Lots of US schools are offering Mandarin lessons to their students, but none of them have made it mandatory.

Students in Panama, however, may soon be obligated to study Mandarin. According to the Vancouver Sun, "Learning Mandarin could soon be compulsory for schoolchildren in Panama to ready the Spanish-speaking nation for China's growing importance as a trading partner."

Panama doesn't have diplomatic relations with Beijing, but China is the "main user of the Panama Canal."