HAIKOU, June 25. /TASS/. Hainan plans to launch a mobile application to increase the foreign language skills of the island's population, reported the Hainan Daily.
According to the publication, these measures are part of a plan to promote the construction of a free trade port on the island. The need to increase the level of knowledge of foreign languages among ordinary residents is related to h the expansion of the province's trade, cultural and public relations with foreign countries.
The government of China's Hainan province in May adopted a plan for 2020-2025, which states that the officials should better their foreign languages skills.
The implementation of this program is directly related to the creation of a pilot free trade zone on the island and the expansion of the province's trade, cultural and public relations with foreign countries, which increases the importance of public servants' knowledge of foreign languages.
According to the approved plan, by 2025, all public servants in the province under the age of 40 will be required to master the basic vocabulary and acquire the ability to communicate in a foreign language. For officials over 40, it will be enough to learn the simple phrases necessary for a beginner.
The authorities plan to compile and publish language training materials for officials, including, in particular, manuals such as “300 words in English” and “300 words in Russian”. For those working in services and for social workers the government launched a manual dubbed "900 key phrases in English".
As part of the Chinese government's program to create a free trade zone and port on Hainan, China intends to establish an integrated and modern production system based on the advantages and characteristics of this tropical island. In particular, the Chinese authorities plan to focus on the active development of tourism sector, modern service industry and high-tech.
Earlier, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Сhinese State Council published the “General Program for the Establishment of a Free Port on Hainan,” according to which the island’s administration intends to create an effective system to fulfill a number of important social and economic goals by 2025, and within 10 years to decisively enhance the innovative mechanisms for the region's development.