Will Americans learn to speak Chinese?

 
From the The New York Times.

Imagine that your monthly mortgage bill arrives, unremarkable except that it’s suddenly written in Mandarin. Then, your bank sends over a Chinese translator to explain that you are falling deeper into debt. Mind-boggling? Well, this is America’s contemporary predicament as the Chinese finance a growing share of [its] national debt. Beijing holds $1.8 trillion in U.S. bonds and other instruments of borrowing. [The US] is fused at the hip with the Chinese, economically speaking.

So, we better get to know them. They certainly want to know us, sending over hundreds of teachers to spark our children’s interest in Mandarin and East Asian ways. 

We are pathetically slow in realizing that East Asia will soon dominate the global economy. We believe, as did the last living Romans, that the American empire will reign forever.

 
Well, on that note - Happy Chinese New Year! May the Year of the Tiger be a wonderful one for you!