Here's why:
* Number of speakers: There are over 1 billion native Mandarin speakers worldwide, making it the language with the most native speakers.
* Different dialects: Chinese is a complex language with many dialects. Mandarin is the most widely spoken dialect, but Cantonese, Shanghainese, and others are also significant.
* English as a second language: While English is widely spoken as a second language, its number of native speakers is significantly lower than Chinese.
However, it's important to note that:
* English has a larger global reach: English is often considered the "lingua franca" of the world, used in international business, science, and diplomacy.
* English is the language of the internet: A significant portion of the internet's content is in English.
So, while Chinese has more native speakers, English is still a dominant language in many areas of global communication.