Baldwin and Gallagher Push to Create Program to Boost Research into China, Russia, and Other Adversaries and Competitors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) introduced the Open Translation Center Authorization Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a research center translating information from China, Russia, and other countries critical to U.S. security. Under the bill, the new Open Translation Center would be tasked with creating publicly-accessible translations of open-source materials – including speeches from government officials, official proclamations, and other documents – from nations of strategic interest to the United States.

“To better understand threats from countries like China and Russia, compete on the world stage, and keep our families safe, we need accurate, up-to-date information about our competitors and adversaries. And that starts with reading, translating, and understanding exactly what they are writing and saying,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to join with my Republican and Democratic colleagues on this effort to increase transparency, strengthen our national security, and keep families and our economy safe.”

“Our adversaries, namely the Chinese Communist Party, continue to grow increasingly aggressive across the world-stage. This poses a serious threat to American national security and in order to understand and combat these threats, it is imperative to be able to read and understand our adversaries’ primary sources,” said Congressman Gallagher. “Establishing an Open Translation Center is an important, bipartisan step we can take in Congress to better understand and better defend the free world.”

Open source materials – like speeches, news articles, publications, and social media posts by government officials – provide valuable windows into perceptions, ideology, and intentions of other countries and is critical to support the work of U.S. policymakers, journalists, and academics. Despite the importance of readily available translations, the availability of skilled translators and analysts in the public space is limited. Currently, the only organizations with significant funding that perform translation of open source materials are housed within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – whose products are not widely accessible to the public and policymakers.

The Open Translation Center Authorization Act would authorize and fund an open source translation and analysis center focused on Chinese, Russian, and other languages deemed as “critical need” by the U.S. government. This public resource would be a common-sense foreign policy tool that focuses on broadening the understanding of the intent of adversaries like Russia and China.

The Open Translation Center would be tasked with translating documents and information from designated countries into English and providing – on a publicly accessible website – to the greatest extent possible, analyses, summaries, and important context for material translated and other untranslated material, including:

• Biographical sketches and information on important leaders
• Descriptions and background on political processes, important bodies, companies, economic systems, and military weapons systems and doctrines
• Definitions and analysis of important concepts and phrases
• Information regarding changes over time in the policies and intentions of governments, militaries, and governing organizations
• Other issues that are of significance for understanding designated countries

The legislation is also sponsored by Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20).

Full text of this legislation is available here.