Time to fully embrace English to bolster China's global clout

Last week in London, Wang Jianlin, billionaire chairman of Dalian Wanda Group Co, launched The Wanda Way, the English version of his book in Mandarin that has been already reprinted 15 times and sold 1 million copies.

What gives? Wang wants the world to read his book and understand Chinese business philosophy. Like Wang, it is crucial for China, including corporate China, to embrace English fully - and stop using it incorrectly. Value-added Chinese human resources are going to be as important as the upgrading of the manufacturing sector.

Why English? Well, no other language matches its global reach. Reliance on translation apps can take you only so far. According to a reviewer of a new English-language autobiography of an Indian "nationalist" media tycoon, "English gives... respect...clout, a visiting card in the corridors of power..."