Shanghai welcomes WorldSkills participants: over 6,000 people from 70 countries
Skill knows no borders, and competition breeds progress. When young professionals from around the world gather to showcase their abilities, it is not just a contest — it is a celebration of labour, perseverance and the pursuit of excellence. WorldSkills reminds us that behind every achievement lie years of practice and dedication.
In recent days, many foreign delegations have arrived in Shanghai ahead of the 48th WorldSkills competition, which is expected to bring together more than 6,000 people from 70 countries and regions. This is the largest competition in the event's history. WorldSkills is a prestigious international event held every two years that brings together young professionals from around the world to compete in a wide range of professional and technical skills.
This year's competition will take place from September 22 to 27, and according to the organisers, more than 1,400 participants will compete in 64 areas across six sectors. Among those arriving was the Austrian delegation, which landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday morning. The team will compete in several categories, including baking, cosmetics, cooking, automotive technology and mechatronics. "Our team has about 50 participants and 50 experts. I am competing in the automotive technology category. And my goal is to win a gold medal," said a member of the Austrian delegation. "I am competing in the retail competition. And I am curious to see what I can achieve," said another Austrian participant.
With new delegations arriving in the coming days, special channels have been reserved for competition participants at Shanghai's two international airports, Pudong and Hongqiao, to ensure smooth and secure customs clearance. According to Shanghai Customs, an average of 59,000 arriving passengers pass through these two airports daily this month, up 6.6% from a year earlier. Numerous technological measures have also been introduced to speed up and improve the accuracy of baggage screening. "We use technological measures such as advanced machine inspection and intelligent CT-based image analysis to conduct full pre-screening of all checked baggage and intelligent screening of carry-on luggage. This will significantly improve screening accuracy while minimising inconvenience for travellers," said Zhang Guanyu, an officer at Hongqiao Airport Customs, a unit of Shanghai Customs.
As reported by CCTV+, Shanghai's preparations for WorldSkills demonstrate the scale of the event and the attention given to participants. Special channels and technological solutions help make the arrival of delegations fast and comfortable.
