Following the Second World War, but even before, there was massive world-wide investment in instruction in English; and it has worked its way into the infrastructure. Air traffic control is in English -- and in feet and knots -- all over the world, for example.

Centuries ago, the same thing happened with Chinese; and that is why a Chinese can visit Tokyo and find their way around the train station without knowing any Japanese. Maybe it can happen with Chinese again. Many Asian people learn a little Chinese; and more western people learn it now, too.