China has long treated English as one of its most important academic disciplines, placing it on equal footing with Chinese language and mathematics across its national examination system.
A mathematics professor named Tang Jiafeng has ignited a nationwide debate by arguing that English should be abolished as a core subject in elementary schools, secondary schools, and universities.
Tang, who specializes in vector algebra, contends that no other country in the world has placed as much importance on English as China has, calling the current approach excessive and culturally misaligned.
“Our children desperately begin learning English even before they have properly mastered their native language,” Tang said on social media, adding, “English is just a tool. It’s enough to be able to use it. The tradition of revering and emulating Western cultures must come to an end.”
Tang gained public prominence after six students from a single class in 2011 achieved full scores on state mathematics exams, lending him considerable credibility in educational debates.
English is currently a required subject beginning in third grade and carries a maximum of 150 points on China’s high school graduation exam, the same weight as Chinese language and mathematics.
Tang has raised pointed questions about the burden this places on students and families, asking how much time and resources are spent on a subject that remains irrelevant to the majority of working professionals.
The debate has taken on a technological dimension online, with one Beijing user commenting, “Why cram for English when artificial intelligence can translate everything in seconds,” reflecting a growing sentiment that AI renders deep language study unnecessary.
A user from the southern province of Guangdong offered a compromise, suggesting the subject’s exam weighting be reduced to 120 points rather than eliminated entirely.
Tang has also warned that mandatory English proficiency requirements for entry into master’s programs could cause talented young scientists to fail, even those with the potential to become top researchers.
Not everyone agrees with Tang’s position, and the debate has drawn in prominent voices who argue that English remains strategically vital for China’s global standing.
Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the state-run Global Times, argued that foreign language skills are essential for every global citizen, stating, “We live primarily in the present,” and emphasizing that this present is shaped by globalization.
Hu warned against framing the debate as a competition between foreign languages and traditional Chinese culture, saying that doing so “runs the risk of setting the wrong priorities and unnecessarily politicizing public discussions.”
He also highlighted the equity dimension of English education, arguing it gives children in rural areas access to an important foreign language and, by extension, to broader global opportunities.
The pressures reshaping English education are also being felt at the institutional level, with fewer high school graduates reportedly expressing interest in foreign language degree programs, including German studies, according to a Beijing university professor who spoke anonymously.
Beijing Foreign Studies University has responded by adopting a “foreign language plus major” model that pairs English with disciplines such as law, information technology, or economics.
This cultural tension over Western learning and national identity is not new to China, echoing debates from the Self-Strengthening Movement of the late 19th century, when scholar Wei Yuan declared, “Learn the superior skills from abroad so that you can later conquer the outside world.”
The irony is not lost on observers that as China deliberates pulling back from English, other nations are increasingly looking to China for expertise in areas such as battery technology and humanoid robotics.
