1 Million Strong Initiative to Grow US Mandarin Study by Five Times in 2020

Washington, DC – September 25, 2015 – President Obama, during the first state visit to Washington by China’s President Xi Jinping, today announced a sweeping new nationwide initiative to see 1 million American students studying Mandarin by 2020.

The President called for a dramatic expansion of Mandarin language learning. Specifically, the 1 Million Strong initiative would in five years grow the number of K-12 students studying Mandarin in the US from approximately 200,000 to 1 million. The effort seeks to develop Mandarin language curriculum norms, double the number of Mandarin language teachers in the US and support the development of new technology platforms to enhance accessibility of language learning to remote and underserved communities.

“After all, if our countries are going to do more together around the world, then speaking each other’s language, truly understanding each other is a good place to start,” said President Obama at a joint press conference with President Xi.

“We welcome the US decision to extend the 100,000 Strong Initiative from universities to elementary schools. And by 2020, 1 million Americans students will learn Mandarin. The door of friendship with China will continue to be open to the American people,” said President Xi.

In 2009, President Obama announced the 100,000 Strong Initiative with a goal of encouraging 100,000 US students to study in China and learn Mandarin over a five year period. That goal was achieved in 2014. In 2013, then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton launched the 100,000 Strong Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, to further build upon the initiative and its goals. The Foundation will also lead the new 1 Million Strong endeavor.

“President Obama and President Xi Jinping share the goal of a stronger, more productive US-China relationship,” said Carola McGiffert, president of the 100,000 Strong Foundation. “That is precisely what the new 1 Million Strong Initiative is all about. By dramatically increasing the number of US students studying Mandarin over the next five years, we will ensure a greater understanding of China, create a pipeline of China-savvy employees and ensure that students from all walks of life have the skills and opportunities to compete in today’s workforce.”

To make 1 Million Strong a reality, McGiffert said the 100,000 Strong Foundation will work closely with governments and school districts across the country. The Foundation will also partner with technology and online-education leaders to ensure students, regardless of background or geography, have access to Mandarin language study.

中文消息来源：

美国《外交政策》双月刊网站9月25日报道称，100万美国学生将能够学中文。

当美国总统奥巴马2009年11月宣布“十万强”计划，提出到2014年派10万美国学生到中国学习时，这听起来像是一个遥不可及的目标。2008到2009学年，只有13674名美国学生到中国学习。但接下来的5年，在私人捐助和中国政府奖学金计划的帮助下，这个数字稳步攀升，2014年7月美国宣布这一目标已经实现。

现在，奥巴马又提出了一个更远大的目标，而且也更贴近国内。25日，在与即将结束对美国国事访问的中国国家主席习近平召开的联合记者会上，奥巴马宣布准备启动“百万强”计划，目的是争取到2020年实现100万名美国学生学习中文。奥巴马说：“如果我们两国准备在全球各地采取更多行动，那么一个最好的开端就是学对方的语言、真正了解对方。”

由负责2009年计划的非营利组织十万强基金会管理的这一新项目承认美中关系日益增强的重要性，希望培养能积极地和中国打交道的新一代美国领导人。

十万强基金会首席运营官特拉维斯·坦纳说，增加学习中文的美国学生的数量“将在各行各业培养一批中国通”，将“确保我们与中国的贸易关系继续惠及美国经济，而且美国未来一代的企业家、记者、工程师、科学家、医生以及政府官员了解中国”。

掌握中文的重要性和实用性变得越来越显而易见。当习近平在此次国事访问中会晤西雅图商界和技术界领袖时，脸书网站创始人马克·扎克伯格完全用汉语与习近平对话。

美国中文学习平台“疯狂新鲜汉语”的创始人杰茜卡·拜内克说：“这是一个鼓舞人心的例子，说明了语言和文化了解对于丰富美中在商业和其他领域的关系是多么重要。”她说：“扎克伯格是一个大忙人，如果他有时间学习中文，那么美国的学生也都有时间学习。”