Formation of national image and translation practice of Chinese political discourse in the context of the digital age - on the example of Chinese diplomatic communiqués

Tsai Jiafeng ORCID: 0009-0001-8775-5830 Postgraduate student; Institute of Foreign Languages; Southeastern University, China. 79 Suyuan Ave., Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, 211189 1172357478@qq.com Khan' Chaochao ORCID: 0000-0002-9491-9928 Postgraduate student; Department of Mass Communications; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6, Moscow, Russia 1042225273@pfur.ru Chen' Panli ORCID: 0009-0003-2994-2333 Postgraduate student; Philosophy of Language and Communication; Lomonosov Moscow State University 45 Kutuzovsky Ave., Moscow, Russia 1499600747@qq.com

Grabelnikov Aleksandr Anatolevich ORCID: 0000-0003-1415-824X Doctor of History Professor; Department of Mass Communications; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6, Moscow, Russia grabelnikov-aa@rudn.ru

Introduction

The relevance of this research lies in the fact that in the conditions of the digital age, the formation of a national image and the practice of translating political discourse have become urgent issues in the field of international relations. The dissemination and understanding of political discourse in the international arena directly affects the formation and dissemination of the national image^[1]. The modern relationship between the translation practice of Chinese political discourse and the formation of national image has not yet received sufficient attention and research, and the languages involved are mainly Chinese and English, while the analysis of texts in Chinese and Russian has practically not been carried out^[2]. The purpose of this work is to explore the relationship between the translation of political texts and the formation of the country's image by analyzing the practice of translating Chinese political discourse, as well as to put forward appropriate proposals and strategies to provide new perspectives and ideas for academic research in the field of political communication.

To achieve the set research goals, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

- Collect and systematize text data from diplomatic communiques;

- Classify the phenomena of translation of words and sentences in diplomatic communiques;

- Use text analysis methods based on translation theory to analyze words and sentences used in the translation process and translation strategies, as well as uncover hidden images of the country.

The research material is the Chinese and Russian analogues of diplomatic communiques. A diplomatic communique is an official document issued by a country's foreign ministry, which is usually used to disseminate information about foreign policy, foreign activities and the dynamics of international relations. These bulletins occupy an important place in international political communication and play a crucial role in shaping the image of the state and spreading political discourse.

·上海合作组织成员国元首理事会会议新闻公报-INFORMATION on the results of the meeting of Council of heads of member States of the Shanghai cooperation organization. http://chn.sectsco.org/documents/

·上海合作组织官网-The Shanghai cooperation organisation. http://chn.sectsco.org/documents/

The theoretical basis of this research is based on the theory of translation, which covers the fidelity and transformation of translation. The concept of translation fidelity has been discussed in China since the early days of translation of Buddhist scriptures, for example, "following the original purpose, without embellishment" in the Preface to the "Dharma Messages" by Zhi Qian^[3], "Fidelity, Dada and Elegance" by Yan Fu^[4], "Fidelity, Smoothness and Beauty" by Lin Yutang,"Fidelity, Smoothness and Beauty" by Lin Yutang, "Fidelity, Smoothness and Beauty" by Lin Yutang, and "Fidelity, Smoothness and Beauty" by Lin Yutang^[5]. In the West, the concept of translation fidelity has deep roots and far-reaching influence. In the West, the importance of correct translation is emphasized by Dorey's "Principle of Absence", Tetler's "Three Principles"^[6] and Balkhudarov's six levels of equivalence^[7]. In the book Linguistic Theory of Translation, Catford uses linguistic theory to systematically present the phenomenon of conversion in translation: "The conversion method is the most basic method of translation practice. There is no transfer without conversion." Catford divides conversion theory into two types: hierarchical conversion and categorical conversion. Within the framework of categorical conversion, it continues to be divided into four subcategories: structure conversion, category conversion, unit conversion and internal structure conversion^[8].

The practical significance of this study lies in a deeper insight into the information contained in it and the identification of implied meanings and characteristics through a systematic analysis of the content and characteristics of the practices of creating national images and translating political discourse contained in it. In addition, as an empirical study, this study is of great practical importance for a deep understanding of the relationship between the formation of a national image and the practice of translating political discourse into the digital age, as well as to enhance the international image of the country.

