The Lithuanian cultural delegation included not just the Minister of Culture, but also the heads of Lithuanian national ballet, opera, theater, and art galleries. Shanghai as a major metropolis has its choice of international arts productions, so any potential collaborations would be based on a sense of rapport and camaraderie. In fact, this was why Lina was there: to show that a native Lithuanian could speak high-level Chinese as a nod of cultural respect. Since direct Lithuanian-Chinese professional interpreters are rare, most delegations communicate through the common medium of English. The Chinese side had English translators in place, but as this was a meeting of cultural stakeholders, it seemed essential to allow the Lithuanians as well, especially the cultural minister, to speak directly from their culture: their language. Prior to the meetings, we had already researched the delegation’s communication points along with the latest cultural trends in Shanghai and Lithuania, learned the finer points of diplomatic versus informal language, and dove into the details of each meeting participant’s background to be ready to address each one with the proper respect and title.

Key Takeaways:

By allowing the Lithuanian minister and Chinese vice-mayor to both speak their native tongues, by having a Lithuanian to translate into fluent high-level Chinese and vice versa—LITAO enabled both sides to pay the ultimate cultural respect. In 2016, China has become the largest market of Lithuanian cultural products, especially theater. Cultural collaborations between countries take years in the making, but they all start with the mutual respect and friendship laid in place here. Even the formal meetings had a friendly tone, as Lina explained beyond the meanings of official statements to relate to each country’s culture. The Lithuanian Minister of Culture himself commented about her work, “It is a luxury to have an interpreter who understands context.”