Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday addressed the opening ceremony of the WorldSkills Conference 2026 held in Shanghai, calling for closer international exchanges and cooperation on skills development.
China's development achievements embody prominent contributions of skills, Li said, noting that traditional Chinese skills have been passed down through generations and many of them have reached the world, empowering talent cultivation and industrial development in various countries, while promoting mutual understanding and cultural integration.
Li stressed that China has always been committed to cultivating skills advantages among workers and focusing on the deep integration of industry and skills, and will advance industry-education integration and school-enterprise cooperation in the future.
Noting that the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is profoundly reshaping skills demand, Li called for all parties to adapt to the times, strengthen collaboration and strive to boost global skills development.
The premier also called for actively carrying out general education on AI, helping workers achieve skills transformation and promoting high-quality sufficient employment.
Calling for establishing closer international skills exchange and cooperation mechanisms, Li said China is ready to work with all parties to build the global skills innovation center, strengthen skills development under the Belt and Road Initiative and through South-South cooperation.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and President of WorldSkills International Francis Hourant attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. The opening ceremony was also attended by about 1,900 representatives from around the world.
The 48th WorldSkills Competition opened in Shanghai on Tuesday evening, with 1,385 competitors from 68 countries and regions vying in 64 skill events. The WorldSkills Conference 2026 and the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Expo were held alongside the competition. Competition events will conclude on Sept. 27.
Chinese premier addresses opening ceremony of WorldSkills Conference 2026
The World New Energy Vehicle Congress 2026 opened in Haikou City, south China's Hainan Province, on Tuesday, focusing on the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the industry's resilient growth.
With rising EV ownership and a strong push to build a robust industry, Hainan hosted the Congress at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, bringing together global automakers, leading research institutions, and industry leaders to discuss technological innovation, supply chain security, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in vehicles. The event aims to shape the future development and cooperation within the NEV sector worldwide.
This year's Congress features a main forum, ten thematic sessions, three private talks, and six concurrent events. Discussions center on goals such as reaching a 50 percent global market share for NEVs by 2035, driving innovation-led growth, and promoting global partnerships, especially in connection with the Hainan Free Trade Port.
A senior official from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said at the Congress that the global NEV market is booming, with the latest data showing that NEVs now account for more than 25 percent of global vehicle sales.
"We should respect the objective laws of the automotive industry that efficiency gains come through global division of labor and cooperation. We oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and we should jointly build fair, non-discriminatory and predictable trade rules, and jointly safeguard an open, stable and mutually beneficial economic and trade order," said Guo Shougang, director general of the Ministry's First Equipment Industry Department, in his speech.
"The event attracts global automakers, testing institutions, and scientific research resources to gather, building a platform for international joint R and D and benchmark testing," said Zhou Hua, deputy general manager of China Automotive Tech and Research Center Co. Ltd.
Industry officials pointed to Hainan's lead in this national transformation. The province, which is at the forefront of China's green transport transition, is building a clean energy island through green transportation projects and new industry platform unveilings during the event.
"The province's NEV penetration rate has stayed high, with three in four new cars sold in August being NEVs. Green travel demand is strong, and NEVs are now the main driver of car sales growth. The province has over 310,000 charging piles and more than 110 battery swap stations," said Yu Huan, deputy division director of the NEV Development and Supervision Division, Department of Industry and Information Technology of Hainan Province.
The Congress will run for three days and will open to the public on Thursday.
World New Energy Vehicle Congress 2026 opens in Hainan
