At the invitation of Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, and Leo Varadkar, Irish Taoiseach, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 and pay an official visit to Switzerland and Ireland from January 14 to 17: Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge in East China's Zhejiang Province marked phased progress when 18 drill piles belonging to pier No 5 of the bridge, each with a diameter of 6.3 meters - the world's largest - were injected with cement on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The final cement injection was completed on Sunday, according to CCTV.

Since drilling work began in July last year, workers overcame technological challenges in the construction of the drill piles, which have the world's largest diameter, measuring 84 meters in length, of which a 37-meter-section is plunged firmly into bedrock beneath choppy water at a maximum depth of 60 meters in the area. 

The completion of the cement injection at pier No 5 was completed ahead of schedule, according to the report.

The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge, dubbed the world's longest super sea-crossing bridge with a total length of 3,118 meters, and connecting Zhoushan's Jintang and Cezi islands, is among a total of 10 landmark projects Zhejiang Province is undertaking to boost regional connectivity. 

The bridge will allow trains travel at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour and will link up with Zhoushan, Zhejiang's last city not connected by rail.

The bridge has a main span of 1,488 meters. Its width, at 68 meters, is also the world's widest for a dual-purpose sea bridge. 

As China rings in 2024 with a bang, a number of Chinese localities including East China's Anhui and Central China's Hunan provinces have launched a new round of major projects, reflecting a robust start to the new year, which Chinese experts describes as an encouraging sign for economic growth.

Chinese private aerospace firm iSpace completed the country's first reusable launch vehicle test on Sunday. The achievement marks a milestone in China's development of space technology.

The Hyperbola-2 is the company's latest model for reusable launch vehicle tests. During the flight, the vehicle reached an altitude of 343.12 meters, with a flight time of 63.15 seconds, and landed with a landing speed of 1.1 m/s and a landing attitude angle of 1.18 degrees.

The rocket had its first stage test flight on November 2, with a well-controlled descent and touchdown. I-Space then spent less than 20 days on preparation and maintenance work for the rocket.

The test flight verified the reuse capability of a full-size liquid-oxygen-methane rocket and its reliability for low-altitude descent and touchdown, as well as the testing process, norms, and standards. It also verified the company's rocket recovery system, marking a step forward in the global market of reusable launch vehicles.

The successful test flight of the Hyperbola-2 rocket represented more than just a technological breakthrough for iSpace. In the field of reusable launch vehicles, large companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin have established dominant technology advantages. The success of the iSpace test signals that the Chinese company is making strides in the emerging market.

China has continuously invested in the space sector and maintains advancements in key areas. On Sunday, the Yaogan-39 satellite was successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, marking the completion of the 500th flight mission of China's most iconic Long March series rockets.

China's private companies have been increasingly involved in the development of space technology in recent years. On Saturday, Landspace successfully launched a Zhuque-3 rocket with three satellites, Honghu, Honghu-2, and Tianyi-33, marking the first time the startup company has sent satellites into orbit.

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced on Thursday the global opening of the next generation artificial sun, "China Circulation-3," after the group's affiliated Southwestern Institute of Physics signed an agreement with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The initiative invites scientists worldwide to come to China and collaborate toward the shared goal of pursuing "artificial sun energy."

The "China Circulation-3" is currently China's most advanced and largest-scale nuclear fusion device, also referred to as China's next generation "artificial sun." 

In August this year, it successfully achieved high-constraint operation mode under a plasma current of 1 million amperes, marking a significant advancement in China's magnetic confinement nuclear fusion device, propelling it to the forefront of international research. 

Over the years, the Southwestern Institute of Physics has been deeply involved in the development of key components for ITER, the world's largest "artificial sun" project, CNNC said, and together overcame numerous engineering and technical challenges.

This involvement of the Chinese institute has led to the accumulation of extensive experience in the construction, debugging, operation, and maintenance of fusion devices, laying a solid foundation for China to integrate with international advanced technology and eventually construct its own fusion reactor. 

