The China-ASEAN education and talent exchange mechanism holds profound significance for regional connectivity, people-to-people bonds, and shared development,” said Tanvir Ahmad Bhatti, Pakistani Consul General in Chengdu.

He was speaking at a parallel forum themed “China-ASEAN Conference on International Talent Development and Smart Education Cooperation in the Digital Era,” held during the 2026 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Thursday.

The 19th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, jointly hosted by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the Guizhou Provincial Government, runs from July 28 to August 2 at its permanent venue in Guiyang, under the theme “Empowering a Shared Future through Smart Education.” Since its launch in 2008, the event has attracted participants from nearly 90 countries and regions, involving over 8,000 institutions and more than 54,000 attendees.

The platform has also spurred closer economic and trade ties, yielding a series of mutually beneficial cooperation projects. Bhatti noted that this Southwest China-based platform offers an irreplaceable channel for deepening educational cooperation among Pakistan, China, and ASEAN nations.

He added that Pakistan’s educational cooperation vision is rooted in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 2025 address at Tsinghua University, where he reaffirmed education as the most powerful driver of national progress, regional prosperity, and inter-civilization dialogue.

A flagship initiative is the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Programme for Training 1,000 Agricultural Graduates in China. Two batches have already completed training in Southwest China, returning home with practical, market-ready agricultural technologies to help boost crop yields and strengthen food security.

Beyond agriculture, Bhatti noted that Pakistan is now prioritizing technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

With over 60% of its 240 million population under 30, the country holds a vast demographic dividend that hinges on skilled vocational training.

“Our government is advancing comprehensive TVET reforms, and we view China’s mature, industry-integrated vocational education system as an invaluable model,” Bhatti said, adding that Pakistan seeks to expand all-round vocational cooperation with China, including joint construction of Luban Workshops and two-way teacher-student exchange programs.

To better support CPEC upgrading through talent exchange and build more effective matching platforms, the Consul General stressed that the consulate will focus on establishing a unified talent-matching platform, facilitating expert exchanges and technical guidance, and institutionalizing long-term cooperation mechanisms.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China