Starting that year, ministerial-level cadres were invited to take a 15-week course at the Chinese Academy of Governance, followed by weekly classes at Beijing Foreign Studies University and then a short stint at Sydney University in Australia.

Since 2008, the program was expanded to include provincial governors, who learned long-distance using the Internet and traveled to Beijing for classes every three or four months, and heads of State-owned enterprises. So far, 87 students from six classes have graduated, with some going on to apply for further study at overseas universities such as Harvard in the United States, and Oxford and Cambridge in Britain.

"It was inevitable that Chinese leaders would intensify the way they study English," said Wen Jun, vice-president of Beijing Foreign Studies University. "With globalization and China's opening-up, every leader is stepping onto the world stage to represent China."

Speaking easy

At a forum on learning English in December, Li Yuanchao, director of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said leaders have been urged to sharpen their language skills to deepen their knowledge of the world, enhance international cooperation and establish a positive image for Chinese officials worldwide.

"The most important reason for Chinese officials and organizations to study English is to help execute the 'Go Abroad' strategy, particularly in the process of globalization," said Xiao Yan, public relations director at Wall Street English (China), a leading language training company.

"I used to work for the government and fully understand how effective it is to communicate directly in English," she said. "Even with a professional translator, I still felt it would be more accurate and vivid to express myself if I could speak in my own words."

In Shanghai, authorities have been working to boost English skills among leaders through various programs since the 1990s.

Lecturers from Shanghai International Studies University are often invited to talk at the city's Education and Training Center for Officials, while discussion groups with native English speakers are held once a week.

Students share a joke during a discussion organized by Wall Street English, one of China largest language education companies, in Beijing. Photos provided to China Daily