Results and their discussion

In this study, the diplomatic communique is considered as an example. The introductory part of the communique mainly tells about the background of the event, the participants and other main elements. The main part of the communique describes the consensus reached at the meeting, consideration of issues, signing of agreements, and so on. The final part of the communique is recognition, agreement on the place and time of the next meeting, and so on. When translating diplomatic communiques, one should not only strive for a high degree of accuracy and conciseness of language expressions and the correct use of time forms, but also pay more attention to politics and the seriousness of the content, carefully monitor the content of the original subtext, especially the implied political meaning of the original text, carefully select synonyms and try to find a form of expression acceptable to both sides without losing their integrity and integrity.

(Ⅰ) The translation of the implied meaning of the vocabulary requires the correct position and cultural identity

The translation of diplomatic communiques affects national interests and requires a correct position and political sensitivity in the translation process. For this reason, we must attach great importance to the translation and transmission of the ideology embedded in the vocabulary, pay attention to the nuances when choosing synonyms and try to find forms of expression and language acceptable to both sides, without losing our principles and positions. National position, that is, political confidence, is awareness, critical awareness and innovative awareness of cultural differences; it is a subjective identity, such as cultural, ethnic and national identity, which must be constructed together with a worldview in order to form a quality of unity between perseverance and openness. For example:

（1）成员国领导人讨论了2018年青岛峰会成果落实情况和当前世界政治经济形势下上合组织发展的首要任务。各方的一致立场体现在《比什凯克宣言》中。

The heads of the member states reviewed the implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 Qingdao Summit and the priorities for the further development of the SCO in the context of current processes in world politics and economics. The agreed positions of the parties are reflected in the adopted Bishkek Declaration.

（2）成员国就国际和地区热点问题交换意见，强调应共同努力，维护上合组织地区安全稳定和可持续发展，基于《联合国宪章》等国际公认的国际法原则和准则，加强同各方互利合作。

During the exchange of views on topical international and regional issues, the need to step up joint efforts to ensure reliable security and sustainable development in the SCO space was emphasized. In this regard, the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested states on the basis of universally recognized principles and norms of international law, primarily the UN Charter, was emphasized.

Example (1) mentions "consistent position", and example (2) mentions "joint efforts", "security, stability and sustainable development" and "mutually beneficial cooperation". In this case, we are talking about the translation of Chinese foreign policy discourse. Based on the principle of "mutual exchange, peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and a win-win situation," China did not adopt Western discourse and did not transplant it into the Western system of political discourse, but boldly declared itself. On the contrary, he boldly speaks out, confidently and courageously expresses his opinion in order to create a Chinese system of external discourse with a "Chinese style". Similar expressions such as: Agreed positions of the parties, joint efforts, reliable security and sustainable development, mutually beneficial cooperation. Such expressions are not only Chinese, but also correspond to the usual expressions of native Russian speakers, conveying China's central role as one of the founders of the SCO and its role as a world power.

In translation, the title of a diplomatic communique usually contains three factors: "the organization that issued the communique, the reason for its release and the type of document", and in the Russian translation, the type of document should be put in the first place. Examples are given below (3)-(5):

（3）中华人民共和国、印度共和国和俄罗斯联邦外交部长会晤联合公报

Joint communique on the results of the trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of India and the Russian Federation

（4）中华人民共和国和哈萨克斯坦共和国联合公报

Joint communique of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan

（5）中华人民共和国政府和乌兹别克斯坦共和国政府联合公报

Joint communique between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan

In examples (3)-(5), "People's Republic of China" is translated in full, and if several countries appear at the same time, then "People's Republic of China" should be put in the first place. In diplomatic translation, a Chinese translator must take responsibility for the translation discourse and in his translation work be guided by the value of the Motherland as the highest value and value system. There are many other similar examples in diplomatic translation, and Chinese translators should adhere to the "I-centrism" approach, maintain the rhetorical style of foreign language discourse and consciously protect the interests of the Motherland. Chinese translators should follow the principle of "egocentrism", conform to the rhetorical style of foreign languages, consciously defend the interests of the motherland, tell a good Chinese story in the "translation of China" and fully exercise their subjective initiative.

