"Before Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, there were not many chances to study putonghua [as Mandarin is called in mainland China]. Thus many American-born Chinese and little overseas students came to Taiwan to study Mandarin while working at the same time," he says.
「回歸前的香港並沒有太多機會學習普通話，於是台北突然多了很多一邊學中文，一邊找工作的 ABC、小留學生」，他說。