Spanish is gaining ground as a second language in countries such as China. As a result, among other factors, of the growing trade between the Asian giant and the countries of Latin America. There is a strong China and Latin America relationship which has led to China becoming the most important trading partner for some of the key Spanish countries in Latin America such as Chile and Peru.

Importance in the Commerce Sector

There are more than 30 free trade agreements between Latin America and the Asia Pacific region. Asia is now the second-largest customer of Latin American exports; China alone is the second-largest trading partner for Latin American countries with a movement that almost exceeded 160 million dollars in 2017 (a volume that has multiplied by 22 in the last 15 years). Some relevant facts of this relationship are as follows:

- During the last 5 years, China (through financing and direct investment) has made average annual investments in Latin America of 5 billion dollars

- Currently, China has more than 70 infrastructure projects underway in Latin America and has generated 2 million jobs during the period of 2000-2017 in that region

- In addition to the above, China enjoys good political and economic relations with Spain, with a positive trend in investment volume from China in Spain.

In addition to all of that, there has been a strong impact on the need to train bilingual people in Spanish and Chinese. Most companies that settle in China incorporate this into their management and technical staff who already speak or are trained in Spanish. Investment, engineering, plant, or construction projects require specialized teams trained in Spanish. These days English is not enough and China is looking for a language of direct communication such as Spanish.

Importance in Education

Nowadays, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and not only that but it is also one of the most requested in China.

These past years many schools in China have made Spanish their second language and made it compulsory for kids. According to many reports, there are more than 55,285 students that are learning Spanish in China. ​​And more than 34,823 university students: 4,170 of them in Hong Kong and 2,856 in Taiwan.

Importance in the Tourism Industry

Another factor that we consider to have had an impact on the demand and development of Spanish is the tourist projection that is taking place in this triangular context - Spain, Latin America, China - and which enhances a growing sensitivity to know culture and reality. Plus this gives new niches for professional integration.

Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that Spanish is increasingly important in China, this can be applied in all possible branches. From schools, business industry, commerce, dealings between countries, etc.

There is a daily need for interaction between companies from different countries of the world and Spanish plays an important role in that. Therefore, learning Spanish is a necessary factor when communicating to improve these interactions and avoid possible misunderstandings. When we communicate in the same language the fluency of the conversation increases.

As has been mentioned, Spanish in education is very important. Therefore, it is recommended to study it from an early age but it is never too late to start studying it.