Regulations of Beijing Municipality on the Administration of Foreign Language Signs in Public Places
The newspaper (Reporter Li Zewei) "Beijing Public Places Administration Regulations for Foreign Language Marks" was announced recently and will be implemented as of July 1, 2020. Public places must not use foreign languages alone. Airports, train stations, subway stations, and other places that provide information such as warnings, restrictions, instructions, etc., should also set up and use foreign languages. Foreign language signs in public places are not standardized and refuse to be corrected, and can be fined from 2,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan.
Article 5 of the "Provisions" proposes that standard Chinese characters should be used as basic service characters for public places to indicate names and provide information, and foreign languages should not be used alone; if a foreign language is required to use a Chinese character, the foreign language should have the same meaning as the standard Chinese character. In the following public places, where the standard Chinese characters are used to provide information such as warnings, restrictions, directives and other information, business managers should also set up and use foreign language signs at the same time: emergency shelters; civil airports, railway stations, urban rail transit stations; large international Places for event hosting and reception; venues for international sports events and international exhibitions; international talent communities; culture, tourism, sports and other important public culture and sports venues.
In violation of the provisions of Article 5, paragraph 1, using a foreign language to indicate names and provide information, the city's comprehensive law enforcement department will order corrections; if it fails to make corrections, give a warning and urge them to make corrections within a time limit. In violation of the provisions of Article 5, Paragraph 2, a foreign language mark should be set but not set, and the city administrative comprehensive law enforcement department shall order it to make corrections; if it refuses to make corrections, it shall be given a warning, urge it to make corrections within a time limit, and may be punished by 2,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan fine.
Article 6 of the "Provisions" proposes that the translation and writing of foreign language signs should be standardized and in accordance with the standards for foreign language translation and writing formulated and issued by the country and this city, as well as the common usage habits and international practices of foreign languages. If the foreign language mark is not standardized, the comprehensive law enforcement department of the city management shall order it to make corrections based on the opinions of the foreign affairs department of the municipal or district government.
Article 7 of the "Provisions" states that the content of foreign language marks must not violate the core values of socialism, and must not contain the following: those that endanger national security, dignity, honor, or interests; those that undermine national unity or violate national customs; disturb social order, Those that undermine social stability; those that promote obscene, gambling, violence, or other bad information; those that contain discriminatory content or insult or slander others and infringe others' legitimate rights and interests; other content that violates laws, regulations, or public order and good customs. In case of violation of this provision, the comprehensive law enforcement department of the city management shall order it to make corrections within a time limit and impose a fine of more than 5,000 yuan but less than 10,000 yuan; if the circumstances are serious and cause bad effects, it shall be punished by more than 10,000 yuan A fine of less than 30,000 yuan; if a violation of public security management is constituted, the public security organ shall impose a public security management punishment according to law; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be investigated in accordance with the law.
In addition, the Foreign Affairs Department of the Municipal Government has established a foreign language identification network information service platform in this Municipality, published foreign language translation specifications and common foreign language identification translation methods, and provided consulting and inquiry services for the installation and use of foreign language identifications. The public can complain to the foreign affairs department of the municipal government through the foreign language identification network information service platform, report illegal acts of foreign language identification, and provide work opinions and suggestions.