巴基斯坦信德省的教育部门近日表示，将在该地区学校试点开设中文普通话必修课，计划从6年级开始实行。该省教育厅长表示：“我们与中国的贸易、教育以及其他方面的关系在不断发展，所以让下一代掌握中国的语言是很必要的。”

Lessons in Mandarin¹ could become compulsory² for schoolchildren in parts of Pakistan under ambitious plans to capitalise on the growing influence of Chinese companies.

A pilot project（试点项目） will be launched later this year in the southern province of Sindh as Pakistan looks to further strengthen ties with its giant neighbour.

The country's cricketing authorities have even considered playing Test matches in China while touring sides avoid Pakistan for fear of terrorist attack.

Now, education authorities in Sindh say they plan to make Mandarin compulsory in schools from Class 6 (10- and 11-year-olds).

"Our trade, educational and other relations are growing with China everyday and now it is necessary for our younger generation to have command over their language," said Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq¸ senior provincial³ education minister, as he unveiled the policy.

The plan has many critics, however, who say the policy is driven by political considerations. They point out that Pakistan has few Chinese language teachers and an already overstretched（要求过高） education system.

Zubeida Mustafa, columnist⁴ and author of Tyranny of Language in Education, accused the Sindh government as moving further into "mass confusion".

"As is our wont⁵（习惯） , a handful of unqualified policymakers have taken the hasty decision with no planning having gone into it," she wrote.

Pakistan is not the only country to take up Mandarin or Cantonese as China's economic growth transforms world trade.

In July, Swedish officials announced that all primary schools would offer classes in Chinese within 10 years.