(Ⅱ) Extracting Chinese keywords to understand China's diplomatic ways

Words are the concentration of social practice, the direction of historical struggle, the receptacle of political wisdom and management strategy^[9]. The core of culture and communication are national keywords. In order to tell a good Chinese story about the "keywords of China", it is necessary to build a discourse system that unites China and foreign countries, and carry out systematic interpretation, explanation and multilingual publication in order to create a multilingual window and platform for the international community to better understand the ideas and basic concepts of the development of modern China, and then form a national image and to raise the status of international discourse. To this end, the text analyzes the translation of the "hot" words appearing in diplomatic communiques, pays attention to the background of the translation of Chinese keywords and the Chinese road they reflect, explains the intellectual background, the effect of international dissemination, etc., and then tells about the cultural awareness of the country. Examples (6)-(7):

（6）成员国强调，上合组织作为高效和建设性多边合作机制，在维护地区和平稳定、促进成员国发展繁荣方面发挥着重要作用，……建设新型国际关系和确立构建人类命运共同体的共同理念。

The member States stressed that the SCO is an effective and constructive mechanism for multilateral cooperation, which plays an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability, as well as in promoting prosperity and development of its member States. ...in the interests of building a new type of international relations based on universally recognized principles and norms of international law, as well as in forming a common vision of the idea of creating a community of a common destiny of mankind.

The keyword “a new type of international relations” was first proposed by Secretary General Xi Jinping in his speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations (MIIT) in March 2013: the concept of "a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core." The concept of "a new type of international relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation" (President Xi Jinping first introduced the concept of "a new type of international relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation"). Secretary-General Xi Jinping explicitly presented this concept at the Central Working Conference on International Relations in November 2014, stating that “... ("to create a new model of international relations, which should be based on mutually beneficial cooperation"). In October, this concept was deepened in the report of the 19th Party Congress, which emphasized that victory-win cooperation is the most important concept of a new type of international relations, as well as the basis for mutual respect, honesty and justice. This keyword is an important concept of the Chinese way, which shows the national position of the Chinese government towards the SCO member states: mutual respect; win-win cooperation. It's also a strong commitment to “上海精神：互信、互利、平等、协商、尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展-the Shanghai spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity, the desire for joint development”, adhere to the open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win situation, to embody the concept of win-win cooperation in all aspects of external cooperation in the field of politics, economy, security and culture, to deepen We deepen all-round mutually beneficial cooperation with the observer States and dialogue partners of the SCO.

The keyword “creating a community of the common destiny of mankind” in example (6) was first put forward at the 18th National Congress of the CPC, and since then, Secretary General Xi Jinping has mentioned it more than 100 times at important events at home and abroad. The report of the 19th Party Congress notes that "at present, humanity lives in a world that has brought together different cultures, races, people of different skin colors, with different religions and countries with different social systems. The peoples of all countries have formed Communities of the common destiny of mankind, where "you have me, and I have you." The community of the common destiny of mankind is one whole interweaving of interests and development of all mankind. At the moment, the community is facing many serious challenges and threats, such as food security, lack of resources, climate change, environmental pollution, international crime, etc., which cannot be resolved by one or several countries, the resolution of these problems requires the cooperation of all countries of the world." On the afternoon of June 28, 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. During the meeting, Xi noted that the Treaty on Good-Neighborly Relations, Friendship and Cooperation between China and Russia meets the fundamental interests of the two countries, corresponds to the theme of the time of peace and development, is a vivid practice of building a new type of international relations and a community of human destiny. The Russian side spoke positively about the Chinese concept of building a community of human destiny, noting that it will help strengthen the unity of the international community and unite efforts to solve common tasks. China and the Russian Federation believe that, guided by the spirit of the Treaty, both sides will continue to make concerted efforts and move forward decisively.

（7）哈萨克斯坦共和国、吉尔吉斯共和国、巴基斯坦伊斯兰共和国、俄罗斯联邦、塔吉克斯坦共和国、乌兹别克斯坦共和国重申支持中华人民共和国提出的“一带一路”倡议，高度评价2019年4月25日至27日在北京举行的第二届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛成果，肯定各方为共同实施“一带一路”倡议，包括为促进“一带一路”倡议和欧亚经济联盟建设对接所做工作。

The Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, confirming their support for China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, highly appreciated the results of the Second International Cooperation Forum OPOP (Beijing, April 25-27, 2019). They noted the ongoing work on the joint implementation of this project, including Among them are efforts to combine the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and the OBOR.

