Guangzhou, 3 July 2026 – Fostering regional cooperation and technical excellence, the CICA Skills Competition officially concluded in Guangzhou, China. Themed “Trust & Skills, Craft our Future” and hosted by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and Guangdong Lingnan Institute of Technology, the event provided an effective platform for advancing technical exchange and building mutual trust.
During the closing ceremony on July 3, representatives from the Foreign Ministries of China and Azerbaijan, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou Municipality and the ACFTU marked the successful conclusion of the competition, noting its impact in fostering people-to-people connections, inclusion and social cohesion.
Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Ms. Ma Lu of the ACFTU, underscored that CICA serves as an important multilateral mechanism for elevating professional standards across the continent. She noted that the event provided a unique opportunity for workers from CICA Member and Observer States to demonstrate their high-level technical skills, underscoring that national development relies on such high-quality labor.
Highlighting the ACFTU’s 100th Anniversary in 2025, an occasion marked by President Xi Jinping’s call to enhance worker talent for international outreach, Ms. Ma Lu reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to these goals by intensifying efforts to foster professional talent, promote technical excellence and expand practical cooperation across CICA.
Addressing the participants, CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay noted that professional skills today extend beyond technical expertise, acting as drivers of innovation, social advancement and long-term sustainable growth.
He further emphasized that with technological change and digitalization reshaping the global economy, vocational education and technical excellence have become essential pillars for economic integration and regional resilience.
Navigating these complex shifts demands continuous learning and strengthened international cooperation. In this context, Secretary General Sarybay highlighted China's commitment as an active Member State to contributing its expertise to support CICA’s shared goals. He concluded that initiatives like Skills Competition in Guangzhou are instrumental in advancing CICA's ongoing transformation into an action-oriented organization, directly fostering regional trust through meaningful practical cooperation.
Mr. Javid Nasirli, Deputy Director of the Regional Security of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, stressed that the Azerbaijani Chairmanship’s firm commitment to advancing the organization’s agenda and emphasized that practical engagement at various level plays a crucial role in strengthening regional cohesion and implementing confidence building measures.
Ambassador of the MFA of China Mr. Yan Wenbin emphasized the growing international role of CICA, reaffirming China’s steadfast support for the organization. He noted that China’s commitment to the CICA process is a long-standing priority, dating back to its two terms as Chair. Building upon this legacy of leadership, all initiatives championed by Beijing, including this competition, are designed to strengthen dialogue and multifaceted cooperation.
In this spirit, Mr. Zhang Guang, Director General of the China Workers’ Center for International Exchange of the ACFTU, unveiled the "Initiative on CICA Worker Skills Exchange", aiming to foster talent development and deepen practical collaboration across the continent.
The discussion on China’s significant contribution to the CICA process was further continued on the sidelines of the event during Secretary General Sarybay’s meeting with Ambassador Yan Wenbin. Secretary General Sarybay expressed his deep appreciation for Beijing’s financial and human resource contributions, as well as its proactive engagement in implementing confidence building measures. The sides also reviewed the current CICA agenda, including preparations for the upcoming CICA Summit in Baku.
CICA Skills Competition brought together 73 participants from 18 Member States and 5 Observer States. Contestants demonstrated their expertise across three specialized disciplines, including bricklaying, UAV assembly and the intelligent operation and inspection of high-voltage cables. A total of 41 contestants earned medals, with first-place medals awarded to participants from China and Mongolia in bricklaying, China and Uzbekistan in UAV assembly, and China and Pakistan in high-voltage cable operation.
Beyond the competitive events, the program emphasized innovation and knowledge exchange through thematic seminars and technical visits. Participants visited leading Chinese enterprises and vocational institutions, such as XPENG Motors’ intelligent manufacturing base, China Southern Power Grid Science and Technology Exchange Center and Guangzhou GSK Vocational Training Institute. Thematic seminars explored Guangdong’s approach to vocational education and industrial competitiveness, alongside practical applications of drone technologies for intelligent infrastructure inspection.
To commemorate the competition, contestants from the bricklaying category combined their skills to construct a special commemorative wall on the campus of Guangdong Lingnan Institute of Technology.
