--By Martin FORSTNER, Secretary General, CIUTI; Full Professor, Universität Mainz, FTSK Germersheim

Abstract

The international system has considerably changed. Besides the old economic powers USA, EU and the Russian Federation new powers have emerged that have turned themselves into regional entities like CAFTA in Southeast Asia, or NAFTA in North America, or MERCOSUR in Latin America. Moreover a tangled web of free trade agreements and strategic partnerships exists that goes far beyond these mentioned major regional blocs. Nevertheless, the latter dominate the world trade and China is one of the big players, not only as a massive exporter of manufactures, but also as a massive importer of energy. In this context China masterly makes use of the instruments of regional trade agreements and transregional strategic partnerships. This fits into a framework described by Chinese policymakers as "all-around diplomacy" (全方位外交) that comprises the building of "a harmonious world" (和谐世界) in which states act in ways that respect each other's national sovereignty. Consequently, economic diplomacy has become a central issue by using trade, investment, and, increasingly, finance policies to support diplomatic goals, in order to advance China's economic development, such as by ensuring access to foreign markets and to secure the supply of China with energy resources. Moreover in October 2013, the Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his speech to the Indonesian parliament said, that China wants to build "A community of common destiny" with ASEAN members.

Both, free trade agreements and strategic partnerships deeply influence translation services since the higher the exchange of goods, products and services between two countries of different languages and cultures, the higher the demand for translation services. But on the other hand, China has become dependent on exports, not only exports to the USA and the European Union, but also to ASEAN and APEC countries and to BRIC States like India, Brazil and Russia. Given this context, one might question whether besides English other languages should be offered in the prestigious Master in Translation and Interpreting programs offered by Chinese universities since 2007. It ought to be the task of the Chinese Universities to find out with the help of and in cooperation with the Translators Association of China and the representatives of the Translation Industry what languages are in demand and should be offered in the interest and to the advantage of China's economy. A lot of interesting empirical research is necessary in a domain called "translation geography" with focus on the translational attractiveness and potential of the respective languages besides English. The paramount influence of trade agreements and strategic partnerships is obvious. Therefore, the translators and their professional organisations, the translation industry, and, last but not least, the Universities that train and educate translators and interpreters have to take this into account and have to cooperate in a kind of a comprehensive strategic partnership aiming at the training of translators and interpreters that will be long-term and stable and that is of mutual benefit in a win-win situation. All this in order to realize the Chinese Dream.

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