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Beijing Launches Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month
Date: 2021-04-21
Source: CRI Online
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On April 18, Beijing officially started the Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month at the New Shougang High-End Industry Comprehensive Service Park in Shijingshan District. Centering on "Welcoming Beijing 2022 Games and Promoting All-Rounded Progress", the program aims to rectify wrongly used foreign language signs in the public and is designed with various offline themed activities, online collection and interaction activities, and interesting Q&A games. The month-long program is open to the participation of all citizens.

Yu Haiyong, Deputy Director-General of Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, delivered a speech at the launch ceremony. He noted that a favorable international language environment meant a lot as Beijing was trying to build itself into a hub for international exchanges. In recent years, the municipality has taken various measures to improve its international language environment. This year, Beijing will, for further improvement of the environment, launch the special event centered on "Welcoming Beijing 2022 Games and Promoting All-Rounded Progress", and implement 13 specific tasks of 5 major campaigns to create a favorable atmosphere that is highlighted with the awareness, support and participation of the public.

Yu Haiyong, Deputy Director-General of Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, delivers a speech

The program will invite 10 foreign language experts who are expected to interpret the knowledge of sign translation in foreign languages and provide professional guidance for the activities via interviews, on-site inspection and correction.

According to Huang Fang, Deputy Head of the International Language Environment Development Division of Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the event will highlight elements of the Olympic Winter Games, and four offline activities will be held at the competition venues of Beijing 2022 Games in the districts of Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan and Yanqing. To facilitate the multi-channel participation of all the citizens, the official WeChat account "Beijing Foreign Affairs" has developed a mini-program through which people can take photos of wrong signage at any time. Meanwhile, the website "Beijing Time" has put online the page to collect wrong examples of foreign language signage. "Star of Correction" will be voted among the participating citizens.  

Swiss expert David Feng said that mass participation is of paramount importance, and the capital's English language environment would be immensely improved when millions of residents were ready to find out the errors with public signage around.

The event will last for one month, with a variety of activities to support the five major themed campaigns, namely, foreign language environment of the competition venues of Beijing 2022 Games, standardization of foreign language signage, urban foreign language services, law-based international language environment and engagement of social participation.

Representatives light up the theme boards with golden sand at the launch ceremony