President replies to letter from foreign experts at Foreign Languages Press
President Xi Jinping has encouraged foreign experts at the Foreign Languages Press to make new contributions to promote China's exchanges and communications with other countries by enabling more foreigners to better understand China through their work.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark on Thursday in a letter replying to the foreign experts as the publishing house marks its 70th founding anniversary.
The experts, coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds, have shared their love of China and Chinese culture and made significant contributions to the country's translation and publication work that serves foreign readers, Xi said.
Xi said that translation is an important work to promote exchanges among human civilizations.
In ancient times, Buddhist scriptures were translated into the Chinese language. In modern times, Western academic and cultural works were translated into Chinese, and Marxist classics were translated and disseminated in the country. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Chinese cultural classics were spread in Europe.
All these activities have exerted a positive impact on the progress of human civilization, Xi said.
As the Chinese people have taken a path of modernization with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC and created a new model for human advancement, Xi said it is of great significance today for the world to better understand China in the new era and to promote exchanges and mutual learning among Chinese and foreign cultures through accurate and vivid translation.
Noting that these foreign experts have gained an in-depth understanding of China's history, culture, national characteristics and history of development after spending years working in China, Xi said he hoped they will continue to bring their advantages into full play and tell China's stories well with excellent translation works.
Five foreign experts from the Foreign Languages Press recently wrote a letter to Xi, in which they expressed their deep feelings about participating in the translation of books such as Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, and said they were proud of being engaged in work that enables the world to better understand China.
Aly Thabet, from Egypt, has been in China for 14 years and speaks fluent Mandarin. As an expert on Arabic translation at the Foreign Languages Press, he is one of the experts who wrote the letter.
Thabet said he was so happy to hear from the Chinese leader and immediately telephoned his family members after learning the news.
"Knowing that President Xi attaches so much attention to the translation work, I feel that I'm now tasked with a greater responsibility to do my work," he said.
Since its establishment in 1952, the Foreign Languages Press has published over 30,000 book titles in more than 40 languages, including the works of Party and State leaders, important records and documents, and books providing social, political, economic and cultural insight on China, totaling over 400 million printed copies distributed across the world.