There is no doubt that China plays a massive role in the global economic and political arena, and if you want to engage in discussions related to China, then you should learn Mandarin Chinese.
If you already have some background in Chinese, consider taking one of these Spring 2019 courses:
Elementary Chinese II - 43096 - CHIN 10200 - 01
Elementary Chinese II - 40589 - CHIN 10200 - 02
Intermediate Chinese II - 40591 - CHIN 20200 - 01
For specific days and times, email Hong Li (hli2@ithaca.edu) or Maria DiFrancesco (mdifrancesco@ithaca.edu)
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20171115102723187