SAC/TC4 SC2
Sub-committee for Conversion of Written Language is the second sub-committee of
National Technical Committee 4 on Information and Documentation of Standardization
Administration of China.
Participating Organization & Achievement
The main duties of Department of Language Information Administration(Ministry of
Education) are as followings:
-- research and assessment of the norms and standards for language and characters;
-- research and assessment of standards for language information processing;
-- guiding the activities of local characters standardization;
-- responsible for language and characters works of minority nationalities;
-- guiding the research and application of language information processing of minority
nationalities.
Main achievement & current priority
-- The transcription and transliteration norms for the personal names of minority
nationalities: this sub-committee published the transcription and transliteration norms for
the personal names of Mongol language, Tibet language, Uygur language, Kazakh
language, Kirgiz language, and Yi language. The concerned provinces and regions of
China gradually standardize their transcription and transliteration norms for the personal
names of minority nationalities.
-- Update ISO 7098 “Information and Documentation: Romanization of Chinese”:
“The Scheme for the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet”(Pinyin, PY) provides rules for
alphabetic spelling of syllables in Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese), the official language of
the People’s Republic of China as defined in the Directives for the Promotion of
Putonghua, promulgated on 06-02-1956 by the State Council of China. This scheme was
approved by 5th meeting of the First National People’s Congress in 1958-02-11.
The International Standard ISO 7098 “ Information and Documentation:
Romanization of Chinese” explains the principles of the Romanization of Modern
Chinese Putonghua. This International Standard can be applied in documentation of
bibliographies, catalogues, indices, toponymic lists, and teaching Chinese as a foreign
language, etc.
In 1979, Chinese delegate proposed to accept the scheme of Chinese phonetic
alphabet as the international standard in ISO TC46 meeting (Paris & Warsaw).
In 1982, ISO 7098 was approved at ISO TC46 meeting (Nanjing) as the first edition.
In 1991, ISO 7098 was technically revised. It became the second edition (ISO
7098:1991).
In order to meet new demands of application, there is a need to update the second
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edition (ISO 7098:1991).
At the 38th plenary meeting of ISO/TC 46 (Sydney, 6 May 2011), the Chinese
delegate proposed to further update ISO 7098:1991 to reflect the current Chinese
Romanization practice and new development not only in China, but also in the world.
At the 39th plenary meeting of ISO/TC 46 (Berlin, 11 May 2012), ISO TC 46 resolved
to accept China’s proposal at WD (Working Draft) stage and a ISO 7098 up-dating group
was set up.This up-dating group consisted of five experts from China, United States,
Canada, Germany and Russia and a Chinese expert was appointed as the leading expert of
this group.
On 5 November 2013, the ballot of CD (Committee Draft) of the up-dated ISO 7098
was approved.
On March 2015, the ballot of DIS (Draft of International Standard) of the up-dated
ISO 7098 was approved.
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