The Modernization of Chinese Language Society is a national first-level academic organization (legal entity) registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and affiliated with the Ministry of Education (National Language Commission). It was established in 1994. The founders of the society were esteemed predecessors in the field of linguistics, including Zhou Youguang, Wang Jun, Zhang Zhigong, and Yin Binyong. The first president was Zhang Zhigong, followed by Peking University professor Su Peicheng as the second and third president. Nankai University professor Ma Qingzhu served as the fourth and fifth president, while Jin Guangjin, former deputy director of the Language Application Research Institute of the Ministry of Education, held the position as the sixth and seventh president. The current president is Professor Yao Xishuang from the Communication University of China, who is also a consultant for the National Language Commission. The honorary presidents are Su Peicheng, Ma Qingzhu, and Jin Guangjin. The society currently has thousands of members from across the country, primarily consisting of professors and teachers specializing in Chinese, foreign languages, broadcasting, and hosting at universities, as well as some secondary and primary school Chinese language teachers, media language professionals, and Chinese information processing experts.
The meaning of Chinese language modernization is: universalization of language, colloquialization of writing style, simplification of characters, phonetic alphabetization, computerization of Chinese, and internationalization of terminology, so that the social application of language and writing meets the needs of socialist modernization. Chinese language modernization is the main content of national language planning and one of the fundamental projects for China's advancement towards industrialization and informatization.
The purpose of this society is to adhere to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the "Three Represents," the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We remain committed to the leadership of the Party and integrate Party work into every aspect of the society's operation and development. We comply with the Constitution, laws, regulations, and national policies of China, conscientiously implement the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, vigorously promote and popularize the national common language and script, practice the core socialist values, promote the spirit of patriotism, adhere to social ethics, uphold the public welfare purpose, actively fulfill social responsibilities, consciously strengthen integrity and self-discipline, act in good faith, develop in a standardized manner, and enhance social credibility.
We adhere to the principle of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend," uniting individuals from all sectors across the nation who are dedicated to the modernization of the Chinese language. On the new journey of Chinese-style modernization, we promote and implement national language policies, exchange work experiences and academic information, popularize linguistic science knowledge, provide language and script consulting services, and comprehensively advance the cause of language modernization. We strive to ensure that the modernization of the Chinese language better serves major national strategies and social development, contributing to China's political, economic, cultural, social, and ecological civilization construction.
The Secretariat of the Modernization of Chinese Language Society has been established at Beijing Language and Culture University since May 2023. The society has 27 branches (professional committees and sub-societies).
