FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Forget the romance languages. If you really want your child to be ready for the future, you might want him to crack open some Chinese language textbooks.
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As President Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House this week, there are more reasons than ever to believe China holds the key to all of our futures.
For starters, China owns us – or soon will, as they continue to snap up U.S. treasury bonds. China is now the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, just under $900 billion.
The Chinese also have a significant financial stake in many other countries around the world. It was reported this week that China has lent more money to developing countries in the past two years than the World Bank.
Then there's their military expansion – Chinese military spending is up 12% in the last decade.
A Chinese-developed stealth fighter jet recently took its first flight. They've also created a long-range missile that could hit U.S. ships in the pacific. And, they're building their first aircraft carrier to launch missions far off China's coast.
There's more: Beijing has become an integral player in nearly every major international issue, from the standoffs with North Korea and Iran to global warming.
In fact, one top NASA scientist says that China is the world's "best hope" in the fight against global warming. He says that our democracy – including lobbying dollars from the fossil fuel industry – makes it impossible for the U.S. to confront global warming.
Here’s my question to you: If you were the parent of a small child, would you make him/her learn Chinese?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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