China's Ministry of Education warned Monday that there are now less than one percent of the five million professional Chinese-as-a-second-language teachers that are expected to be needed over the next five years.

The number of foreigners learning Chinese around the world is expected to hit 100 million in 2010, according to the ministry's National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

At a ratio of one teacher for every 20 students, five million teachers will be required, far exceeding the 40,000 working now working around the world, the office estimated.

Zhang Xinsheng, vice education minister, said that despite the worldwide shortfall, China has plenty of Chinese teachers.

About 10,000 students majoring in Chinese graduate each year, and 1,500 more professionals graduate as teachers of Chinese as a foreign language from 33 universities and colleges in China, according to Zhang.

Ongoing plans include short-term training programs for teachers and volunteers sent abroad, and training of teachers in other countries, which will bring the number of Chinese language teachers to more than 100,000 as of 2010.

Over the last five years Chinese language training has seen a sharp rise, reflecting the country's rising position in Asia and the world.

Nearly 40 million foreigners now learn Chinese language in some 12,400 schools or universities.

Statistics from a report on language use, issued on Monday by the Ministry, show that 6,000 teachers of foreigners are working full or part-time in China, but only half are qualified.

They are responsible for teaching 110,000 foreign students learning Chinese in China.

Source: Xinhua