Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) and the CATTI Program Project Management Center of the Chinese Foreign Language Publishing Administration (the Center) held an online cooperation agreement signing ceremony on March 25, 2021. Prof. Im Sio Kei, President of MPI, and Ms. Feng Jingyi, Legal Representative of the Center signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of both parties. The two parties will jointly promote the establishment of the first China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI) test location in Macao and Hong Kong at MPI and hold the first Chinese-Portuguese and Chinese-English tests here in June this year, which is also the first Chinese-Portuguese test in CATTI history.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Wang Jiyu, Deputy Director of CATTI Office and Acting Director of the National Translation Test and Appraisal Center (NTTAC) under the China Foreign Language Publishing Administration, and Prof. Im Sio Kei, President of MPI delivered speeches. Mr. Wang Jiyu said the establishment of a CATTI test location in Macao is a successful example of the implementation of the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area” (the Plan), which will not only give full play to Macao’s advantages, but also strengthen the cultivation of local translation talents. This cooperation has a positive impact on enhancing exchanges between the Mainland and the two special administrative regions in the field of humanities, and promoting the development of the Greater Bay Area and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Prof. Im Sio Kei said that with the strong support from the Macao SAR Government, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR and the Chinese Foreign Language Publishing Administration, the CATTI test location has been established at MPI, which is the very first of its kind in Macao and Hong Kong and will play a positive role in the promotion of the test in the region. At the same time, it is open to the whole Greater Bay Area, serving as a positive example for the successful implementation of the policy of “One Country, Two Systems”. MPI will work together with the Center to help the translators polish their skills, enhance the construction of the translation team, and further promote the test, so as to make contributions to the development of the translation industry and the cultivation of talents. 

CATTI is a state-level vocational qualification examination and the most authoritative translation and interpretation proficiency accreditation test in China. It is designed to assess the proficiency and competence of candidate translators and interpreters. Included in the list of vocational qualifications of China’s State Council, its importance and value have multiplied, and it has become the most favored qualification examination by the industry and students majoring in translation in tertiary institutions. In the Plan, Macao’s position has been stressed as “One Center, One Platform and One Base”, so as to actively integrate into the national development and participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative. With increasing interaction between Macao and the Mainland, and other parts of the world, there will be growing demand for translators. Therefore, the introduction of a state-level vocational qualification examination for the translators has far-reaching strategic significance for Macao. 

Other guests attending the signing ceremony also included: Mr. Wang Fei, Deputy Director of NTTAC; Mr. Jiang Ping, General Manager of the Center; Ms. Li Jingyi, Office Assistant; Ms. Huang Chen, head of Overseas Test Department; Dr. Lei Ngan Lin, Vice President of MPI; Dr. Han Lili, Director of the School of Languages and Translation; Ms. Mok Sao In, Head of Institutional Affairs Department; Ms. Chan Iok Leng, Head of Public Relations Office; Dr. Lily Lim, Programme Coordinator of Bachelor of Arts in Chinese-English Translation and Interpretation, and Dr. Wang Yuying, Assistant Programme Coordinator of Bachelor of Arts in Chinese-English Translation and Interpretation.