Due to the similarity in the principles of the two experiments, the openness of "China Circulation-3" will not only focus on addressing key technical issues of interest to the ITER but will also enhance China's research and development capabilities and foster talent development.

In April this year, the other Chinese "artificial sun," the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which is also the world's first fully superconducting tokamak device in operation, saw a major breakthrough as it achieved a high power, stable, 403-second steady-state long-pulse high confinement mode plasma operation, setting a new world record for steady-state high confinement mode operation of a tokamak device.

Developer of the EAST, the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that they are aiming to use the EAST to generate fusion power before the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls in 2049.

China's Guo Hanyu won the women's singles tennis gold medal at the FISU Games on Sunday by making a comeback victory over Chinese Taipei player Yang Ya-yi 2-6, 6-1,6-1 

"The FISU Games have been fruitful for me," Guo told reporters after the match, as Sunday's win came on top of her silver medal in the women's doubles with teammate Jiang Xinyu on Saturday.

"I enjoyed the match today after seeing room for improvement in yesterday's defeat," said the Southwest University student athlete, who had won the doubles title in the previous FISU Games in 2019 in Napoli, Italy. 

Guo was one of the two flagbearers for China at the opening ceremony of the FISU Games. She said it gave her more of a boost rather than pressure. 

"It gives me a little pressure but more importantly impetus," Guo told the Global Times.

Guo played the match under the gaze of tennis great Zheng Jie, one of the Chinese female tennis trailblazers who won the Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships in 2006.

Zheng, who is a Chengdu native and now a vice president of the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA), has been promoting tennis among the young generation in the recent years.

In 2010, she initiated youth tournaments with the aim of increasing the number of opportunities for young players to compete. 

Over the past 14 years, the CTA has incorporated more than 90 youth tournaments into their ranking system, providing ample chances for aspiring young talents to showcase their skills. 

"Nowadays, young Chinese tennis players, if they are willing to play, can find matches to play, which is something I never could even imagine during my playing career," Zheng told the Global Times. 

Fans watching the game at the Sichuan International Tennis Center in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, were troubled by the rain, as it has postponed the men's singles as well as pairs final.

Editor's Note:

How can art and culture from the past survive in a globalized world? While attempting to inherit the treasure of art and culture thousands of years old, young Chinese have created a new trend - Guochao, or China chic. It refers to a movement first started by young people endeavoring to revive and reinvent China's traditional culture.

Fashion designers have drawn inspiration from the precious murals inside the Yungang Grottoes, and traditional instrumentalists are creating new trendy music on the pipa. These young Guochao trendsetters have helped China's cultural legacies to be passed down and preserved for future generations.

To better understand this new approach to cultural preservation, the Global Times has conducted a series of interviews with young innovators to learn about their interpretation of Chinese culture. In this installment, the art of recreating iconic ­Chinese buildings using building blocks is revealed.
From Yongdingmen to Gulou and Zhonglou, 18 iconic landmarks along Beijing's Central Axis have been concentrated in a 16-meter-long panoramic building-block world. These works are produced by a millennial couple, Jiang ­Buting and Chen Xi, who spent 90 days using more than 130,000 building blocks to recreate the traditional buildings, with an aim to help boost the Beijing Central Axis' chances at gaining UNESCO World Heritage status.

"Building blocks are recognized globally for their recreational value, and we understand the building of building blocks as a borderless artistic language. Building blocks allow us to consider a new perspective on how to protect intangible cultural heritage and cultural relics in a new way, and spread traditional Chinese culture through this universally entertaining way, so that the charm of Chinese culture can be seen by the world," Jiang told the Global Times on Sunday.
Conveying cultural connotation

The pair uploaded the footage of their creations on the video-sharing platform Bilibili, where many netizens expressed their admiration. However, the process was not easy.

Before the assembling process could begin, a lot of preparation had to be done. First, they used computer-aided design (CAD) software to convert the survey map into a three-dimensional model and then used the actual image and converted measurements from CAD to virtually assemble the building-block models.

