A forum based on the theme of "machine translation, artificial intelligence and smart cities in the era of big data" was held online by the Macao Polytechnic Institute on the morning of July 16, 2020, with the Language Big Data Alliance (LBDA), Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education as participants. The purpose was to have in-depth discussion concerning the results of cutting-edge research and to ensure the use of technology to assist in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as the Belt and Road. Keynote speakers from government, academia and business participated the online forum from Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, sharing their views on innovative technology as the means to drive the construction of a "China-Portugal Platform" and the creation of a "Smart Bay Area." Hundreds of people from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, South Korea, and China's mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao had registered for the gathering, and translators from government agencies and departments participated along with scholars, researchers and practitioners from universities, banks and enterprises.

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

Experts from Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Discusses on the Cloud

Keynote speakers were Ding Tian, deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation Between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macao); Elena Zhang, vice president of Global Tone Communication Technology Co., Ltd.; Lu Zhaoxing, executive associate dean (Arts and Sciences), HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education; Ke Xiaohua, director of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Office, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; Xiong Zhang, director of Engineering Center of Ministry of Education for Advanced Computer Application Technology, Beihang University; CheungSiuNang, head of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education; and Associate Professor Luo Wuman, from School of Applied Sciences at Macao Polytechnic Institute.

Machine Translation: Forging a New Way for "China-Portugal Platform"

Ding Tian

Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation Between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macao)

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

Building "China-Portugal Platform" is the mission of Macao. Through providing comprehensive services such as language, finance and law, Macao builds a bridge of communication and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The application of machine translation technology, such as the Chinese-Portuguese Machine Translation System of MPI, maximizes Macao's language advantage and linking role in contacting China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Cooperation agreement was signed by Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macao) and Macao Polytechnic Institute in March, 2019, including using machine translation system to promote the construction of Macao "China-Portugal Platform." The system facilitates communication between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Elena Zhang

Vice President of Global Tone Communication Technology Co., Ltd.

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

The Belt and Road involves dozens of countries and billions of people. Therefore, language technology is essential in the process of promoting the Belt and Road construction. Construction of international smart cities has become the common choice of countries and regions along the Belt and Road while next-generation information technology, particularly language technology represented by machine translation, is closely linked to a city's planning, construction, management and service. Combining artificial intelligence with urban planning and construction is helpful to realize the internationalization and intelligence of a city, with the help of scientific and technological means from four aspects: blueprint planning, infrastructure, industrial structure and application promotion.

Ke Xiaohua

Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Office of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

AI machine translation is based on core technologies such as natural language processing, voiceprint recognition and speech recognition. Besides the improvement of translation efficiency and accuracy, AI machine translation also improves efficiency of knowledge management by means of adopting (interview transcribing), editing (subtitles), translating (AI auxiliary machine translation), reviewing (security review), storage (knowledge management), etc. AI machine translation has interdisciplinary, cross-professional, multi-level and multi-object characteristics, which can prompt communication and cooperation of universities in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Based on bay area campuses, AI machine translation connects the Bay Area and the world through students' communication, professional alliance, and scientific research cooperation.

Artificial Intelligence: Build a New Pivot for "Smart Bay Area"

Lu Zhaoxing

Executive Associate Dean (Arts and Sciences), HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

The development of Greater Bay Area is closely linked to big data. The development of big data is conducive to the economic integration of the Greater Bay Area, modernization and technologization of government departments, and cooperation and communication of education. It can also consolidate development and help to fight against COVID-19 to build healthy cities, promoting harmony in Greater Bay Area for Taiwanese and strengthening infrastructure management and creative culture, accelerating the supply of public housing and other types of housing to Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, thus boosting regional historic cultural tourism in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Big data can facilitate social and economic integration of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and make a great contribution to their development.

Xiong Zhang

Director of Engineering Center of Ministry of Education for Advanced Computer Application Technology, Beihang University

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

Vigorously developing the Internet of Things and smart cities is important as the means to change mode, adjust structure, promote reform and benefit people's livelihood in face of the new normal of national socio-economic development. It can improve a nation's competitiveness and seize the commanding heights of strategic choice in a new round of competition. It is important as the means to enhance the capacity for urban governance. It could also push promote industrial transformation, upgrading and structural adjustment, and thus is an important arena for the new generation of independent innovation in information technology.

Based on the innovation of information technology, integrated applications and smart city integrated system, we should establish a sound Internet of Things and smart city integration technology innovation service system to improve social governance and public service capabilities. We should focus on the goals and challenges of China's smart cities, summarize China's smart city development experience and look forward to the future development direction of smart cities.

CheungSiuNang

Head of College of Life Sciences and Technology at the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

Developing Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is an important strategy of nation's economic development, while information technology is an essential tool. Hong Kong boosts its development through smart travel, smart life, smart environment, smart citizens, smart government and smart economy; Macao takes measures to develop smart government, smart tourism and smart transportation based on Alibaba Group's cloud computing technologies; while Guangdong Province is devoted to building a smart city and to create a world-class smart city cluster in the Pearl River Delta. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have gradually entered the new era of 5G. They continuously develop information and electronic technology, and construct a more efficient and convenient smart city to integrate into Smart Bay Area.

Luo Wuman

Associate Professor, School of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic Institute

(Image source: Macao MPI WeChat Official Account)

The application of artificial intelligence technology makes our city smarter. Urban computing and machine translation are two symbols of smart city construction under the background of artificial intelligence. Using technology such as data perception, management, mining and visualization, urban computing aims to deal with many problems faced by modern cities, such as data management, time-consuming travel and city safety and so on. Besides, machine translation can be used widely in smart city construction domain, such as government service, education and economic industry. Macao Polytechnic Institute has developed a series of widely used machine translation and related derivative application products based on big data and artificial intelligence, which turn out to be a success.

Language+ Technology

Drawing up a New Blueprint for the Belt and Road

Held by the Engineering Research Centre of Applied Technology on Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Education based in Macao Polytechnic Institute, the thematic forum of "machine translation, artificial intelligence and smart cities in the era of big data" focuses on exploring how to lead regional technological innovation and development driven by technological innovation and to accelerate the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Technology Innovation Center. As the first engineering research center of the Ministry of Education in Hong Kong and Macao, it should make full use of Macao's advantages of central cities in the Bay Area and positively participate in the construction of "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao" innovation and technology corridor by its cutting-edge innovation and technological achievements. Cooperation between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong should be strengthened, particularly science and technology talent exchange and scientific research coordination. The construction of "China-Portugal Platform" and "Smart Bay Area" should be deepened so as to integrate with national development planning and, more specifically, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Thus, the program of technological innovation and cooperation development between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and the Belt and Road countries should be continuously promoted.