Temporal and regional distribution of official translation policy on the Chinese mainland (1979–2023)

• Zhang, Huiyu ^[1] ; Zhang, Hailing ^[1] ; Zao, Binji ^[1]
  1. [1] Zhejiang University

     Zhejiang University

     China

     
• Localización: Current issues in language planning, ISSN 1466-4208, Vol. 27, Nº. 2, 2026, págs. 220-240
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1080/14664208.2025.2453261
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This paper presents a general picture of contemporary official translation policy on the Chinese mainland by collecting 1,358 policy documents issued since the Reform and Opening-up began in 1978 and analyzing their temporal and regional distribution. The temporal analysis reveals that official translation policy on the Chinese mainland has evolved in three distinctive stages: in Stage I (1979–2002) the role of translation in international exchanges was officially recognized; in Stage II (2003–2010) the standardization of translation and the training of professional translators were highlighted; and most recently in Stage III (2011–2023) translation policies have been guided by the national strategy of ‘Chinese culture going global’, attaching importance to the language services industry. The regional analysis indicates that policies in eastern provinces mainly deal with translating Chinese from or into foreign languages, while western provinces, particularly the ethnic autonomous areas, pay more attention to translation between Putonghua and ethnic minority languages. These findings show that China’s official translation policy shares some commonalities with other countries and regions, but is also adapted to China’s specific national conditions. The results may also echo the language policy literature on the question ‘under what conditions’ from Cooper’s accounting scheme.

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