Beijing Scraps Plans for “English-language Town”

The government in Miyun County, a subrub of Beijing, has rejected plans for an English-language town, which would have been the largest European-style town in Beijing. Supporters of the project hoped that the town would attract anglophiles, English students and investors from all over China. English would be the official language of the town, and visitors would only be allowed to communicate in English.

Some opponents of the town criticize the English-only rule, saying that it was reminiscent of “foreign concessions in old Shanghai that forbade Chinese people from entering.”

Supporters point out the business opportunities, explaining that the English language is a selling point.

Nonetheless, the local government decided not to approve of the plan and declined to give specific reasons for their decision.

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