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Kunming civil servants asked to learn 5 foreign languages

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-04 15:04

Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province, has recently issued a policy requiring all city civil servants under 50 years old to learn five foreign languages, the Guangzhou Daily reported today.

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The policy also demands civil servants under the age of 50 to master computer skills and speak Putonghua (standard Mandarin Chinese).

The new requirements mean government workers will need to spend a few nights after work in class in order to meet the new challenge. They will attend exams organized by the city government and high marks will pave the way for promotions, the newspaper reported.