Example (7) contains the Chinese keyword "One Belt, One Road", the concept of which originated in September-October 2013, when Secretary General Xi Jinping proposed the “Silk Road Economic Belt” (丝绸之路)) and the “Maritime Silk Road of the XXI Century"(21世纪海海上路). The translation of the term "China's One Belt, One Road Initiative", representing the strategy of the great Powers, seems simple, but in fact it contains cognitively grounded diplomatic thought, and the term "China's One Belt, One Road Initiative" is used to refer to the initiative of the great powers. "Initiative" is a neutral term expressing the idea of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, which distinguishes it from "strategy", which implies strength and power. In the process of fighting for the right to set international rules and the right to speak, the choice of words to translate can show combativeness, and the "fuzzy strategy" should be used wisely to eliminate the strategic doubts of the other side, effectively protecting the main interests of the country, so we choose a neutral "strategy". Therefore, we choose the neutral term "initiative". To date, the initiative has received a positive response in the countries along the route, as well as appreciation and support from the majority of the SCO member States. In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Putin jointly signed and published the Joint Declaration of China and Russia on the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Creation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which initiated the process of cooperation between the construction of the Belt and Road and the Eurasian Economic Union. Along with the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia, the Russian media are fully aware of the Belt and Road initiative, and the interest of the Russian public in the initiative is becoming stronger and receiving a positive assessment. Russian President Vladimir Putin once said: "The Belt and Road Initiative is relevant, interesting and promising, it is aimed at accelerating global economic growth and developing international economic cooperation."Putin: Russia and China need to remove barriers to work within the framework of the Silk Road, RIA Novosti, 06/23/2016.). Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that "pairing the Belt and Road initiative with the construction of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union can bring huge economic dividends to both sides and create additional opportunities for China's development, Russia and even the rest of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. Medvedev: The Silk Road project is a partner for Russia, RIA Novosti, 08/22/2015.

As can be seen from examples (6) and (7), translation is a kind of strategic communication, extracting Chinese keywords from diplomatic communiques, and this study provides in-depth explanations of these keywords, which is of great importance for a deep understanding by the public, tells the world about China's path and presents a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive image China.

In addition, the translation of vocabulary in the diplomatic communique includes the translation of "hot" words and proper nouns.

1. Translation of the "hot" words in diplomatic communiques. This type of translation should maintain a high degree of accuracy and find standard translations in the media, on websites, etc. If there are fixed translations, they should be accepted, rather than creating your own vocabulary or familiar phrases. The hot words used in the translation of diplomatic communiques mainly include political, economic and social hot words and the names of institutions and organizations, which are translated as follows:

① Political hot spots:

反腐败领域 Anti - corruption activities

International cooperation to counteract the pandemic

Terrorist, extremist and radical groups

② Economic and social hotspots:

数字鸿沟 The digital divide

Cross - border organized crime

Climate change, resource depletion, environmental degradation

2. Translation of proper nouns in diplomatic communiques. The names of some international organizations, the names and positions of their main members are often found in diplomatic communiques, these organizations and positions should be familiarized, especially with frequently used names, if possible without referring to information, by direct translation, less frequently used proper names should be viewed on the Internet for a fixed translation, do not translate yourself, during avoiding violations of the norms of the Russian language, leading to unnecessary misunderstandings in foreign policy activities. In addition, it is necessary to constantly pay attention to changes in the management of departments. The main proper names found in diplomatic communiques are: names of institutions and organizations, names of important documents and names of organizations.

① Names of institutions and organizations:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

欧亚经济联盟 Eurasian Economic Union (EEC)

World Health Organization

② Names of important documents:

《联合国气候变化框架公约》United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

《联合国全球反恐战略》Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the UN Charter

③ Job titles:

President of the Russian Federation

(acting) Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)

(Ⅲ) Translation of common offer forms, combining loyalty and conversion

The concept of translation fidelity has been discussed in China since the early translations of Buddhist scriptures, for example, "following the original goal without embellishment" in the Preface to Zhiqian's "Dharma Maxims", "Fa, yes, I" by Yan Fu, "fidelity, fluency, beauty" by Lin Yutang and "the way of translation" by Lin Yutang. In the West, the concept of translation fidelity has deep roots and far-reaching influence. In the West, the importance of correct translation is emphasized by Dorey's "principle of absence", Tetler's "three principles" and Balkhudarov's six levels of equivalence. We will look at the related problems in the diplomatic translation. Foreign diplomatic texts belong to the category of political discourse, and the translation of this type of discourse requires the "principle of loyalty" to an even greater extent. Fidelity is expressed in accordance between the original and translated text from form to content, as, for example, in example (8):

（8）成员国认为，未来应在整合地区国家、国际组织和多边机构发展潜力基础上，在上合组织地区构建广泛、开放、互利和平等的伙伴关系。

The formation of a broad, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership in the SCO space using the potentials of the countries of the region, international organizations and multilateral associations is recognized as a promising task.

