China will build a new training and proficiency authentification system to standardize minority language translation, said Dainzhub Angbon, director of the China Translation Association's Minority Language Translation Commission in Lhasa on Monday.

Speaking at the 11th National Symposium on Minority Language Translation, the official said the China Translation Association has already granted certificates to 77 senior translators.

Dainzhub said the Tibet Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have already developed rules and regulations on minority languages.

He said China must apply information technology to minority language development, promote bilingual teaching methods and save endangered languages.

According to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, more than 60 million people from 55 minority populations within China use more than 80 spoken languages and about 40 written languages.

Of the 56 ethnic groups in China, including the Hans, the Hui and Manchu use the same language as the Han people, while the others have their own spoken and written languages.

China has about 300 minority language translation organizations with part-time and full time staff of more than 100,000.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2005)