以色列驻沪总领事：开放与创新令中以合作正当时
"今天是2018年1月25日，中国和以色列在1992年1月24日建交，所以今天是26周年整。"这是以色列驻沪总领事普若璞博士（Dr. Eyal Propper）的开场白。
未拣日而撞日，惊喜总因刚刚好。在上海今冬初雪如约而至的下午，普若璞博士作为本年度新春专访的第一位总领事，向东方网记者畅谈他眼中的改革开放，细数上海亲历的中以交往。
"Today is Jan 25th, 2018. China and Israel established the diplomatic relations on Jan 24th, 1992. So today is exactly the 26th year", said Dr. Eyal Propper, the Consul General of Israel in Shanghai at the very beginning of the exclusive interview with Eastday.com. It was quite a pleasant surprise.
As the first interviewee in our new year special, Dr. Eyal Propper talked about China’s reform and opening up policy in his eyes and the Shanghai-related Sino-Israel intercourse.
2017年，中以建交25周年之际，以色列作为主宾国参与第19届上海国际艺术节。在此期间，包括小提琴大师帕尔曼、钢琴家亚龙·科尔伯格等众多以色列一流艺术家献演沪上（本图由以色列驻沪总领事馆提供）
On the occasion of the 25th year of the diplomatic ties between China and Israel in 2017, Israel, as the state of honor participated in the 19th Shanghai International Arts Festival, during which first-level Israeli artists came to town, such as violinist master Itzak Perlman and pianist Yaron Kolberg. (Photo provided by the Israeli Consulate General in Shanghai)
互动源于开放：从留学生、企业家到旅行的市民
Increasing interactions on education, business and tourism
"邓小平先生改革开放思想的其中一点，就是送更多中国学生出国留学，学习更多国外先进知识和技术。"在普若璞总领事看来，改革开放极大推动了中以教育领域的交往，促成更多学生留学访问，实现更多校际交流合作。
"Part of the ideas of Mr. Deng Xiaoping for reform and opening up is to send more students abroad, to learn more advantage knowledge and technology." The consul general believes that the policy has vigorously promoted the exchanges in the field of education between China and Israel. More and more Chinese students study in Israel and vice versa. And the same is true for the intercollegiate exchanges.
就在2018年初，以色列海法大学代表团到访上海华东师范大学，双方就联合授予学位、访学项目等进行了交流。而上海与海法，这座以色列第三大城市，自1993年起就是姐妹城市。
Just at the beginning of 2018, a delegation from the University of Haifa paid a visit to the East China Normal University in Shanghai. The two sides discussed the cooperation on the degree-granting and international visiting scholar program. Notably, Shanghai and Haifa, the third largest city in Israel have been sister cities since 1993.
在商业经贸领域，得益于"一带一路"倡议和越发开放的政策，上海企业在以色列发展喜人。普若璞总领事介绍说，上港集团目前正在海法湾建造新港，"这将可能是中东地区最好的港口，而这正是由中国企业建造的"。据了解，2021年新港正式投入运营，届时以色列将成为中国出口欧洲市场重要的贸易通道。
In the area of business and trade, thanks to the "Belt and Road" Initiative and more open policies, Shanghai enterprises have been well developing in Israel.
Dr. Eyal Propper took the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) as an example, "SIPG is building a new port in Haifa. It may be the best port in the Middle East, and it’s built by Chinese company."
It is reported that the new port will be formally put into operation in 2021, when Israel is expected to be an important trade route for China's exports to the European market.
海法港（本图由以色列驻沪总领事馆提供）
Haifa Port (Photo provided by the Israeli Consulate General in Shanghai)
同样特别巧合的是，就在我们采访的当天，中国移动支付平台支付宝宣布进入以色列。以色列也是中东地区首个可使用支付宝的国家。
Also coincidentally, on the same day of our interview, China’s mobile payment platform Alipay announced to move into Israel. Thus, Israel becomes the first country in the Middle East where Alipay is available.
"2017年，赴以色列的中国游客首次突破10万，达到12.3万。我希望明年这个数字能翻倍"，普若璞总领事说。
"Last year (2017) we had 123,000 Chinese visiting Israel, exceeding 100,000 for the first time. I hope next year even to double the number", said Dr. Eyal Propper.
据以色列驻沪总领事馆介绍，入境以色列的中国游客数量近两年来呈现爆炸式增长态势。去年9月，中国海南航空开通了上海到特拉维夫的直航，每周三班。总领事表示，这对中以两国人民间的交往是极大的推动。值得一提的是，2016年，以色列成为第六个向中国公民开放十年签证的国家，同时也是第三个和中国互发这一签证的国家。
According to the Israeli Consulate General in Shanghai, the number of Chinese tourists to Israel has been growing explosively over the past two years.
