China Losing Her Charming?

American students are getting cold feet about studying Chinese in China, said Reuters (shanghai).

Numerous study chinese abroad programs seeing substantial drop over the last few years.

Student enrolment to China in Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) at the University of California is supposed to be less than half of four years ago. The Washington-based CET says interest in China has been falling since 2013.

Given the importance of the U.S.-China relationship, having a group of Americans across different industries who speak Chinese and understand the culture is “a matter of national interest”, says Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center in Washington Reuters reported.

“We can’t respond coherently, effectively and fully to China unless we understand China on its own terms,” he said.

However, depending on the Institute of International Education the number of U.S. students studying in China fell 3.2 percent in 2012-13 to 14,413.

On the other hand, number of Chinese studying in the United States jumped 16.5 percent in 2013-14 to more than 274,000.

“China’s notorious pollution is a concern. Job opportunities are another. ” said Reuters. Also a growing percentage of whom has studied abroad. China has less need for foreigners who speak Chinese working there.