Group photo: Participants and Guests
Prof. Siok Wai Ting, Head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, delivered the welcome speech.
Prof. Chen Jing, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Xiamen University delivered the opening speech.
In the segment, contestants and AI translated bidirectional dialogues between Chinese and English speakers.
The winner
The 10th Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest Grand Final was successfully held at the Chiang Chen Studio Theatre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 10 May 2025. This prestigious event brought together 30 outstanding contestants from renowned universities across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, as well as Singapore and the United States. After three intense rounds of competition, Hung Chien Hui from National Taiwan Normal University emerged as the champion, winning the Grand Prize.
The Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest, initiated and organised by Xiamen University, is a highly influential academic competition in higher education across the Cross-Strait region. The contest has been held ten times, with over 2,000 university entries, covering more than 80% of top tier universities in Mainland China and all universities offering interpreting studies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau regions.
This year’s grand final consisted of three segments, centered around the theme "Digital Society". It aimed to assess contestants' bilingual proficiency, interpreting skills, and cultural communication abilities in diverse contexts and scenarios. The top 10 contestants from the first two rounds advanced to the third segment, dialogue interpreting. In the segment, contestants and AI translated bidirectional dialogues between Chinese and English speakers. The segment was designed to test whether contestants can deal with cultural differences and challenges raised by speakers, sensitivity to linguistic nuances, on-the-spot adaptability and professional competence.
Prof. Siok Wai Ting, Head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, delivered the welcome speech. She remarked that the contest not only advanced interpreting education but also marked another milestone in cooperation among the Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions. She emphasised the growing importance of interpreters as cultural ambassadors who build meaningful bridges between different nations and regions amid exchanges in trade, technology, and tourism.
In the opening speech, Prof. Chen Jing, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Xiamen University, highlighted the contest's greatest value as a platform for students passionate about interpreting to gather, exchange, and learn from each other, helping them become professionals and leaders in the field.
Prof. Li Dechao from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University delivered the closing remarks, sharing his reflections on the contest. He acknowledged that despite rapid AI advancements, interpreting still requires human warmth and emotion, which machines cannot fully replicate. Furthermore, he noted that the integration of interpreting skills with fields like business has become a new trend for future development. Universities like The Hong Kong Polytechnic University are actively promoting the integration of interpreting education with AI, seeking for new breakthroughs.
Another highlight of this year's Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest was the seminar held the following day at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Scholars and professionals in related fields attended the seminar, focusing on the future of the language service industry in the AI era, promoting sustainable and high-quality development of interpreting and other language services.
The Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest, initiated and organised by Xiamen University, is a highly influential academic competition in higher education across the Cross-Strait region. The contest has been held ten times, with over 2,000 university entries, covering more than 80% of top tier universities in Mainland China and all universities offering interpreting studies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau regions.
This year’s grand final consisted of three segments, centered around the theme "Digital Society". It aimed to assess contestants' bilingual proficiency, interpreting skills, and cultural communication abilities in diverse contexts and scenarios. The top 10 contestants from the first two rounds advanced to the third segment, dialogue interpreting. In the segment, contestants and AI translated bidirectional dialogues between Chinese and English speakers. The segment was designed to test whether contestants can deal with cultural differences and challenges raised by speakers, sensitivity to linguistic nuances, on-the-spot adaptability and professional competence.
Prof. Siok Wai Ting, Head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, delivered the welcome speech. She remarked that the contest not only advanced interpreting education but also marked another milestone in cooperation among the Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions. She emphasised the growing importance of interpreters as cultural ambassadors who build meaningful bridges between different nations and regions amid exchanges in trade, technology, and tourism.
In the opening speech, Prof. Chen Jing, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Xiamen University, highlighted the contest's greatest value as a platform for students passionate about interpreting to gather, exchange, and learn from each other, helping them become professionals and leaders in the field.
Prof. Li Dechao from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University delivered the closing remarks, sharing his reflections on the contest. He acknowledged that despite rapid AI advancements, interpreting still requires human warmth and emotion, which machines cannot fully replicate. Furthermore, he noted that the integration of interpreting skills with fields like business has become a new trend for future development. Universities like The Hong Kong Polytechnic University are actively promoting the integration of interpreting education with AI, seeking for new breakthroughs.
Another highlight of this year's Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest was the seminar held the following day at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Scholars and professionals in related fields attended the seminar, focusing on the future of the language service industry in the AI era, promoting sustainable and high-quality development of interpreting and other language services.
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