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On the afternoon of August 18, 2023, the "Symposium on Building International Service Capabilities by Social Organizations" was successfully held in Hainan Foreign Language Lecture Hall. The Hainan Institute of Translation Studies (HITS) organized this event under the guidance of the Hainan Federation of Social Sciences Association (HFSSA). The symposium aimed to sincerely implement the development strategies of invigorating China through science and education, through talents, and through innovation-driven, according to the guidelines of the report on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The symposium focused on promoting the development of professional service industry in the Hainan FTP by training talents providing language services, and fostering the rapid and healthy advancement of the translation industry. The discussions revolved around two main topics: "How to Promote the Internationalization of Professional Services in Hainan Free Trade Port Construction with Chinese Path to Modernization Concepts, Especially for Improving Foreign Language Service Capabilities" and "How do Social Organizations Play an Active Role in Developing Internationalized Service Capabilities".
In response to the first topic, Lin Min, a researcher from the History and Culture College of Hainan Normal University, discussed the challenges of translation between Chinese and Japanese. He emphasized that translation goes beyond expressing language and culture in a different language, and it involves communication, convergence, and integration. Given the increasing difficulty of learning Japanese, achieving proficiency requires accurate language translation and better understanding of related customs, cultural habits, mentalities, and expression styles. Lin Min noted the substantial task and long journey ahead in translation work which requires translation professionals to keep learning and improving themselves.
Wang Huan, director of the Industry Institute of the Hainan Cross-Border E-commerce Association emphasized three key points. He said, it is essential to define the concept, understand the role of language, and recognize the potential of foreign languages in facilitating the development of the Free Trade Port. He highlighted the necessity of fostering a multilingual service environment to position the FTP as the pinnacle of international openness and to harness global business opportunities. He also advocated promoting China's excellent traditional culture through foreign language services. Wang Huan further noted that although the slogan of the FTP has been around for years, the international atmosphere of Hainan remains relatively low. Thus, comprehensive efforts should be made to create a diverse international atmosphere in various scenarios, such as commerce, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
Luo Fan, a professor and dean at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hainan Normal University , discussed the role of foreign language services in accelerating the development of the Hainan FTP. He suggested that as the diversity of industries grows, the government should establish more foreign language training programs to enhance professionals' foreign language service capabilities. He also stressed the importance of strengthening communication and cooperation between foreign language schools and institutions at major universities to promote the sharing and exchange of resources.
Tian Yanfu, an associate professor at College of Sanya, emphasized the significance of professional English services in improving market service level and facilitating cooperative relationships for implementing the Belt and Road Initiative. Xu Jiuhong, director of the Study Tour Department for Silk Road Rest Station, stressed the urgent need to expand the pool of minority language translators in the FTP. She proposed that a surveillance system should be put in place to expedite the implementation of various measures. Gao Rongjun, executive deputy general manager of Hainan Nanhai Event Management Co., Ltd. and director of the HITS, emphasized that the demand of translation services will be increased gradually with the speedy process of building a FTP with Chinese characteristics and its global influence accelerates. He anticipated that the synergy between AI machine and human translation would become a trend in the development of translation industry. He highlighted the upcoming Hainan International Forum on Translation Industry and Talent Development (www.hntranslation.com) in late October as a significant event to enhance foreign language service capabilities and promote cross-cultural exchanges in professional services for the Hainan FTP.
During the open discussion of the second topic, Wang Dingyou, director of the General Office of the Hainan Research Institute Affiliated to China Association of Policy Science, mentioned the importance of the urgent need of foreign language capacities for industry development, especially for minority languages,with example of the increasing requirements of foreign language proficiency in recruitment process of the Xinhua News Agency. He emphasized that social organizations have great potentials in developing internationalized service capabilities, citing example from the project of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.
Li Changqing, a professor at Hainan History and Culture Research Base, Hainan University, talked about cross-cultural communication through the concepts of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and "When abroad, inquire of the local customs." He underscored the crucial role of social and cultural organizations in facilitating cross-cultural exchanges and the necessity of transcending cultural boundaries and communication barriers. Language services (translation) play a pivotal role as a bridge in such scenarios. He mentioned the efforts made by their institution in researching Hainan's history and culture, and he discussed the application of modern technology to simplify literature and translate them into foreign reading materials so as to promote the globalization of Hainan local ethnic culture.
Wang Jie, secretary general of the Haikou Province Etiquette Association, emphasized the importance of etiquette in improving translation service capabilities for the FTP. She noted that a complementary combination of professionalism and image is essential for practitioners in the translation industry. The Etiquette Association expressed willingness to provide timely professional training and guidance for various industries of Hainan FTP.
He Dongjian, a professor at Hainan College of Software Technology’s Development and Research Base for Cultural and Creative Industry and Product Related to Hainan Red Culture, stated that understanding policies and situations is a prerequisite for constructing the FTP. With such understanding, the advancement of a specialized FTP could move steadily towards high efficiency. Based on practical experience in research, she strongly advocated for fostering a cooperative partnership with ASEAN countries and enhancing the development of minority language translation and related cultural industry.
Yun Yong, secretary general of the HITS, believed that as a significant professional organization in the field of Hainan translation, the institute will continue to act as a bridge in serving national strategies, serving translation industry, and serving translation professionals. He stressed that the institute is committed to collaborating with other social organizations in Hainan to contribute in developing the high-level opening-up of the Hainan FTP. The goal is to facilitate global connections, promote exchanges between Chinese civilization and other civilizations across the world, and continuously provides Hainan with its strength during the process of constructing Chinese Path to Modernization. The symposium was moderated by Zhou Hong, deputy director, the secretary of the Party branch of the HITS.
The symposium was attended by 30 participants, including Mr. Cheng Ziheng from the Academic Department of the HFSSA; Zhang Yuli, the secretary of the Party branch of Hainan Bingfen Duhui Ecological Regimen Institute; Wang Shiyin, the general manager of Hainan Junjiu Culture Media Co., Ltd.; leaders and members of social organizations under the guidance of provincial and municipal social sciences associations; leaders, academics, and researchers at universities or colleges; as well as representatives from businesses and educational institutions, and personnel from other organizations. There was a pleasant break during the symposium and enthusiastic interactions among the participants after the session. Everyone expressed their opinions, providing feedback that the symposium was practical and productive. Representatives from various industries engaged in discussions, enhancing friendships, and laying the foundation for future cooperation and resource integration. Many expressed anticipations for the next round of activities.
The HITS has persisted with offering multilingual training and translation services, conducting foreign language activities, and carry out research and development on promoting distinctive language service standards in Hainan. As a part of the blueprint for the high-level opening-up of the Hainan FTP, there is a strong emphasis on cultivating translation talents in accordance with current needs. Solid strides have been made by the HITS to accelerate the healthy development of the translation industry, propel the establishment of a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade zones, and realize the vision of connecting the world.
