China’s new global charm offensive: vocational training for the world, but is there a catch?

SINGAPORE: It was almost 9pm and Ms Angelica Zhang, a 31-year-old Singaporean tech professional, remained intently focused on the task at hand: adding the final touches to a delicate flower motif she was painting on a wooden bangle.
Guided by a seasoned arts teacher from southern China’s Guangdong province, Ms Zhang meticulously applied layer by layer of wax to complete the piece.
The three-hour workshop she was attending was organised and funded by Guangdong Industry Polytechnic University (GIPU) as part of its Qinggong programme, an annual initiative in Singapore since 2023. 
Held daily for a week at a private school in Singapore’s Mountbatten area, the workshop is part of China’s broader push to expand its global network of vocational training programmes and education centres.
The classes, offered free of charge, cover a range of topics such as Chinese lacquerware, paper quilling, and enamelwork. Each session typically sees around 20 to 30 participants and GIPU anticipated around 300 participants for this year’s campaign.
Last year, workshops ran for two weeks and drew over 500 participants, organisers say.
For years, China has been building an extensive network of vocational colleges and training centres around the world, a move which analysts say has been part of its soft approach to diplomacy. 
Attendees like Ms Zhang who sign up for workshops and classes, said they do so out of personal interest and appreciation for Chinese language and culture – and by extension, China. 
“China’s rich history and craftsmanship provide a wealth of knowledge,” she told CNA, adding that such classes were rare and usually expensive in Singapore. “Here, I learn directly from native experts and it is also a perfect opportunity to see if I want to pursue (the craft) on my own,” she said. 
The world’s second largest economy also boasts the largest overseas vocational training network, experts say – with over 200 institutes offering skills, academic, and language courses in 70 countries, according to official figures. 
Overseas workshops, classes and courses, usually funded by Chinese companies, institutions and local governments, are conducted by Chinese trainers and professionals and cover a wide range of fields, including technology, railway maintenance, traditional arts, Chinese cuisine, and medicine.
And recent remarks by Chinese officials show an intent to double down on expanding its vocational training footprint globally, despite criticism from the West.
The largest and most prominent of China’s vocational education initiatives is the Luban programme, launched by the Tianjin government as part of the ambitious yet contentious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The first Luban workshop was launched in Thailand at the Ayutthaya Technical College in 2016 and “addressed the needs of less affluent, developing countries”, experts say. 
While the BRI has been hailed for driving economic growth in developing countries by funding vital infrastructure like ports and railways, it has also faced criticism over concerns about debt dependency, environmental impact, and China’s geopolitical ambitions. 
But the Luban brand has been going strong in recent years.
According to Chinese media reports and official announcements, these workshops now operate in around 30 countries including Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia, Laos, and Cambodia, and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Tajikistan – as compared to just 20 countries 18 months ago. The scheme also extends beyond BRI states, with Chinese culinary courses in London and engineering and machinery courses in Portugal.
“(Some developing countries) may not be able to afford high-profile BRI projects like high-speed railways but might instead be willing to invest in enhancing their skilled workforce through assistance offered by China,” Dr Kong Tuan Yuen, a China observer and research fellow at the National University of Singapore, told CNA.
China also sees several advantages in funding and hosting vocational training programmes abroad, said Dr Rush Doshi, senior fellow for Asia studies and China Strategy Initiative director at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“Worker training is cheaper than traditional capital-intensive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects and is more popular given the focus on building skills,” he told CNA. “It’s also less controversial since worker training raises fewer concerns over corruption, resource extraction, debt traps, or military access than BRI infrastructure projects.”
Several Chinese-funded programmes, similar to the nature of GIPU’s Qinggong workshops in Singapore, have been introduced in recent years. 
These include the “Chinese Workshop” backed by the Chinese Education Ministry’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation; “Modern Craftsman College” led by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; and “Dayu College” run by Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute. 
To illustrate the pace of expansion, the Guangxi government announced in February that it had secured government support to establish 17 “Modern Craftsman Colleges” across Southeast Asia. To date, at least six of these colleges are already operating in countries such as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
The aim is to train “technical experts who are well-versed in Chinese technology, appreciate Chinese craftsmanship and are familiar with Chinese products,” wrote Mr Peng Binbai, director of the Chinese Education Ministry’s Department of Vocational and Adult Education, in a Jul 15 article published in a magazine dedicated to China’s international education sector.
