2024 Translators Association of China conference held in Changsha

On March 30 and 31, the 2024 annual conference of the Translators Association of China (TAC) was held in Changsha in central China's Hunan Province.

Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG) and the TAC; Yang Haodong, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hunan Provincial Committee and director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee; and Jiang Hongxin, chair of Hunan Normal University Council and executive vice president of the TAC, attended and addressed the opening ceremony.

Alison Rodriguez, president of the International Federation of Translators (FIT), addressed the event by video. Gao Anming, executive vice president and secretary general of the TAC and vice president and editor-in-chief of CICG, moderated the ceremony. Nearly 1,000 representatives from central government authorities, enterprises, public institutions, universities, research institutes, and the translation industry attended the opening ceremony.

Regarding the future development of China's translation industry, Du stressed the need to focus on the needs of the country, strengthen synergy, promote the integration of culture and science and technology, and better tell the story of Chinese modernization. As China's only national translation association, the TAC should take promoting the development of the industry as its mission, and play a supporting role in strengthening China's international communication capacities and promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Yang pointed out that Hunan will see the TAC annual conference as an opportunity, enhance the role of translation as a bridge, strengthen ties and cooperation, plant the seeds of promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning, spread Chinese thoughts, philosophy and propositions further and wider, make efforts to promote exchanges and communication between China and the rest of the world, and strive to build a global community of shared future.

Rodriguez noted that translation serves as a bridge connecting China and the rest of the world. To promote exchanges and mutual learning among different cultures means that the global translation community should strengthen technological empowerment, work together at international and regional levels, and make greater contributions to deepen exchanges, cooperation and mutual learning between the Chinese and the world's diverse civilizations.

Jiang stated that the annual conference is highly relevant in providing guidance and reference for developing the translation industry and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. All colleagues in the field of translation should join hands and seek common development, and contribute their concerted effort to create a brighter future for the translation cause.

At the opening ceremony, the summit on "Translation Unveils the Multi-Faceted Chinese Civilization" and the awarding ceremony for presenting translation awards were held. At the awarding ceremony, thirteen translators were granted the "Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation," 73 translators were granted the "Senior Translators Award," 125 translators were granted the "Outstanding Young and Middle-Aged Translators Award," and eight foreign translators were granted the "Outstanding Foreign Translation Experts Award."

Advised by CICG, the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, and the Department of Education of Hunan Province, and hosted by the TAC, CICG Academy of Translation and Interpretation, and Hunan Normal University, the annual conference lasted for two days and featured nearly 30 thematic forums and promotions for excellent achievements in the industry, a live interview entitled "Translating China and Embracing the World," and a featured lecture for the annual conference. And for the first time, an exhibition on the achievements of the industry was held at the annual conference.

The 2025 TAC conference will be held in Dalian City, Liaoning Province.