How Mandarin studies expand professional, social horizons for Mexicans

MERIDA, Mexico - Since he learned Mandarin, Alejandro Gonzalez has become a key liaison between the company where he works and its Chinese suppliers.

Learning the language also earned him a scholarship to study in China, where he gained firsthand knowledge of the culture and customs of the Asian country.

"It's the best thing that has happened in my life, being able to cross these borders and enter a world that was truly foreign to me," said the 23-year-old native of Merida, capital of Mexico's southeast Yucatan state.