djokovic is celebrated for his strategic intelligence and unbreakable determination. In fact, there is something strikingly similar between the two: both are lean, resilient, relentless, and exceptionally sharp. Their shared qualities reflect the essence of Serbia’s national character.

Last week, students and faculty at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) were captivated by Jeremic’s insights at a University Forum, where he delivered a keynote speech on current geopolitical trends.

In an era where Donald Trump is upending international norms, nations—big and small—are scrambling to navigate the new reality. Yet, Jeremic sees opportunities amid the turbulence. He acknowledges that the United States remains a superpower due to its technological edge, military strength, and the dominance of the dollar. Meanwhile, China is rising as a near-equal, while Europe is fading, having been technologically surpassed by China. Jeremic argues that the West must move beyond its biases against China, whose only "offense" is its extraordinary technological and economic rise—now perceived as a challenge to American supremacy.

When China joined the WTO, the U.S. had hoped it would gradually adopt a Western-style system. However, Jeremic rightly questions why a civilizational powerhouse like China should be pressured into adopting a foreign model. He asserts that China must chart its own course, free from external interference, in pursuit of its national dream.

Jeremic’s strategic acumen is particularly evident in an era where unilateralism is on the rise. He points out that small nations that possess nuclear weapons remain untouchable—North Korea being a prime example. In contrast, Ukraine made the catastrophic mistake of surrendering its nuclear arsenal, leaving it vulnerable to external aggression, as seen in its current conflict with Russia.

Jeremic also highlights a critical issue: Russia’s economy is being sustained by its war machine. Once peace is restored, what will happen to the vast stockpile of weapons? History suggests that arms produced will inevitably be used.

As HKUST(GZ) President Lionel Ni noted in his welcome address, Jeremic has undergone a "baptism of fire" at the highest levels of diplomacy. His decision to join the university’s faculty has thrilled students eager to learn from a diplomatic master. This is an exciting development for a young university dedicated to cultivating innovative and strategic thinkers.

Even Chinese diplomats could benefit from studying Jeremic’s mastery of geopolitical maneuvering. To many in China, he is a modern-day grand strategist, reminiscent of Sun Tzu. That such an extraordinary talent hails from a small country—one that President Ni describes as "a trusted friend of China in Europe"—makes his story all the more remarkable.