Boris changes mind on China as he calls for Mandarin in schools

Children should be taught Mandarin as standard in schools if Britain is to fully exploit its relationship with global economic powerhouse China, Boris Johnson has said.

The mayor of London, who said he is studying Mandarin himself and delighted Chinese journalists when demonstrating his skills in the language, wants it offered as a mainstream language on the national curriculum.

Mr Johnson’s remarks mark a shift in thinking from a 2005 article in which he said teaching Mandarin was not a priority.

In the Daily Telegraph article he wrote “We do not need to teach our babies Mandarin” and “China will not dominate the globe”.

Mr Johnson admitted he got it wrong, telling a radio reporter: “On Mandarin, yeah, that was certainly wrong, my kids are learning Mandarin. He said children would grow up naturally knowing about China’s importance and when questioned on whether they should learn Mandarin as standard in schools, he said: “Why not? Absolutely. My kids are learning it, so why not? Definitely, definitely.”

The mayor, speaking from the “sightseeing area” at the back of a 190mph train from Beijing to Shanghai, said he was leaning Mandarin “from the beginning” as he brandished a folder on which he had written “central kingdom”, or “China”, in the language.

On day four of his six-day trade mission to China, Mr Johnson delighted TV reporters by writing the same Chinese characters on a piece of paper.

The positive effect of the mayor’s basics of Mandarin was clear as once again the smartphones came out to snap photos of Mr Johnson’s handiwork.

Mr Johnson described the language as a classic example of one that needs to be offered much more widely in schools.

He said: “I certainly think that it would be a good thing if it was more widely available. I think I said we wouldn’t really be exploiting our relationship with China to the full until kids were taking it up in a much bigger way.

“I think it should certainly be on offer. Whether it should be compulsory or not, it’s probably a little bit early for that, but it should be much more widely available.”

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