Humanoid robots join dancers at WorldSkills opening in Shanghai

During the opening ceremony and expo of the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 conference, Malaysia emphasized its role as a bridge-builder in developing skills and workforce readiness for the green workforce at the event. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim outlined Malaysia's responsibilities in spearheading the Southeast Asia Green Jobs agenda at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting and the Three Friends Dialogue in Bangkok recently.

Malaysia has been selected to lead the Green Jobs Agenda for the period 2026 to 2030, which will help prepare our workforce for a greener economy. The country also takes the lead in acknowledging cross-certified technical diplomas and implementing the Asia-Pacific Digital Skills Passport, which connects internationally recognized training records.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, mentioned Malaysia's National Semiconductor Strategy, setting a target for investments exceeding RM500 billion by 2030, alongside setting targets for training and enhancing the skills of 60,000 highly skilled Malaysian engineers. He added that foreign investments in Malaysia are increasingly attracted to sectors with a sufficient skilled workforce to support their growth.

Around 1,400 young skilled individuals from more than 65 countries and regions gathered in the largest metropolis of China to compete in 64 skill categories. Malaysia sent 22 youth participants representing 21 skill categories. The Prime Minister arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday for a three-day work visit to Hangzhou. Later in the afternoon, he and the delegation will take a high-speed train to Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province, to continue their visit.

China remains Malaysia's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching USD113.82 billion (RM456.68 billion) from January to August of this year.