CCTV News:
According to the official website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Civil Affairs recently announced the "Implementation Measures for the Regulations on the Management of Place Names" (Ministry of Civil Affairs Order No. 71, hereinafter referred to as the "Measures"), which will be effective from May 1, 2024.
Place names are basic public information in society, an important carrier of history and culture, and play an important and fundamental role in economic and social development.
The revised "Regulations on the Management of Place Names" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") that came into effect on May 1, 2022 has made comprehensive and systematic provisions on the management of place names.
In order to implement the "Regulations" and improve the geographical name management system, the Ministry of Civil Affairs formulated and promulgated the "Measures" on the basis of summarizing practical experience, fully researching and demonstrating, and extensively soliciting opinions.
The "Measures" have a total of 26 articles, which refine and supplement the "Regulations", highlight the pertinence, applicability, and operability, and provide institutional guarantees for further improving the level of geographical name management services.
The main contents include:
The first is the renaming of place names.
The "Measures" stipulates the preparation content, organization, implementation and change procedures of place name plans, clarifies special regulations that do not use personal names, business names, and trademark names as place names, and details the contents of comprehensive assessment, expert argumentation, opinion solicitation reports and place names. The relevant requirements for filing and announcement stipulate that the scope of relevant names with important geographical location significance shall be determined by the relevant competent authorities based on their actual responsibilities and authority.
The second is the use of place names.
The "Measures" refine the requirements for the Roman alphabet spelling of place names, the review of the pronunciation of place names, the translation and writing of ethnic minority language place names and foreign language place names into Chinese characters, and the use of standard Chinese character translations, etc., and stipulates the management of the national place name information database, the sharing of place name information resources, and data management. and other requirements, clarifying the specific content of the installation and maintenance of place name signs.
The third is the cultural protection of place names.
The "Measures" improve the system for the protection of geographical names, refine the categories, contents, publication and other requirements for the protection of geographical names, and stipulate that the geographical names included in the protection list can establish signs, derive names, activate and use, produce cultural products, and carry out publicity activities and other methods for protection and utilization.
The fourth is supervision and management.
The "Measures" stipulate the specific content of geographical name management capabilities; it further clarifies the handling procedures for violations of non-submission for filing or failure to submit for filing on time.
In addition, the "Measures" explain concepts such as proper names and general names of place names with important geographical location significance, place names cultural heritage, and historical place names.