Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday addressed the opening ceremony of the WorldSkills Conference 2026 that is being 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 September 27.