A forum to promote sinology in Mongolia as well as the translation of classics both from and into Chinese was held in Beijing on Oct. 29. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Culture Translation and Studies Support Network]

A forum to promote sinology in Mongolia as well as the translation of classics both from and into Chinese was held in Beijing on Oct. 29. Embracing the spirit of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations earlier in May, this forum aims to forge stronger people-to-people ties between China and Mongolia, and build a platform of exchange and mutual learning.

In the forum, university professors in liberal arts, scholars, and government officials of both countries shed light on various topics relating to cultural communication. This included the history and future of translating classics, relations between the translation of Asian classics and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the development of sinology in Mongolia and many other topics.

B. Indra, associate professor at the Institute of International Relations of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, reviewed the history of cultural communication between the two countries in her keynote speech.

"China and Mongolia have been renewing our commitment to promoting people-to-people exchanges every five years since the two countries signed a cooperative agreement in 1994," Indra said.

Indra also noted that people-to-people exchanges could only be achieved when two peoples better understood and appreciated each other's cultures through their respective traditions, customs, as well as their unique philosophy of life.

"Thus, we should place great importance on the translation of the classics between China and Mongolia, as they embody the essence of our cultures," Indra added.

Elaborating on the quality of the translations of Mongolian classics, Chen Ganglong, professor in Mongolian language at Peking University, believed that a good Chinese translation comes from a comprehensive understanding of the history and culture of Mongolia.

"Due to the lack of cultural understanding, people may find it difficult to empathize with the characters in the Chinese translation of Mongolian classics," Chen said.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of China-Mongolia diplomatic relations, the forum is greatly significant to the promotion of cultural communication between the two countries.