Cultivating elite translators to empower China's global voice

China should accelerate cultivating top-tier bilingual talents and innovating foreign communication to enhance its global discourse power and influence in international affairs, said experts at a forum held in Beijing on Saturday.

This meets the realistic demands and strategic needs of building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation, said Yu Tao, deputy director of China International Communications Group (CICG).

The New Era Foreign Discourse Innovation Forum and the award ceremony for the 35th Han Suyin Award for Young Translators Contest were jointly held by the CICG, Translators Association of China, China Academy of Translation, Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and Xi'an International Studies University.

China has become the world's second-largest economy but its strengths have not fully translated into a bigger say on the global stage, said Wu Yaowu, vice president of Xi'an International Studies University.

China's voice, to a large extent, is not yet smooth enough, not loud enough, and not penetrating enough, Wu said.

Jiang Hongxin, secretary of the Communist Party of China Hunan Normal University Committee, said despite a growing translator population, surpassing six million in China, the scale and the professional proficiency of translators still lag behind the communication needs for China's international engagement, creating a significant disparity with its global standing.

"The most significant challenge currently faced is the contradiction between the demand for high-end talents and the actual shortage of such professionals," he said.

Due to cultural differences, without clear explanations, misunderstandings can easily arise, said Wang Xiaohui, editor-in-chief of China Internet Information Center. He said while not seamless, translation serves as a bridge of mutual understanding.

Wu said there is a need to strengthen the training of foreign language talents in international law to not only protect the rights of Chinese citizens and businesses globally but, more importantly, to uphold the country's fair and just international image.

As artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges for translation, Yu said translators must continuously enhance their proficiency in mastering new technologies, enabling technology to better empower translation and contribute to the construction of compelling foreign discourse.

Entering a new era, whether it's building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative, China's path to modernization, or cultural exchanges, all require a substantial number of outstanding translation professionals, Jiang said.

"The translation profession is intricately tied to the interests and strategies of the nation," he said.