Greater potential

With advancement of the BRI, and China's optimized COVID-19 policies, which led to a rebound in international travel, many industry insiders expect the full potential for developing more Luban Workshops to be unleashed.

Last month, Xi announced at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, that Beijing would continue to set up more Luban Workshops in Central Asia, and help countries in this region develop high-caliber talent.

In October, Kazakhstan is set to become the second Central Asian nation to host a Luban Workshop, after Tajikistan.

An agreement signed last month between Tianjin Vocational Institute and East Kazakhstan Technical University will lead to the two institutions working toward opening a Luban Workshop in October. Both sides will work together to buy equipment, construct facilities and train faculty members.

Meng Zheng, deputy director of Tianjin Vocational Institute's international exchanges department, said the workshop in Kazakhstan will prioritize training for local students on new energy vehicles and the internet of vehicles — areas that are short of skills in that country.

"We are seeking to use Chinese strengths and training in these fields to fill the gaps in Kazakhstan," he said.

In Kyrgyzstan, Niva Yau, a resident researcher at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, the capital, wrote in a coauthored research note that more Luban Workshops could be established as Chinese companies in Central Asia increasingly employ locals.

With the adaptable nature of China's overseas economic policy, the workshops could evolve well with the changing needs of emerging economies, she wrote.

"The key is that the Chinese government has been willing to listen to host countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and marshal plans to transfer industrial skills to these economies," she added.