Li Qiang Urges Global Vocational Skills Cooperation at Shanghai Conference

Chinese Premier Li Qiang addressed the opening ceremony of the 2026 WorldSkills Conference in Shanghai on September 23, calling for closer international collaboration in vocational skills development. Speaking before roughly 1,900 delegates, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and WorldSkills organization leadership, Li highlighted skilled labor as a cornerstone of industrial modernization. He announced China's readiness to co-develop a World Skills Innovation Center and expand South-South technical training programs under the Belt and Road framework.

As technological change reshapes the global manufacturing landscape, vocational talent has become a critical determinant of industrial competitiveness. Beijing's push to integrate vocational schooling with private enterprise, combined with its outreach to the Global South through South-South technical cooperation, signals an effort to both shore up China's domestic manufacturing workforce and position the country as a major provider of technical standards and workforce capacity abroad.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang addressed the opening ceremony of the 2026 WorldSkills Conference in Shanghai on September 23, emphasizing the role of skilled labor in modern industrial development and calling for enhanced international vocational cooperation, according to reports from Xinhua and China Central Television. The conference, organized under the theme "Skills Light up the Future," brought together approximately 1,900 domestic and international participants. Attendees included Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, WorldSkills leadership, and high-level Chinese officials, including Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining and State Councilors Wu Zhenglong and Shen Yiqin. Drawing on a congratulatory message sent by President Xi Jinping to the concurrently held 48th WorldSkills Competition, Li said that technical skills have consistently served as an essential engine of human progress and societal productivity. He framed China's industrial advancement as a mutual reinforcement of human talent and technological adoption, noting that widespread vocational training has expanded career pathways and living standards across the Chinese workforce. Looking ahead, Li outlined three domestic policy directions. First, China will pursue deeper integration between industry and technical education, tightening school-enterprise collaboration to match training programs directly with industrial demand. Second, the country will strengthen its lifelong vocational training system to allow workers to upgrade skills across their careers. Third, authorities will work to build a supportive social culture that honors technical professions and encourages youth to pursue vocational careers. Addressing the disruptions brought about by emerging technological and industrial shifts, Li called for closer global alignment to advance skills that are innovative, inclusive, and oriented toward public well-being. He stated that China is willing to partner with international stakeholders to establish a World Skills Innovation Center and expand South-South vocational skills development initiatives under the Belt and Road framework. Prior to the opening session, Li also toured the WorldSkills Expo in Shanghai.