The Number

30 percent

The ratio of the Chinese population who cannot speak Mandarin, or about 400 million people, according to the Ministry of Education on Thursday. The ministry said most of those who can't speak Putonghua, the Chinese term for Mandarin, live in the countryside, remote areas or regions populated by ethnic groups other than Han people. A series of activities will be held during the 16th "Mandarin Promotion Week", which falls on the third week of September, to help people learn the language.