After the virtual assembly was completed, the software generated a list of parts to be used numbering in the tens of thousands, that had to be sorted and assembled. Jiang told the Global Times that one of the difficulties was how to use fixed-shape blocks to show the spiritual essence of traditional Chinese architecture.

"For example, we will use white ice cream-shaped parts to restore the appearance of pillars, and black banana parts to restore the roof overhang," Jiang said.

The other difficulty is how to use building blocks, a modern material, to interpret and express the construction logic and wisdom of ancient Chinese architecture, truly conveying its cultural connotation.

When restoring the Jiaolou, they did not add a pillar to support the indoor space, following the original construction logic of the building, although it was not easy to see in the model.

"We not only restore the appearance of these buildings, but also try to use building blocks as modern material to restore Chinese ancient architecture in a way that truly shows its construction logic and wisdom," Jiang noted. "We think we can create any scene we want with building blocks."

The pair has undertaken many building-block recreation projects, including China's aerospace aviation series, Tsinghua University's 100th anniversary celebration building series, Big Air Shougang, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics open-air event venue, and many animation scene restorations, novel-themed builds, and so on.
Indispensable part

"When we go to visit Yuanmingyuan today, we can only see the remains of buildings destroyed by fire. In order to restore them, we needed to read a lot of historical records about the scenes to recreate them," he said.

In the Yuanmingyuan restoration process video, not only are there ancient buildings, hills, and trees shown, but people are also incorporated as an indispensable part of the recreated landscapes, with every detail vibrant and well-executed.

"We choose to use building blocks to interpret traditional Chinese culture, because they are a material that is suitable for all ages and can be used by everyone. The simple and rich connection methods greatly encourage more people to participate enthusiastically," Jiang said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The pair used building blocks to recreate the ship used by legendary Chinese navigator Zheng He on his voyages to the coast of East Africa.

In 2022, the couple recreated the pavilion described in the Zuiwengting Ji, a famous essay by Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072).

In addition to the ­pavilion, they incorporated fishermen on the lakeside, woodsmen chopping down trees on the mountainside, farmers making wine in a wine cellar, and guests playing chess or shooting putts in front of screens.

According to Jiang, the couple is planning to recreate the scene described in The Peach Blossom Spring Story written by Jin Dynasty (265-420) poet Tao Yuanming of an ethereal utopia as described in the tale.

"We believe that wider public participation can turn cultural ­dissemination into a phenomenon, and more and more people will participate, co-create, and spread Chinese culture through this way, to make ancient Chinese architecture truly available to thousands of households," Jiang said.

With a smart wristband and a mobile phone, Amaris Malfa, a young Bostonian, "walked" into the ancient Chinese painting An Era in Jinling, and even interacted with the people depicted therein. 

"This is amazing! It is so vivid and vibrant, like a moving painting," Malfa said. "I really wish my fiancé could have seen it!"

The digital artwork An Era in Jinling, which enables visitors to physically immerse themselves in the dynamic city scape of Jinling, the ancient name of Nanjing, and wander in real time through the historical city from China's Song Dynasty (960-1279), has wowed many US visitors at the See Nanjing cultural exhibition at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.

The exhibition features Chinese garden arts and Nanjing's intangible cultural heritage, as well as Global Smile Delivery, a display of Nanjing's best wishes to the world that highlights the historical and modern elements of the 2,500-year-old Chinese city near the Yangtze River. 

"Seeing is believing and being part of it allows the overseas audiences to have a better and deeper understanding of the cultural heritage of Jinling and what people's lives looked like dating back 1,000 years ago," Ai Lin, the director of the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing who has led her team to develop this digital exhibition inspired by the ancient painting of the same name, told the Global Times on Wednesday..

According to Ai, the handscroll, magnified and projected onto a 110-meter by 3.6-meter screen, depicts a total of 533 figures, 90 animals, and over two dozen carriages, horses and sedans. Audiences can wander the streets and interact with these figures in real time. 

