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Diplomatic Interpreting Research in Chinese Academia: A Critical Review of Progress and Challenges

Jing Li

Advances in Linguistics Research / 2026,8(2): 258-268 / 2026-07-01 16 10

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• Information:

  Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China

• Keywords:
  Diplomatic Interpreting; Research Review; Role Perception; Translation Strategies; Structural Challenges
• Abstract: Against deepening international exchanges and a growing focus on self-projection of national image, diplomatic interpreting has grown critical to building international discourse power and garnered rising scholarly interest. This article systematically reviews the current state of diplomatic interpreting research in Chinese academia, highlighting major advances in theoretical foundations, role perception, and translation strategies. It further examines structural challenges across four dimensions: working conditions, political norms, technological change, and competency requirements. The findings reveal that research on Chinese diplomatic interpreting has formed a multi-theoretical framework anchored in the Interpretive Theory of Translation, with Skopos Theory and Relevance Theory serving as complementary perspectives. The interpreter’s role has shifted fundamentally from “mouthpiece” to “co-constructor”, while research focus has expanded from linguistic techniques to discourse construction and national image-building. However, this field still confronts intertwined challenges: intense workloads, stringent political norms, technological ambiguities, and heightened requirements for allaround interpreter competence. The article concludes that future research should explore the interplay among these four challenges and conduct empirical studies on interpreters’ strategic choices under multiple constraints, thereby advancing theoretical understanding of diplomatic interpreting in the new era.
• DOI: 10.35534/lin.0802022 (registering DOI)
• Cite: Li, J. (2026). Diplomatic Interpreting Research in Chinese Academia: A Critical Review of Progress and Challenges. Advances in Linguistics Research, 8(2), 258-268.