European Union logo

EU-China Interpreter Training Programme

EUCITP

The EU-China Interpreter Training Programme (EUCITP) was established in 1986, offering in-house training in conference interpreting to young Chinese officials. It is implemented by the Directorate-General for Interpretation (DG SCIC) in collaboration with the European Commission’s department for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) - under the heading of “Public Diplomacy”. The project, which has become a “brand” with an excellent reputation among Chinese partners, consists of two elements:

  1. Cooperation with Chinese Ministries: Chinese officials come to Brussels for a 4.5-month interpretation training course, which also gives them the opportunity to learn how the EU works. The lead ministry and coordinator on the Chinese side is the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).
  2. Cooperation with Chinese universities: DG Interpretation provides teaching assistance to partner universities in China that teach interpreting such as the Shanghai International Studies University

Under the EUCITP cooperation, over 500 Chinese interpreters have been trained which today form part of a strong Alumni network. Former EUCITP participants include senior policy makers in a wide range of ministries and provincial governments, including a MOFCOM Vice-Minister and various Directors in the Ministries of Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Education, Science and Technology.

EU-China cooperation in the field of interpretation has a strong people-to-people component. It not only promotes multilingualism, but also contributes to a better understanding of the EU in China. At the same time, it engages with China as an international partner and facilitates interaction in areas such as trade, connectivity, research, security and foreign policy.