As Mandarin becomes increasingly favored both in China and the Bay Area, Cantonese defenders are grappling with threats to the language.

The initiative comes at a time when the traditional landscape of Chinese language education is undergoing a transformation as digital technology reshapes teaching methods and creates new opportunities for international engagement.

Dean of Huaqiao University, Professor Hu Juanggan, has emphasised the importance of learning the Chinese language as a bridge to a deeper understanding between China and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

FREETOWN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sierra Leone's Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey on Tuesday announced plans to integrate Chinese language learning into the public school curriculum.

No one will specify what building the school would move into, should it accept Beaverton's offer, but one potential location stands out.

For more than 70 years, the Shoong Family Chinese Cultural Center (SFCCC) in Oakland has been teaching Cantonese and Mandarin to Bay Area school kids. When the school first opened its doors, the students were mostly the children of Chinese immigrants in the Bay Area.

THE Education Ministry has reaffirmed that Chinese language classes can be held in national secondary schools (SMK) if there is demand from at least 15 parents, in line with the Education Act.

A multi-year decline in uptake of Chinese studies is raising fears the nation is losing much-needed China expertise, prompting a government review.

The exchange flows both ways. Even living in Xi'an, Hwangbo still comes across a touch of home. "Now and then, I hear K-pop songs out on the street, which is always a nice surprise," she said. "They're just little moments, but they make me feel like South Korean culture is appreciated here, too."

After South Korea granted visa-free entry to Chinese tour groups in late September 2025, Korean-language social media posts falsely claimed all Chinese nationals were no longer subject to any immigration requirements,

Edited by Yvette Tan in Singapore, with reporting from Laura Bicker in Busan, Jake Kwon and Suranjana Tewari in Gyeongju and Anthony Zurcher travelling with the US president Analysts expect a final deal on the sale of Chinese-owned TikTok's US operations - and some stability in the volatile relationship Outside the summit venue,