"The Deji Art Museum hopes to encourage visitors to explore and interact with history and art across time with the assistance of advanced technology, making each an ambassador of Chinese culture," said Ai. 

Before the US tour, Ai and her team members completed a lot of research in order to ensure every detail is close to locals' understanding of Chinese culture. 

"We managed to make it easy for them to access Chinese culture even if some of them may have little knowledge about China. We have an over 5,000-year-old culture, but how to show it and its stories to overseas audiences still remains a topic that we all need to explore," she said. 

"As a city that served as the capital of six dynasties in Chinese history, Nanjing is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization and produced a myriad of great people in history," Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said in his opening address. 

"Like the Charles River in Boston, the Qinhuai River running through Nanjing has witnessed numerous major historical events."

With this Chinese art program and "the cultural feast" at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, "I have no doubt that the 'Nanjing Week' will offer audiences totally new and multiple perspectives of this wonderful part of China," he said. 

He also released a tweet to recommend the exhibition: "The digital exhibition of an ancient painting, letters and paintings drawn by animals and insects will show you a perfect combination of culture, nature and urban development."

For Deji Art Museum, An Era in Jinling not only provides a window for the people of the US to get to know China's cultural treasures, but also raises their interest in China and Chinese civilization. Among the figures in the painting is a waiter being called "Tea Doctor," not because they had a doctoral degree, but because they are good at making and serving tea.

They are tea professionals from 1,000 years ago. Their amazing skills were not only popular in China, but were also introduced to other Asian countries like Japan, which was highly influenced by China's tea culture. 

"Things like that are interesting information that they want to learn and makes them want to learn more," Ai added. 

"The display and interaction of a single ancient painting is far from enough. The most important thing is to open a door for them into Chinese culture. A figure in the painting will say, 'Hello, Boston! Welcome to Nanjing,' inviting them to visit China to have a close look at this friendly country and people," added Ai, who said she hopes this creative digital artwork of Deji Art Museum can tour to more places and show more people "how wonderful Chinese art is and how cool China's technology is."

Boston Council President Ed Flynn said that the exhibition "is serving as a remarkable symbol of cultural understanding and exchanges, fostering goodwill, and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two cities."

Besides this, the exhibition also features unique "Insect Poetry" and "Insect Painting," which represent a beautiful land of dreams and harmonious coexistence between mankind and nature.

As a renowned Chinese city with a long history and rich culture, Nanjing boasts a wealth of intangible cultural heritage, including Pingtan, a form of storytelling and singing in a local dialect, and Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.

Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.

Jakarta-Bandung HSR officially opens on October 17.

Editor's Note:

China and Pakistan's "ironclad" friendship has long been characterized by strong diplomatic ties, economic cooperation and strategic collaboration. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the BRI. Over the last decade, the CPEC has achieved fruitful results which have not only deepened bilateral cooperation but also opened up new avenues for regional connectivity and economic development. What has the CPEC brought to Pakistan over the last decade? What will be prioritized in the next decade? On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the CPEC, Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Bai Yunyi (GT) talked to Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque (Haque) on the development of the CPEC.  

GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). How does Pakistan assess the overall impact and achievements of the CPEC on Pakistan's economy and development?

Haque: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked a new phase in China-Pakistan relations by placing economic cooperation and connectivity at the center of the bilateral agenda. 

This year, as we celebrate the CPEC's 10th anniversary, it is an opportune time to review and reflect upon its achievements and successes. The CPEC has been a "game changer" transforming the economic landscape of Pakistan. It has helped Pakistan to develop and upgrade its transport and communication infrastructure and address our essential energy needs. A network of highways and motorways has provided more reliable China-Pakistan connectivity across the Karakoram Mountains and smoother inland communications. 

Around 50 projects under the CPEC have been completed with a total investment of approximately $25 billion. The creation of over 200,000 jobs through these projects has helped Pakistan to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty, leading to the economic empowerment of its people. 

