Exchanges

UK Names New Ambassador to China

On August 6， 2014， the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office （FCO） appointed Barbara Janet Woodward to succeed Sebastian Wood as Britains Ambassador to China. Woodward， who is experienced in Chinese issues at the FCO， will take up her appointment early next year. She served as a political counselor and later minister and deputy head of mission in Beijing from 2003 to 2009. Woodward joined the FCO in 1994. Since 2011， she has been a member of the Board of the FCO as director general of economic and consular affairs. Woodward said：“I look forward to supporting further dynamic development in our bilateral trade and investment and to accelerating and deepening our cooperation across China.” During Chinese Premier Li Keqiangs visit to Britain in mid-June， the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to improving trade and business relations.

World Leaders Express Condolences to Victims of Yunnan Earthquake

A 6.5-magnitute earthquake hit Ludian County， Yunnan Province on August 3， 2014， causing heavy casualties. The international community extended condolences to victims and expressed their willingness to help the quakehit area. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed condolences to the Chinese government and the bereaved families. He emphasized that the UN stands ready to provide assistance in carrying out humanitarian aid and mobilizing international support. Thailands Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn made a personal donation of RMB 200，000 to disaster relief. Over a dozen countries and several international organizations also sent messages of sympathy and support.

China Academy of Translation Inaugurated in Beijing

On July 29， 2014， the inauguration ceremony of the China Academy of Translation was held in Beijing alongside a summit conference on Chinese cultural exchange and education in translation. Cai Mingzhao， deputy director of CPCs Publicity Department and head of the State Council Information Office， delivered a speech at the ceremony. Li Zhaoxing， president of the Translators Association of China， sent a congratulatory letter.

Zhou Mingwei， president of China International Publishing Group and head of the newly launched academy， summarized its major tasks： It will provide advice to translation associations in mapping out policies and development plans. It will research major problems in translating Chinese current affairs and classical works into foreign languages. The academy will also set up a talent pool of senior translators as well as a corpus of words and expressions with Chinese characteristics. In addition， the academy will improve the evaluation system of major translation projects and professional translators. The academy also aims to pool talents in languages other than English. Further， it will provide training programs that enable expert translaters to keep pace with the latest developments in Chinas politics， economy and culture， as well as discuss the key issues of translating Chinese and taking Chinese culture to the global stage.

During the summit， scholars from several institutions including the Translators Association of China， Beijing Foreign Studies University and Monterey Institute of International Studies gave speeches on a variety of topics. They included training and globalization of translation talents， education in languages other than English and matching translation education with the need to make Chinese culture accessible on a global level.

The 11th International Conference on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics Opens

The 11th International Conference on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics ran from July 29 to August 2， 2014 in Yanqing County， Beijing. The conference， known as the “Olympic Games of the international grape industry，” was held in China for the first time. With the theme “up to the Great Wall， back to nature，”the conference attracted scholars， experts and businessmen from around the world to share their expertise on grapevine breeding and genetics. Experts from 34 countries and regions gave over 100 lectures during the event. Nearly 500 wineries from China and abroad showcased their products during the wine expo held between July 29 and 31. Lin Keqing， deputy mayor of Beijing， revealed in his speech at the opening ceremony that the area under cultivation of grapes in Beijing had exceeded with roughly 2，000 hectares devoted to wine grapes. He said Beijing would expand the areas for grape planting and accelerate the development of the grape industry. Nick Dokoozlian， vice chair of the International Society for Horticultural Science （ISHS） Vine and Berry Fruits Section， said that China is expected to become one of the worlds leading countries in grape industry. Holding the conference in Beijing will greatly promote both the nation and the worlds grape industry.