China Daily: “Although English is largely considered the most practical language for business and commerce, Chinese remains the most widely used language in the world - spoken by one-fifth of the world’s population.”
I’ve been traveling to China for the last 20 years for business, but have only picked up a handful of words because I was always surrounded by English speaking interpreters. It’s a shame, because I would be much more effective if I could understand ALL of the negotiations. Not learning to speak Chinese will probably be one of my big regrets in life.
I’m recommending to my daughter that she take Chinese classes. I took the family to HK a couple years ago so they could understand the culture better. It was a great trip and a good learning experience.
PS: The Chinese government is pushing Mandarin for the future. Cantonese will probably die in the next few generations.