This is why Chinese TV has subtitles

[Randy W]

from the BBC - most of the "other" languages use the exact same Chinese characters

 

China sets target for 80% of citizens to speak Mandarin by 2020

 

 

The current figure of 70% leaves hundreds of millions of people speaking other languages, the government says.

. . .

China has numerous local dialects and the government wants to close the gap between different regions and groups of people.

In some cases the residents of one rural village may be unable to understand the locals living just two villages away, correspondents say.

 

 

 

 

 

[Allon]

In my discussions with Americans here, and even some Chinese who have migrated here, they are surprised that China is simply not as homogeneous as it seems. 19 different languages, 54 different dialects, never mind the food differences which can be quite dramatic. But if they all look the same.....