In example (8) there are two groups of relations, the first of which is "regional countries, international organizations and multilateral institutions". The translation preserves the meaning of the original text, as well as its form and order, and reads as follows: countries of the region, international organizations and multilateral associations; the second group: "wide, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership", translations of which wide, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership equally accurately convey the meaning of the original text and preserve the lexical structure of the original prose. As can be seen, based on the real situation, from the habits and peculiarities of Chinese expression, a specific situation is analyzed and considered specifically. Where original sentences, structural expressions and figurative expressions correspond to the habits and peculiarities of Chinese expression, they are preserved and translated directly; where this is not the case, they are translated into Italian. This allows you to make the translation readable and consistent with the standards of readers of the translated language.

The opposite of fidelity is the requirement of conversion when translating diplomatic communiques. The concept of "conversion" has been mentioned in the history of Western translation for a long time. In the book Linguistic Theory of Translation, Catford systematically develops the phenomenon of conversion in translation using linguistic theory: "The conversion method is the most basic method of translation practice. There is no transfer without conversion." Catford divides conversion theory into two types: hierarchical conversion and categorical conversion. Under categorical conversion, it continues to be divided into four subcategories: structure conversion, category conversion, unit conversion, and internal structure conversion. Transformations in the translation of diplomatic communiques can mainly be divided into structural transformations and internal structural transformations, that is, the transformation of sentence patterns, the correction of word order, or the choice of the structure of the translated language other than the structure of the source language. See examples (9)-(11) transformations in diplomatic communiques:

（9）成员国领导人讨论了2018年青岛峰会成果落实情况和当前世界政治经济形势下上合组织发展的首要任务。各方的一致立场体现在《比什凯克宣言》中。

The heads of the member states reviewed the implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 Qingdao Summit and the priorities for the further development of the SCO in the context of current processes in world politics and the economy. The agreed positions of the parties are reflected in the adopted Bishkek Declaration.

（10）成员国就国际和地区热点问题交换意见，强调应共同努力，维护上合组织地区安全稳定和可持续发展，基于《联合国宪章》等国际公认的国际法原则和准则，加强同各方互利合作。

During the exchange of views on topical international and regional issues, the need to step up joint efforts to ensure reliable security and sustainable development in the SCO space was emphasized. In this regard, the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested states on the basis of universally recognized principles and norms of international law, primarily the UN Charter, was emphasized.

（11）成员国强调，不能以任何理由为任何恐怖主义和极端主义行径开脱，反恐应综合施策，加大力度打击恐怖主义及其思想，查明和消除恐怖主义和极端主义滋生因素。

The Member States, stressing that there can be no justification for any acts of terrorism and extremism, consider it important to implement comprehensive measures to strengthen the fight against terrorism and its ideology, identify and eliminate factors and conditions conducive to terrorism and extremism.

Examples (9)-(11) have the same structure in the original, both are subject-predicate structures and have the same subject, "member countries", and the predicate is the same in examples (10) and (11), that is, "underline", whereas in translations three different ones are used structures, and in example (9) is used In example (9) the personal form of the verb is used, the Heads of the Member States considered, and in example (10) the passive ending of the verb is used... the necessity is emphasized, ... the importance is emphasized, example (11) translates the original predicate "emphasize" into the subjunctive mood of the verb emphasizing and puts it in the gerund position, adding the verb to consider the predicate of the sentence. The translator constantly corrects the structure of the sentence and tries to avoid repetitions, as the translation is transformed in order to achieve dynamic equivalence between the translated and the original text, on the one hand, and on the other - to increase the readability of the translated text so that it meets the norms of the transliterated language as much as possible. The similar structure of the Chinese language creates a sense of neatness of sentences, while the Russian language, if it uses the same structure, causes the reader to feel poverty, monotony and lack of vitality. The translator needs to transform some of the information that, in the opinion of the translator, is not needed by the reader, in accordance with the needs of the reader, which not only reflects the translator's initiative, but also makes the translation more effective. To do this, the translator must fully understand the psychology of the reader and save the information that meets his needs, and other information can be transformed. Proper conversion will help to fully convey valuable information in the translated text, highlight key points and meet the needs of the reader as much as possible.

