BMTechnical and vocational education took centre stage in Malaysia-China relations last week, when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim used the WorldSkills Conference 2026 in Shanghai to argue that skills training must sit at the heart of national industrial strategy.
Speaking on 23 September at the plenary session, Anwar said Malaysia is placing TVET at the centre of its economic plans, noting that “a modern economy cannot function without the technicians who keep a semiconductor line running”, according to Malay Mail. He pointed to Malaysia’s target of RM500 billion in semiconductor investment by 2030 and its goal of developing 60,000 highly skilled engineers for the sector over the same period, as reported by The Star.
Behind those targets is a large training ecosystem. Under the National TVET Policy 2030, the National TVET Council coordinates around 1,400 institutions, with 12 ministries, state governments and private providers involved. Anwar said Malaysia is now implementing TVET 2.0 to bring industry more closely into skills training, with a focus on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and renewable energy.
China’s role in this picture is significant. Anwar highlighted China’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, robotics, industrial automation, electric vehicles and digital technologies, and proposed stronger TVET Malaysia China collaboration through student and instructor exchanges, joint training programmes, closer links between training centres and industry, and the sharing of technology and expertise. He cited the existing Malaysia-China TVET Youth Training programme, which offers opportunities to young people across ASEAN and emerging economies, as a model for this kind of cooperation. Malaysia also proposed a pilot ASEAN Digital Skills Passport to support cross-border recognition of technical certificates.
The message carried into the political sphere two days later. When Anwar met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Hangzhou on 25 September, both sides discussed cooperation in science and technology, digital trade and vocational skills development, The Star reported. Anwar described bilateral ties as built on trust and confidence, while Li called Malaysia-China relations a priority in China’s diplomacy and referred to the “Golden 50 Years” opened by President Xi Jinping’s April 2025 state visit. China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching US$113.82 billion in January to August 2026.
For organisations working on Malaysia-China education cooperation, these developments are encouraging. High-level attention to vocational skills tends to translate into practical openings: exchange placements, instructor training, recognised certification and industry attachments. It also reinforces the case that Malaysia-China cultural exchange and education links are not separate from economic partnership, but part of what makes it work, since people who have studied, trained and lived in each other’s societies build the trust that trade and investment rely on.
At the Malaysia-China Culture and Education Association (MCCEA), we will continue to follow how these announcements are translated into concrete programmes, and to support the students, educators and institutions who will carry this cooperation forward.
Sources: The Star, “Malaysia-China to deepen TVET cooperation, says Anwar” (23 September 2026); Malay Mail, “Anwar: Malaysia needs skilled workers to power its next economic leap” (23 September 2026); The Star, “Malaysia-China ties built on trust” (25 September 2026).
中文摘要
马来西亚首相安华于9月23日在上海世界技能大赛会议上表示，马来西亚将技职教育置于工业战略的核心，并提出与中国深化马中技职教育合作，包括师生交流、联合培训以及加强培训中心与产业的联系。两天后，安华在杭州与中国国务院总理李强会面，双方谈及科技、数字贸易与职业技能发展等合作领域。这些进展显示，马中教育与马中文化交流正与经济合作相辅相成。马中文化教育协会将持续关注并推动相关合作。
About MCCEA: Malaysia-China Culture and Education Association (MCCEA), Registration No. PPM-034-10-08072025, is dedicated to advancing cooperation between Malaysia and China in culture, education and TVET, with ASEAN and the international community in view. Website: www.mccea.org.my