In the piece, Mr Peng praised the growth of China’s international education sector, highlighting the benefits of expanding vocational training programmes abroad and expressing strong support for establishing more of these initiatives. 
“As Chinese companies broaden their international presence and participate in global capacity building, vocational education is vital for national development. It should meet the specific talent requirements of these enterprises by developing a training system that merges practical skills with academic credentials,” he wrote. 
He also noted that China was “rapidly advancing” and Luban workshops had a “crucial role” to play in countering Western influence and suppression.
“With the rise of the East and the decline of the West becoming notable trends… (Such schemes) play a crucial role in countering Western containment, it (also) supports China’s educational ambitions and aids the advancement of national diplomacy, while facilitating the global expansion of Chinese enterprises,” he said.
Beijing’s push to expand its overseas vocational schemes has drawn scrutiny from critics who have raised questions about government autonomy as well as financial transparency. 
Parallels have also been drawn with Confucius Institutes, which faced significant setbacks in the US in 2019 over accusations of serving as Chinese propaganda tools. Since 2004, these institutes have promoted Chinese language and culture worldwide through university partnerships, operating in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Concerns about Chinese government influence and security issues have led to their closure across the US, Canada, and Europe, though China continues to view them as platforms for cultural exchange.
A Washington Post article published on Jul 10 examined the global impact of Luban workshops and said they had “echoes of Confucius Institute learning centres.” 
“When they were first introduced in 2016, the workshops were a component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global network of infrastructure projects to cement China’s industrial power and economic influence,” the article said. 
“They have expanded in reach and sophistication, emblematic of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to extend his country’s soft power alongside its economic might, especially in the Global South. 
It added: “They showcase an accelerating effort by Beijing to wield its companies and educational institutes as an arm of diplomacy, positioning China as an alternative power and model to the United States by harnessing China’s technological prowess.” 
When asked about controversies surrounding Luban workshops and other overseas Chinese vocational programmes, Dr Lim Tai Wei, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, said China had framed these schemes as “acts of goodwill, focusing on relationship-building and talent development.” 
“It’s part of China’s charm offensive, and they are transparent about that,” Dr Lim told CNA, adding that “not all courses served a specific purpose or agenda” and much like physical BRI projects, it was up to recipient countries to “assess and weigh the costs and benefits” of any vocational training scheme before accepting it. 
He also noted that countries like the US, Japan and Germany, as well as global bodies like the World Bank, had also been implementing similar vocational training programmes for decades.
For example, the “BridgeUSA” training programme, managed by the US State Department, aims to “expose foreign professionals to American culture and provide them with training in US business practices relevant to their fields”, as stated on its webpage.
“The key to globalising such programmes is maintaining openness and transparency, as demonstrated by some countries and international bodies for decades,” Dr Lim said. “China, through its media and official channels, has also been striving to achieve this.”
As the demand for vocational education and training increases amid this era of rapid technological advancement, experts foresee Chinese vocational skills and training programmes to continue their rise around the world. 
Such schemes are unlikely to gain traction in western countries like the US, due to the current geopolitical climate, said Dr Lim from NUS.
“This includes the US, which is in the midst of an election season marked by strong bipartisan caution towards China,” he said, noting that developed nations already have established vocational training systems and a better grasp of their own social trends.
A representative from the agency coordinating the courses on behalf of Guangdong Industry Polytechnic University in Singapore told CNA that the institute plans to continue engaging with local partners to assess the needs of trainees.
For now, the focus will remain on Chinese handicraft and trending technological skill sets, which have garnered significant interest over the past two years.
Plans of possibly more new courses are welcomed by Singapore residents like Ms Crystal Wang, a masters student in finance, who is learning the basics of artificial intelligence at another Qinggong workshop by GIPU at the same location.
Ms Wang told CNA that she had discovered the class through the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu. 
“China is very advanced in AI with various practical applications in operation,” she said, citing how the class featured an advanced tech specialist from the university, offering hands-on experience in integrating AI functions into mobile phones.
“These courses will help me stay up to date with the latest trends, which could be useful in my studies or career,” she added.