IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Beijing

Mandarin-speaking rate to get boost

China plans to increase the rate of nationals speaking standard Mandarin Chinese to 80 percent by 2020, according to a plan issued by the Ministry of Education and State Language Commission. The plan calls for improved Mandarin-speaking abilities among teachers, especially new teachers, who must meet national Mandarin-speaking standards before joining schools. The plan also highlights training of teachers from ethnic minority regions. Methods including online remote teaching will be used to ensure that all ethnic teachers speak standard Mandarin.