In example (9) is referred to "一致立场", as in example (10) - "应共同努力", "安全稳定和可持续发展" and "互利合作". "This is due to the problem of translating Chinese foreign policy discourse. We must not impose Western discourse and transplant it into the Western system of political discourse, otherwise we will fall into the trap of their discourse. Instead, we must speak out boldly, firmly and confidently, boldly express our thoughts and build a system of Chinese foreign discourse with a "Chinese style". Therefore, we use the following expressions for these expressions, which have Chinese thinking and correspond to the habits of Russian readers: Agreed positions of the parties, joint efforts, reliable security and sustainable development, mutually beneficial cooperation. All these expressions demonstrate China's role as a major world power, as well as China's central role as a sponsor of the SCO.

Translation is the creative activity of transferring the mental content and artistic style expressed in one language and text into another language and text accurately and correctly^[10]. Translators should delve into the original text when reading it and make sure that they understand it word for word, but they should jump out of it when expressing thoughts and should not translate it word for word^[11]. Only by "delving" can you deeply understand the meaning of the original, while "jumping out" you need to get rid of the original sentence structure and expression in order to translate well. Thus, the translation should follow the principle of equivalence, and the translation method is a combination of direct translation and retelling^[12]. Foreign and diplomatic texts belong to the category of political discourse, the translation of this type of language is similar to academic and scientific and technical texts, which requires a high degree of accuracy of linguistic expression and pays attention to the principles of "truthfulness" and "fidelity" in translation^[13]. Therefore, diplomatic translation should represent a unity of fidelity and flexibility, as well as the embodiment of a high level and comprehensive command of the language. See examples (12)-(17):

（12）元首们就当前国际和地区形势、重大国际和地区问题以及上合组织未来发展前景交换了意见。

The sides exchanged views on the current situation in the region and the world as a whole, on topical international and regional issues, as well as on the prospects for further development of the SCO.

（13）元首们指出，上合组织的成立与发展，有力地促进了区域合作，增强了睦邻友好与互信，开创了上合组织成员国和谐共存的局面。

It was noted that the creation and activity of the SCO significantly contributes to the deepening of regional cooperation, strengthens friendship, good-neighborliness and mutual trust, opens up a real prospect of harmonious coexistence of the SCO member states.

（14）元首们指出，恐怖主义、分裂主义、极端主义、非法贩运毒品、跨国有组织犯罪等威胁的尖锐性有增无减，世界不同地区局势持续动荡。

The Heads of State noted the tendency to aggravate threats such as terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking and cross-border organized crime, as well as problems related to the destabilization of the situation in various regions of the world.

（15）元首们强调成员国在维护国际信息安全领域开展合作的重要性，指出应防止利用信息通信技术破坏世界和平、稳定和安全，继续在联合国框架内推动制定“信息安全国际行为准则”。

The Heads of State stressed the importance of cooperation between the SCO member States in the field of international information security; noted the expediency of countering the use of information and communication technologies for purposes contrary to international peace, stability and security; agreed to promote the development of rules of conduct in the field of international information security under the auspices of the United Nations.

（16）元首们决定给予阿富汗伊斯兰共和国上合组织观察员地位，给予土耳其共和国上合组织对话伙伴地位。

The Heads of state decided to grant the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan observer status at the SCO and the Republic of Turkey, the SCO dialogue partner.

（17）元首们决定任命梅津采夫（俄罗斯联邦）为上合组织秘书长，任命张新枫（中华人民共和国）为上合组织地区反恐怖机构执行委员会主任，任期均为2013年1月1日至2015年12月31日。

The Heads of State decided to appoint D.F. Mezentsev (Russian Federation) as Secretary General of the SCO and Zhang Xinfeng (People's Republic of China) Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure for the period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015.

