On Thursday, the Translators Association of China launched the Four Translation Projects initiative, encompassing expert networks, cultural outreach programs, research hubs and training initiatives in Dalian, Liaoning province, to elevate translation's role as a bridge for cross-cultural understanding.

According to a report unveiled at the opening ceremony of the TAC's annual conference in Dalian on Thursday and Friday, China's translation workforce surpassed 6.8 million as of late 2024.

Du Zhanyuan, head of China International Communications Group and president of the TAC, underscored the industry's need to embrace AI-led innovations. According to him, industry insiders need to jointly explore new growth points and promote the "proper use" of new technologies.

The conference is hosted by the TAC, the CICG Academy of Translation and Interpretation, and the Dalian University of Foreign Languages.

The host city, Dalian, was one of China's first coastal open cities. Liaoning, the country's northernmost coastal province, aspires to establish an opening-up cooperation hub in Northeast Asia.

"We need translation work that goes by the criteria of faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance to help the world gain a true understanding of China and gain access to the open door of our nation," said Jin Guowei, head of the publicity department of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, in an address at the opening ceremony.

The two-day annual meeting features 27 specialized symposiums spanning AI-powered translation technologies and other fields, demonstrating the translation industry's deepening convergence of cross-disciplinary expertise and cross-sectoral integration.