<P> While the Mandarin dialect group consists of closely related varieties of Chinese spoken natively across most of northern and southwestern China, a form based on the Beijing dialect has been established as the national standard and is official in the mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan . However, in the latter two jurisdictions, local languages have influenced the spoken vernacular form of Mandarin . </P> <P> In China, the public usage of varieties other than Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) is officially discouraged by the government and nearly all education and media is conducted in the standard variant, with a notable exception being Cantonese in Guangdong media and public transportation . As a result, younger populations are increasingly losing knowledge of their local dialects . However, in recent years, there has been limited activity in reintroducing local dialects at schools through cultural programs and broadcasting restrictions on dialects have been somewhat slightly uplifted . </P> <P> Although Mandarin and Hakka are the official variants of Chinese in Taiwan, Taiwanese Hokkien is widely spoken and used in media . Additionally, they are also taught at the primary school level and are used in public transportation announcements . There is also a thriving literary scene for both Taiwanese and Hakka alongside Mandarin . In 2002 the Taiwan Solidarity Union proposed making Taiwanese an co-official language, but this was criticized by both Blue and Green politicians as promoting Hoklo chauvinism at the expense of Hakka and the Aboriginal language . </P> <P> In Singapore, the public usage of varieties other than Standard Mandarin is discouraged as in China . The Singaporean government has actively promoted the Speak Mandarin Campaign (SMC) since the 1980s and forbids non-cable broadcasting and Chinese language medium of instruction in non-Mandarin varieties . However, since the mid-1990s, there has been a relaxation in allowing non-Mandarin broadcasting via cable networks and a massive following of Hong Kong television dramas and pop culture, which are in Cantonese . </P>

In what country other than china and taiwan is chinese the most commonly-spoken language