The CPEC has seen the success of important early harvest projects and has now entered into its second phase which is even more promising as it broadens the scope of cooperation and focuses on socio-economic development, science and technology, agricultural cooperation, and industrialization. 

GT: What specific sectors have benefited the most from the CPEC? How has it contributed to job creation and economic diversification in Pakistan?

Haque: Fully aligned with the national development agenda of Pakistan, the CPEC is the key to our socio-economic development and is an excellent example of an open, coordinated, and inclusive development paradigm that benefits all parts of the country and all segments of the society. Governed by the Cooperation Framework, the CPEC is supported by four pillars: Gwadar Port, energy, transport infrastructure, and Industrial Cooperation. 

Construction of Gwadar Port is a key CPEC Project, and is now operational and ready to serve as a hub for trade and investment. Phase I of the Gwadar Free Trade Zone has been completed. In order to support these economic activities, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Eastbay Expressway in June 2022. In a few months' time, the Gwadar New International Airport (GNIA) will be inaugurated. We are confident that all these projects will lend a fresh impetus to the high-quality development of Gwadar Port in the coming years. 

Similarly, our energy cooperation, under the CPEC has been satisfactory. Thirteen new energy projects have been completed, injecting 8,000 MW of electricity into the system, boosting industrial output, and thus contributing to steady economic growth. 

Transport infrastructure cooperation, under the CPEC, has also achieved significant progress. Signature projects like the KKH-II (Havelian-Thakot), the Peshawar to Karachi Highway (Sukkur-Multan), and the Lahore Orange Line are fully operational. Both sides are also committed to implementing the ML-1 railway and Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) projects, once matured.  

Industrial cooperation, under the CPEC is pivotal for the second phase of its high-quality development. In 2022, both sides signed the CPEC Framework Agreement on Industrial cooperation. The Special Economic Zones (SEZs), being developed under the CPEC, are aimed to rejuvenate Pakistan's industrial sector and further spur economic development.

Socio-economic development cooperation, under the CPEC, has also achieved remarkable progress. So far, 27 projects in six areas of agriculture, education, health, poverty alleviation, energy, and professional training have been implemented leading to an improvement of people's livelihoods. 

GT: As the CPEC enters its second decade, what are Pakistan's priorities and expectations for further cooperation with China under this framework?

Haque: Building high-quality infrastructure and enhancing connectivity and regional integration would be prioritized in the second phase of CPEC development. 

Speaking at an event hosted by Pakistan to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the CPEC, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored that the "CPEC is not merely a collection of different projects but a symbol of prosperity and shared development" for the entire region, including neighboring countries. He added that the first phase of the CPEC was about fixing the "hardware" side of development, and the upcoming second phase would upgrade the "software" of development by focusing on agriculture, science and technology, skill development, innovation, industrialization, economic growth, health, and education.

In that context, Pakistan and China would hold regular meetings of the CPCE's Joint Working Groups (JWGs) to evaluate and review progress made by each side in relevant fields. This would enable us to attain desired results expected from CPEC. 

GT: How does Pakistan view its role in the broader context of the BRI and its potential to foster regional economic integration and connectivity?

Haque: Pakistan considers the historic BRI is a win-win proposition aimed at bringing shared prosperity for humankind. It has emerged as a new model for deepening regional connectivity and economic integration among partner countries. The BRI provides a strong impetus for a wave of globalization by boosting bilateral and multilateral trade and foreign direct investment projects. 

Through a network of various corridors, the BRI is reshaping the geo-economics of the participating countries and has become a beacon of hope for them.

The BRI has also significantly contributed to stabilizing supply chains along the route while promoting a culture of economic resilience through industrialization, creation of jobs, entrepreneurship promotion, innovation, and advancing technology. 

"To have such a successful neighbor and not learn from them is like starving in a wheat field." This is how a Tajik scholar describes the desire of Central Asia to expand cooperation with China in the field of talent training.

