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Written question asked by Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative) on Friday, 21 March 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 25 March 2025. It was answered by Catherine West (Labour) on Friday, 28 March 2025 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.


China: Diplomatic Service

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of British diplomats posted to China have language proficiency in Chinese at CEFR level C1 or higher.

Answer

As of March 2025, 64 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff have achieved qualifications in Mandarin at C1 or C2 level (in the Common European Framework Reference scale) over the past five years. FCDO language qualifications are valid for 5 years.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
40312
Session
2024-26
Related items
China: Diplomatic Service
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Diplomatic service China Mandarin language
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk