The China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration says it has formed a committee of lusophone experts to set and grade tests for translators and interpreters of Chinese into Portuguese and vice-versa, which will be introduced in June.

The administration issued last week a written statement saying six of the 12 highly qualified translators and interpreters that sit on the China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters Project Management Center committee are Macao people.

The statement quotes Macao Polytechnic Institute Council President Lei Heong Iok, the director of the committee, as saying the members will try to improve the evaluation of translators and interpreters of Chinese into Portuguese and vice-versa.

The tests the committee will set will help increase exchanges between Chinese and the peoples of lusophone countries, the administration quotes Portuguese Ambassador to China José Augusto Duarte as saying.