XINING — A series of new Tibetan-Chinese translation apps and software programs were launched in Northwest China’s Qinghai province to better promote communication between different ethnic groups and boost economic and cultural development in Tibetan areas.

The twelve apps and software programs, developed by the China Ethnic Languages Translation Bureau, include audio-to-audio translation, audio-to-text translation, audio-to-text typing, online proofreading software, and an e-dictionary.

“The audio-to-audio translation software will not only make it more convenient for Tibetan people and ethnic Han people to communicate, but also play an important role in promoting the use and protection of the Tibetan language, passing on and spreading the Tibetan culture, as well as pushing forward poverty relief, education, and economic and political development in Tibetan areas,” said Kewa, director with Qinghai’s ethnic and religious affairs committee.

Audio-to-audio translation software for some other ethnic languages has been used for procuratorial work, poverty relief, and production and life in agricultural and pastoral areas.

The China Ethnic Languages Translation Bureau is a national-level ethnic languages translation institute. So far, it has developed 40 translation apps and programs for seven ethnic languages including the Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, Kazakh, Korean, Yi, and Zhuang languages.