From the professional construction of vocational education systems, to local teacher training, to cultivating the local social development need for talent ... In recent years, China and Central Asian countries in the cooperation of training professional personnel have been pressing the "accelerator button" under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Recently, Global Times reporters visited the "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (Silk Road University) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and the Kazakh Luban Workshop project to see how China is helping Central Asia cultivate professional and technical talent, and building an important bridge for cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two sides.

New university on ancient Silk Road

On September 2, the opening ceremony of the China-Uzbekistan Belt and Road International Laboratory, a joint archaeological and scientific laboratory for the technical protection of cultural heritage, was held at the Silk Road University. This was a major event that Zou Tongqian, the first Chinese vice president of the university, who came from Beijing International Studies University, attached great importance to. 

The initiative to open the Silk Road University was proposed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao Summit in 2018. China has provided strong support for the establishment and construction of the university. For a long time, the university has closely cooperated with Chinese universities such as Beijing International Studies University and Northwest University.

In late August, Global Times reporters visited the Silk Road University and found that although the campus is not large, every detail is carefully arranged. On the walls of the main teaching building, there is a map of the ancient Silk Road and silhouettes of camel caravans, evoking the prosperity of the Silk Road in the past. In the corridor, there are paintings by students from various countries, depicting their understanding of the Silk Road.

Alysher Shamshidinov, a teacher at Silk Road University, told the Global Times that there are about 2,000 students at the university, mainly studying majors such as hotel management and logistics. It is worth mentioning that there are 85 international students, including 10 Chinese students pursuing master's degrees, as well as a number of renowned professors from world-famous universities.

In the past few years, China has played an important role in the construction of Silk Road University and the cultivation of local talent. In the library of Silk Road University, the Global Times saw a "China Corner" filled with Chinese books. In 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan donated more than 550 books and audiovisual materials in Chinese, English and Russian, covering topics such as Chinese culture, art, literature, history, tourism and Chinese language learning.

Since Zou took office as vice president in 2022, he and other Chinese colleagues have helped the university introduce a series of scientific research platforms, including the "One Belt and One Road" International Laboratory. They have also applied for the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Heritage Tourism, invited globally renowned professors, and organized scholars from China, Central Asia, India, ASEAN and other countries and regions to conduct important research projects.

Cultivating more 'Lubans' of New Era

In August, during the summer vacation, the campus of Tianjin Vocational Institute is quiet and peaceful. However, one classroom is filled with lively discussions, sometimes interspersed with applause and laughter. In this classroom, 15 professional teachers from the East Kazakhstan Technical University (EKTU) are earnestly seeking advice from their Chinese counterparts on automotive repair techniques. 

These foreigners are the first group of Kazakh teachers to come to China for training at the newly established Kazakh Luban Workshop. During the China-Central Asia Summit in May this year, Tianjin Municipality signed a cooperation agreement with East Kazakhstan Region to establish the Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan, officially launching the project.

"Can anyone tell me the different methods for replacing brake fluid in a car?" Guo Jianying, professor at the Automotive College of Tianjin Vocational Institute, vividly asked and demonstrated to the Kazakh teachers at the Luban Workshop how to replace brake fluid in a car. He also mentioned the management standards and procedures for waste oil in China. For this lesson, Guo prepared meticulously for a long time.

In the classroom, everyone eagerly raised their hands, expressing their opinions and engaging in lively interactions. They didn't even want to take a tea break. "We are very interested in the Luban Workshop training. Chinese teachers have a high level of expertise!" Murat Muzdybayev, a leading researcher at the School of Mechanical Engineering at EKTU, excitedly told the Global Times. 

Muzdybayev noted that Kazakhstan has a great demand for automotive repair technicians, and they believe that the cooperation of the Luban Workshop, training equipment and resource sharing from China will greatly enhance the vocational training level of relevant majors at EKTU and promote the development of the local automotive repair industry.

The Luban Workshop is an international brand of vocational education created and led by Tianjin Municipality under the guidance of the Chinese Ministry of Education. It is named after Lu Ban, a legendary craftsman and inventor who lived 2,500 years ago in China. It combines academic education with vocational training, aiming to help countries along the BRI cultivate professional technical talent.