A direct flight from Shanghai to Tel Aviv was launched in September 2017 by China’s Hainan Airlines. The consul general indicated that it is a very good improvement for the people-to-people relations between China and Israel.
It is worth mentioning that in 2016, Israel became the sixth country to offer 10-year multiple entry visas to Chinese citizens, and also the third country for the mutual issuance of this kind of visas with China.
2017年9月12日，上海到特拉维夫成功首航（本图由以色列驻沪总领事馆提供）
The first voyage of the direct flight from Shanghai to Tel Aviv was successfully operated on September 12, 2017. (Photo provided by the Israeli Consulate General in Shanghai)
"创新是中国改革开放的新阶段，也是中以合作的绝佳领域"
"Innovation is the new stage for China's reform and opening up"
着眼当前谈未来，普若璞总领事认为，“中国的改革开放正进入一个新的、重要的阶段，那就是习近平主席所提的创新驱动发展战略。而现在正是以色列，这个创新之国与中国紧密合作的绝佳时机。”
Base on the current focus to the future, Dr. Propper, the consul general considers that “this is the exact time when Israel, a very innovation nation cooperate very closely with China. As China's reform and opening up is going to a new and important stage, an innovation era declared by the president Xi Jinping.”
以色列驻沪总领事普若璞博士接受东方网新春专访（图片来源：东方网）
The Consul General of Israel in Shanghai Dr. Eyal Propper accepts a new year interview with Eastday.com. (Photo by Eastday)
创新可谓以色列的代名词，这里的科技创业公司密度世界第一；过去20年里，在这里诞生的诺贝尔奖获得者达到了10位。
Innovation may be called a synonym of Israel. It has the most populous technology start-ups in the world. In the past 20 years, 10 Nobel Prize winners came out here.
2017年，习近平主席在北京会见了来访的以色列总理内塔尼亚胡，宣布双方建立创新全面伙伴关系。在上海方面，2015年，中以上海创新中心在沪成立。2017年，诺贝尔化学奖得主阿龙·切哈诺沃为中以学生举办了以创新为主题的线上讲座。
In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Beijing. The two sides decided to establish an "innovative comprehensive partnership", which could boost their cooperation in innovation and high-tech sectors.
Besides, the Sino-Israel Technology Innovations Center was founded in town in 2015. Aaron Ciechanover, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry delivered an online lecture themed innovation for Chinese and Israeli students in 2017.
26年中国缘：总领事手书"狗年大吉"贺新春
Consul general’s connection with China starting in 1992
普若璞博士是2017年8月来沪就任总领事的，但他与中国的缘分早在中以建交之初就开始了，那时他在以色列驻华大使馆工作。
Dr. Eyal Propper took up his post as the Israeli Consul General in Shanghai in August 2017. Actually, he formed connections with China at the very beginning of the diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1992, when he worked at the Israeli Embassy in China.
有意思的是，他的中文名是时任中国外交部副部长杨文昌起的。"普是普通的普，璞是宝石，合在一起就是宝贵的意思"，普若璞总领事如是解释这个既与本名谐音又涵义隽永的中文名。
It is interesting that his Chinese name was given by Yang Wenchang, the then Chinese Vice Foreign Minister. "璞 (pu, the third character) means precious stone, 普 (pu, the first character) is something that is general, when you combine all these together, the meaning is precious", Dr. Propper explained his Chinese name, which shares a similar pronunciation with his English name.
"上海是一座非常迷人的城市。我喜欢这里环境，喜欢这里的多元以及文化氛围。我很高兴能来上海，并在春节之前与大家聊聊上海，并向大家送上新春问候！"专访中，普若璞总领事在纸上认真地写上自己的中文名，以及新春祝福——"狗年大吉"。
"Shanghai is a very fascinating city. I like the environment and the multiculturalism. I am very happy now before the Spring Festival to talk about the living and working in Shanghai." During the interview, Dr. Eyal Propper wrote down his Chinese name and new year wishes in Chinese - 狗(Gou) 年(Nian) 大(Da) 吉(Ji), which means Happy Chinese New Year of the Dog.
普若璞总领事写中文名和新春祝福（图片来源：东方网）
The consul general Dr. Eyal Propper wrote his Chinese name and new year wishes in Chinese. (Photo by Eastday)
By Wang Jiaye
