At this important moment of transition, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Professor Lawrence Wang-chi Wong, whose vision, dedication, and long-standing leadership have been central to RCT’s development. Through his efforts in building scholarly networks, promoting Chinese translation history, supporting major publication projects, and nurturing younger researchers, Professor Wong has laid a strong foundation for the Centre’s continued growth.

Since 1973, RCT’s flagship journal, Renditions, has brought Chinese literature to English-language readers and has become one of the Centre’s most enduring contributions. The Centre has also supported the field through the Renditions Paperbacks and Renditions Books series, the Stephen C. Soong Translation Studies Memorial Awards, and major publication projects, including Towards a History of Translating, Studies in Translation History (Fanyishi yanjiu), the “Studies in Translation History” book series, the “Asian Translation Traditions Series,” and the “Young Researchers’ Studies in Translation History” series.

RCT has also served as an important platform for scholarly exchange. Its Young Researchers’ Conferences, summer schools, biennial international conferences, lectures, symposiums, workshops, honorary fellowships, research fellowships, research associateships, and visiting fellowship scheme have brought together scholars from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Asia, Europe, North America, and beyond.

As RCT moves into its next chapter, we will continue this momentum while sharpening our future direction. We will build on the Centre’s distinguished legacy and continue to serve as a driving force in the study of translation history. Our aim is to make RCT an even more active intellectual hub, where translation is studied not only as a literary or linguistic practice, but also as a historical, cultural, diplomatic, religious, and epistemic force.

In the coming years, RCT will focus on three closely related research streams.

First, Sinology in Translation will explore how Chinese texts, ideas, religions, sciences, and forms of knowledge have travelled across languages and cultures. This stream will examine the translation of Chinese classics, religious and philosophical texts, natural knowledge, plants and animals, global Yijing studies, and the circulation of Sinological knowledge between China and the world.

Second, Hong Kong Translation History will examine Hong Kong as a vital site of multilingual exchange, cultural mediation, publishing, education, and historical transformation. By studying Hong Kong’s translators, institutions, archives, print culture, literary networks, and cross-border connections, this stream will situate Hong Kong translation history within broader regional, transnational, and global frameworks.

Third, Diplomacy and Translation will investigate the role of translation in diplomatic, political, and intercultural encounters. This stream will explore how translators, interpreters, envoys, missionaries, officials, and cultural intermediaries shaped communication, negotiation, treaty-making, and knowledge exchange across different historical contexts.

Together, these three streams will allow RCT to widen its channels while remaining grounded in its core mission. Like the moon reflected in many rivers, translation history appears in many forms: in literature and archives, in religious and philosophical texts, in diplomacy and institutions, in Hong Kong’s multilingual history, and in the global circulation of Chinese knowledge. RCT’s task is to bring these reflections into dialogue and to show how translation has shaped the movement of cultures, texts, and ideas across time.

Looking ahead, RCT will continue to nurture younger scholars, support innovative research, develop new international partnerships, and explore new forms of publication and digital scholarship. We will strengthen our role as a cross-institutional and international platform while remaining committed to rigorous scholarship, open dialogue, and intellectual community.

I warmly invite colleagues, students, translators, scholars, alumni, and friends of RCT to join us in this next stage. With your support and participation, RCT will continue to illuminate the many rivers of translation history and carry forward the study of translation as one of the most vital forces in cross-cultural understanding.