The Global Times learned that the specialties taught in the Luban Workshop are the most needed technologies for local industrial development, aiming to cultivate the most useful technical and skilled talent for local economic and social development. 

Taking the Luban Workshop project in Kazakhstan as an example, Kazakhstan is a typical landlocked country with a high demand for land transportation. However, the country lacks a complete industrial chain in the automotive field, and there is a shortage of corresponding technical and skilled talent.

In recent years, the Kazakh government has also increased its new-energy vehicle (NEV) development plans, creating an urgent need for NEV maintenance technology and related talent. They hope to strengthen talent training in this area with China to "take the lead" in the field of NEVs, observers noted.

The curriculum of the Luban Workshop training for Kazakhstan has fully considered these factors. The training includes three modules: fuel vehicles, NEVs and intelligent connected vehicles, with a total of 20 training courses. During the training, the Tianjin Vocational Institute also arranges for teachers from EKTU to visit Chinese NEV and intelligent connected vehicle companies.

Samat Baigereyev, deputy dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at EKTU, told the Global Times that the visit to Chinese car manufacturers such as Great Wall left a deep impression on him. He is very interested in China's technology in the field of NEVs and hopes to pass on these technologies to more Kazakh students.

Unlike many other international vocational training projects, in the Luban Workshop, Chinese teachers do not directly teach local students but train local teachers. Through such a flexible and down-to-earth form, the rich teaching resources, high-quality technical standards and more advanced experimental equipment in China's vocational education system can be more efficiently integrated into the national academic education system of the partner country in a more localized way.

Attractive talent training cooperation models

In recent years, China and Central Asian countries have witnessed rapid development in their cooperation in the field of talent cultivation, with the Luban Workshop and the Silk Road University serving as representative programs. At a recent seminar held in Beijing, Abdukhalil Gafurzoda, Director of the Centre for Friendship and Cooperation in Tajikistan expressed a strong interest in expanding cooperation with Chinese educational and research institutions, citing several key reasons.

First, Chinese universities are highly attractive to students from Central Asia, as Chinese diplomas are considered to be of high value. The number of Tajikistani students studying in Chinese universities has increased nearly 20 times in the past 15 years, reaching close to 4,000. This is not a coincidence, said Gafurzoda.

Second, the rapid expansion of economic cooperation between China and Central Asia in recent years has created a significant demand for local talent. Gafurzoda revealed that there are about 500 Chinese companies operating in Tajikistan, and Chinese enterprises have also participated in the implementation of 14 major investment projects in the country. Chinese investment accounted for 34 percent of Tajikistan's total foreign investment over the past decade.

"The establishment of the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe a year ago was, to some extent, aimed at addressing this issue," said the Tajikistani scholar.

With three projects already underway in Central Asia in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, where the Luban Workshop's talent cultivation standards and professional construction quality have gained wide recognition. Currently, 14 international professional teaching standards have been approved by the education ministries of cooperating countries and incorporated into their national education systems. 

Why have the Luban Workshop and other personnel training cooperation projects?been able to make such good and fast progress in Central Asia?

"Our cooperation with another party does not come with any political conditions. We genuinely want to cooperate with Central Asian countries in the field of vocational education, help them improve their professional skills education level, and promote local industrial development. Through these collaborations, our teaching staff's capabilities and the internationalization level of our school can also be enhanced. It is a win-win situation," Meng Zheng, deputy director of the International Exchange Department of Tianjin Vocational Institute, told the Global Times. 

Meng also noted that China's vocational education system is very complete and powerful, which includes technology, standards, resources, equipment and facilities, 

"There are more than 1,300 vocational education institutions in China, and the improvement in scale and quality has been rapid. I believe that the level of vocational education in China is not inferior to internationally renowned vocational education models such as Germany and Australia. This creates a strong attraction for countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan," he said.