City officials aged 45 and under will be required to learn basic English, the Guangzhou Personnel Bureau has decreed.
According to regulations released by the bureau on Wednesday, rudimentary English instruction will be provided to all city officials by the end of 2004.
Younger officials will be tested and ranked in one of four groups according to their language ability.
Those seeking the highest ranking will be expected to demonstrate 'relatively strong international English' based on knowledge of at least 4,000 words.
Officials between the ages of 36 and 45 will be expected to attain an elementary reading, listening and speaking standard after 80 hours of instruction, including mastery of 1,000 words and 200 simple sentences.
Officials 35 and younger will be held to a slightly higher standard, and will be expected to know at least 2,000 English words after 100 hours of instruction.