SIA HOLDS ITS 2007 ANNUAL MEETING (Jan. 26, 2008)

     On the afternoon of January 26, 2008, SIA held its 2007 annual meeting at the multi-functional hall of the Liberation Daily. It was snowing hard that day, but inside the hall, the atmosphere was warm. The hall with a capacity of over 400 seats was packed with members attending the meeting. Honorary Presidents Sun Zhu and Wang Yang, Vice Presidents Song Chaoqi and Zhang Shukui and other SIA leaders attended the meeting.

    Vice President Song Chaoqi presided over the annual meeting and Secretary General Chen Aiguo delivered SIA ' s 2007 work report on behalf of the council.

    The main points of the work report: SIA ' s various activities were carried out smoothly. It especially did two major things very well. It held a grand meeting to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of SIA ' s founding in the first half of 2007. It provided translation service for Special Olympic Games in the second half of 2007.

1. The grand meeting to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of SIA ' s founding. Over 500 SIA members attended the meeting. At the commemorative meeting, SIA President Yang Guoqiang delivered a work report, reviewing the development course of the association over the past 20 years, summing up the experience and charting the way forward.

    Tang Wensheng, Executive Vice President of the Translation Association of China, and other TAC leaders, especially came to Shanghai to attend the meeting. Over 30 distinguished guests including leaders of various government departments and translation associations in Shanghai were also invited.

   At the meeting, 21 SIA senior translators and interpreters and 58 activists were commended.

2. Serving foreign affairs work and serving the society, SIA provided translation service for Special Olympics. SIA held a meeting to mobilize its members to participate in volunteer translation service for Special Olympics. Beginning from August, 2007, SIA did translation work for relevant districts and communities in Shanghai . During the Special Olympic Games, SIA sent over 60 translators and interpreters covering 10 foreign languages to Huangpu, Jinshan, Jiading Districts and Longhua Community in Xuhui District. The SIA volunteers did a good job, devoting care and love for Special Olympics athletes and very well fulfilled their task. As a result, they were praised by various organizations. SIA itself was commended as an outstanding volunteer organizer in Shanghai and three SIA volunteers were praised as outstanding volunteers at the district level.

3. Various academic groups carried out their activities regularly and SIA ' s other work also went smoothly.

4. SIA ' translation service work increased steadily. It also offered interpreters ' service for various exhibitions.

    Vice President Zhang Shukui briefed on SIA ' s work plan for 2008: to actively cooperate with TAC for the successful holding of the world translation congress; actively carry out various activities and make preparations for the election of the new council.