Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

China on Tuesday took steps to expel more than a dozen American journalists in retaliation for the White House imposing restrictions last month on Chinese state-controlled media in the US by classifying them as foreign missions, which came just weeks after Beijing expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters, allegedly over the headline of an opinion piece.

Some pundits have said the move reflects a new confidence within the Chinese leadership to not only shape domestic coverage, but also restrict critical foreign reporting.

A study released last week by National Taiwan Normal University found that most Taiwanese elementary-school graduates knew enough English words to read an article in the language. About 75 percent of those tested knew a minimum of 300 English words, which the national elementary-school curriculum deems sufficient for listening, speaking and reading in the language, the researchers said.