On the evening of October 26, 2018, Mr. Cheng Mingming, former China’s Ambassador to New Zealand, Cook Islands, and Sweden, at the invitation of President Qin He, delivered a keynote speech-“How to Make a Speech in English like an Ambassador”- for all faculty members and students of Jilin Huaqiao University of Foreign Languages (HQUFL).

Chen Mingming, a foreign language expert of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Vice Chairman of Translators Association of China(TAC), worked for MFA as Vice Director of the Department of North America and Oceania, Director of the Department of Translation and Interpretation. He used to be an interpreter for Deng Xiaoping and other leaders back in the 1980s. He has been in charge of finalizing the English version of the work report for the 18th and 19th National People’s Congress, the government work report and XIJINPING THE GOVERNANCE OF CHINA I, as well as major foreign speeches delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping over the past 5 years, including the keynote speeches delivered at G20 Summit in Hangzhou and the 2018 China-Africa Summit in Beijing.

Mr. Chen Mingming shared his experiences of delivering speeches and tips of mastering English speeches through ten condensed witty sentences so as to produce a concise and powerful speech. He shared his address of the Sino-Karolinska Institute Medical Forum Opening and Chinese Tourism Introduction Conference in an attempt to further elaborate delivery techniques.

Mr. Chen Mingming shared his hands-on experiences with Huaqiao students and said, “It is very essential to read aloud in English learning because it uses the coordination of your eyes, mouth, and ears resulting in a sharper memory. Meanwhile, it is also advisable that you pay attention to any English-related object which would benefit you unintentionally. Opportunities will present themselves for those who are well-prepared and even more so for those who heed. ”

This lecture is quite unique so that students have a clearer picture of what diplomats do and how an effective speech is produced. Many students said that public speech in English seemedless intimidating following the lecture. They said that they are so motivated that they all want to further their study and lay a solid foundation to make the Chinese voice heard on an international stage one day.

Issued on November 13, 2018