Over 100 candidates sat the first national vocational tests held in Macao for translators or interpreters between Chinese and Portuguese, or between Chinese and English, the Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) says.

The institute was the venue for the administration last week of the China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI) at all three levels, according to a written statement issued by the MPI on Wednesday.

The statement quotes CATTI Program Project Management Center General Manager Jiang Ping as saying the tests laid a foundation for cooperation in training qualified translators between Chinese and Portuguese.

Mr Jiang said the tests were meant to qualify Macao translators to play their part in engagement between China and the Portuguese-speaking world.

Administering the tests in Macao greatly helps the city to contribute to the development of China, and to serve as a place where China and lusophone countries come together.