Premier Li Qiang Pledges Deeper Global Vocational Ties with WorldSkills

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with WorldSkills International President Wu Han and Chief Executive Officer Hoey in Shanghai on September 22, reaffirming Beijing's commitment to delivering a successful 48th WorldSkills Competition. According to state media reports, Li emphasized that President Xi Jinping has personally guided preparations for the upcoming event. Li highlighted plans to refine domestic vocational training mechanisms while offering public goods and expertise to international partners. WorldSkills leadership praised China's rapid vocational development and expressed support for ongoing collaboration under the organization's Vision 2035 framework.

The high-level meeting underscores the strategic priority China's central leadership places on technical and vocational education as an essential pillar of manufacturing resilience and industrial upgrading. By hosting the 48th WorldSkills Competition, Beijing aims to benchmark domestic vocational standards against international best practices, boost the prestige of technical labor, and expand its footprint in the multilateral governance of workforce development.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with WorldSkills International President Wu Han and Chief Executive Officer Hoey in Shanghai on September 22, reaffirming China's support for international skills cooperation ahead of the 48th WorldSkills Competition, according to reports from Xinhua and China Central Television. During the meeting, Li stated that China has maintained strong, long-term cooperation with WorldSkills. He noted that President Xi Jinping has personally taken an interest in and promoted the hosting of the 48th WorldSkills Competition, reflecting the Chinese government's focus on technical talent and cross-border skills partnerships. Expressing confidence in delivering a high-caliber event, Li pledged closer collaboration with the international body to stimulate global economic growth. Domestically, China plans to strengthen its skills infrastructure by refining systems for training, employment, evaluation, and incentives, Li said. Simultaneously, Beijing intends to provide public goods and share developmental experience to benefit other countries. Li reiterated China's backing for the broader institutional transformation of WorldSkills, including competitions, vocational research, poverty alleviation programs, and South-South cooperation. Li also urged both sides to maximize the long-term impact of the competition by ensuring effective operation of institutions such as the WorldSkills Museum in Shanghai. He expressed hope that WorldSkills would share international best practices in instructor training and curriculum design, while actively supporting China's participation in the global governance of technical skills. According to official Chinese readouts, Wu Han and Hoey commended China's domestic progress in technical skills cultivation and recognized its assistance to other nations. The WorldSkills executives expressed confidence that China would host an unprecedented competition and affirmed their commitment to working with Beijing on the WorldSkills Vision 2035 strategic agenda. Senior Chinese officials attending the meeting included Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining, State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, and State Councilor Shen Yiqin.