Examples (12)-(17) The original texts are similar in structure, both are subject-predicate structures consisting of “O首们" ” verb, while four different structures are used in translations: an object-predicate structure that preserves the content and form of the original text: The Heads of State stressed the importance, noted that (15), The Heads of State made decisions on what (16), (17); ②structure of discourse markers + descriptive clauses: It was noted that... (13); ③structure of gerunds in which the subject is omitted: An exchange of views took place on what (12); ④ transformation of the subject-predicate structure of the original predicate verb: Chapters States have stated a trend towards what (14).

Therefore, when translating diplomatic communiques, it is necessary to be faithful to the content of the original text in order to ensure the accuracy of the translation, and at the same time pay attention to the transformation of the language structure in the translation so that the translation is readable and meets the standards of readers of the translation into the language.

In the above examples, there are also many political positions, such as "building a broad, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership", "developing regional cooperation and strengthening good-neighborliness and mutual trust", "preventing the undermining of peace, stability and security throughout the world", "preventing the undermining of peace, stability and security throughout the world"and "preventing the undermining of peace, stability and security throughout the world", stability and security", "granting the status of a dialogue partner", etc. All these constructions emphasize the basic principles of Chinese diplomacy: maintaining peace, countering force; mutual respect, sovereign equality; independent choice, finding common ground while maintaining differences; mutually beneficial cooperation, common development, etc. An understanding of translation styles and translation perspectives in the practice of translating political texts, as well as an awareness of the transition from literal translation to understandable translation.

After analyzing the translation of individual texts of diplomatic communiques, this study allowed us to obtain the following main results and initiate appropriate discussions: The diversity of translation strategies. The study showed that there are various strategies for translating the texts of diplomatic communiques in the context of the digital age. These strategies include direct translation, retelling, faithful transformation, etc., which are flexibly applied by translators depending on the characteristics of the text and the needs of the target audience^[14]. For example, some political terms and country names may cause difficulties in cross-cultural translation, and the translator performs the appropriate conversion according to the context and cultural background of the destination country. Assessment of the effectiveness of the translation. This study evaluates the effect of various translation strategies^[15]. Comparing the original and translated text, we found that some translations can accurately convey the meaning of the original text while maintaining fluency and naturalness of the translation language, while other translations may suffer from loss of information or linguistic dissonance. This indicates that when translating the texts of diplomatic communiques, translators need to comprehensively take into account many factors in order to ensure the accuracy and readability of translations. The effectiveness of the formation of a national image. By analyzing the translation, we can also assess its impact on the formation of the country's image. Some translations can effectively convey a country's political position and foreign policy, thereby strengthening its international image and reputation; others can lead to inaccurate or ambiguous information, influencing the formation and dissemination of the country's image^[16]. Thus, the practice of translating political discourse is of great importance in the context of the digital age and plays a crucial role in shaping and spreading the national image.

Thanks to the above results and their discussion, we can deeply understand the relationship between the formation of a national image and the translation practice of political discourse in the context of the digital age, as well as give a new understanding of the theory and practice in the field of political translation.

Conclusion

After analyzing the translation of individual texts of diplomatic communiques, we came to the following conclusions:

(1) Flexibility of translation strategies. In the digital age, the translation of political discourse is no longer limited to traditional direct or Italian translation, but is characterized by great diversity and flexibility. Translators flexibly apply various translation strategies according to the cultural characteristics, political position and communicative purpose of the target audience in order to achieve the best communicative effect.

(2) The importance of translation quality. The quality of translation directly affects the image and influence of political discourse in the international arena. The accurate transmission of political messages and the preservation of the honesty and objectivity of translated texts are key issues in the practice of translating political discourse. Therefore, translators must have rich political, cultural and linguistic knowledge to ensure a high level of translation quality.

(3) Formation and dissemination of the national image. As an important tool for the country's external communication, diplomatic communiques play an important role in the international arena. By analyzing the translation of the texts of diplomatic communiques, we can better understand the communicative effect of political discourse and the process of forming a national image. When translating political discourse, translators should pay attention to the communicative effect and image formation in order to promote a positive manifestation of the national image in the international community.

This research provides a perspective for future research into the practice of translating political discourse and shaping national image. This research provides new ideas and insights for theory and practice in the field of political translation, and is also of important reference value for enhancing the international communication effect of Chinese political discourse and the formation of a national image.