Taipei City Office of Commerce

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Taiwan, and English is the island's first foreign language. Taipei is an excellent destination for traditional Chinese language study, with numerous resources for language teaching and learning. Both credit and non-credit courses are

available at universities, and many Europeans and Americans choose to devote their vacations or even spend a year or two studying the Chinese language in Taipei. In terms of English language, starting in January, 2001, Taipei has promoted its "Plan for a Bilingual Chinese-English Environment". The initiative focuses on improving bilingual education, and furthering international exchanges. The city of Taipei has likewise adopted the international standard Hanyu Pinyin system of Romanization, and has spared no effort

in creating an environment where both English and Chinese can thrive. These achievements amply demonstrate Taipei's determination and success in proactively meeting with international standards.