Xi Congratulates 48th WorldSkills Competition as Event Opens in Shanghai

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 48th WorldSkills Competition as the event opened in Shanghai. Organized by WorldSkills International alongside China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the event carries the theme "Skills Change the World, Skills Light Up the Future." In his message, Xi highlighted how rapid technological and industrial transformation is reshaping global labor needs, stating that China will leverage the competition to encourage workers—particularly youth—to pursue technical careers and deepen international vocational collaboration.

As rapid technological change and automation reshape global workforce requirements, hosting the WorldSkills Competition provides China with a high-level venue to align domestic vocational standards with international benchmarks. High-level leadership involvement signals a continued push to develop specialized technical talent to underpin industrial modernization and manufacturing competitiveness.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to mark the opening of the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, official media reported on September 22. The event, organized by WorldSkills International and co-hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security alongside the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, is held under the theme "Skills Change the World, Skills Light Up the Future." In his message, Xi observed that a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, exerting a profound influence on the evolution of global skills. He noted that the WorldSkills Competition closely connects with industrial demands, serving as an effective platform for skilled personnel from various nations to refine their crafts and learn from one another. Xi stressed that China intends to use the hosting of the competition as an opportunity to encourage and guide more workers, especially young people, to pursue success through vocational and technical expertise. He added that China remains willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with all parties to advance the global skills movement and better serve global economic growth and public welfare. Alongside the competitive events, the gathering features the WorldSkills Conference and the WorldSkills Expo, providing forums for policy discussions and demonstrations of technical training methods. Coverage from financial daily Yicai also noted accompanying diplomatic engagements, including Premier Li Qiang meeting with WorldSkills International leadership, emphasizing efforts to allow the benefits of skills development to reach more countries. The high-level attention comes amid a broader domestic policy focus on advanced manufacturing and workforce adaptation. Chinese policymakers have consistently sought to raise the prestige and quality of vocational education to meet the technical demands of high-end manufacturing and to navigate labor market shifts brought about by emerging technologies.