From April 23 to 25, 2021, more than 50 colleges and universities and more than 130 expert representatives in China gathered together in Hainan College of Economics and Business to hold the preparatory work meeting of China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" international skills competition. The meeting was hosted by Tang International Education Group, undertaken by Hainan College of Economics and Business, and co-organized by the National Joint Association for the Cooperation and Development of Secondary Vocational Education.

The“Crown Jewel”series of competitions with extensive influence in the ASEAN region were initiated by the chairman of the “One Belt and One Road” Foundation of Thailand and the deputy monk Wang Songde Thongchai, and with the supported by the Ministry of Education of Thailand and the China Embassy in Thailand. This series of Chinese and vocational skills competitions are for teachers and students in Southeast Asia.

The competition has been successfully held for 16 years, with a total of more than hundreds of thousands of participants, and has become the largest Chinese language competition activity organized by a single country which outside China. In 2019, Tang International Education Group was successfully held the first "Crown Jewel" competition, which aims to promote the alignment of Sino-Thai vocational education standards, and then help "Thailand 4.0" plan to connect with China's "one belt and one road" initiative.

Entrusted by Chairman Songde Tongchai, the sponsor of the competition, Tang International Education Group will cooperate with China and foreign’s education authorities, colleges and universities, institutions and other partners will jointly organize the China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" international skills competition for China and ten Southeast Asian countries.

The competition is divided into a secondary vocational group and a higher vocational undergraduate group, for teachers and students of vocational colleges and applied technology colleges in China and ASEAN countries, it has four competition tracks: Chinese + vocational skills, intangible cultural heritage, new infrastructure and industrial skills. The competition will implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, adhere to opening up and cooperation, unswervingly promote international education exchanges and cooperation, continuously enhance China's education international influence, and actively build a friendly exchanges cooperation platform between China and foreign countries; serving talents to strengthen the country and innovation-driven , "One Belt One Road" initiative and other major national strategies; jointly respond to global challenges and promote the common well-being of mankind. The competition will promote the communication of people between China and ASEAN countries, which deepen the cooperation between China and ASEAN countries’ vocational education, promote the professional improvement of vocational colleges in ASEAN countries, and help to training of skilled talents that required for industrial in China and ASEAN countries.

The opening ceremony of the meeting was presided over by Professor Li Deyi, Dean of the International Exchange College of Jinan Engineering Polytechnic, and organizer by Mr. Wan liwei, vice president of Hainan College of Economics and Business , and Mr. Jiao Mansheng, Secretary-General of the National Secondary Vocational Education Cooperation and Development Joint Association, Mr. Zhu Xiaowei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee of the World Vocational Education Conference and Exhibition, and President Li Jinsong of Tang International Education Group, the director of the competition delivered a speech to the conference and expressed the warm of congratulations on this success conference.

The Two experts, Mr. Wu Heping, Dean of the school of Northwest Normal University International Cultural Exchange Institute, and Mr. Du Xiuping, Vice Dean of International School of Education of Tianjin University, they have made wonderful sharing on the topics of "From emergency response to ecological construction: International Chinese education in the post epidemic era" and "Thinking on the path of internationalization of higher education and vocational education" separately. Mr. Zhuang Lei, Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the competition, he reported to the experts on the history, overall progress and work plan of the China ASEAN "Crown-Jewel" international skills competition.

During the meeting, the experts listened to the report of "Chinese + Vocational Skills" by Mr. Li Jinsong, President of Tang International Education Group and Ms. Wang Meng, manager of International Curriculum Cooperation and Construction Department.

The "Chinese + Vocational Skills and International Education Cooperation Theme Forum" was presided over Ms. Peng Yuhua, Vice president of Beijing Institute of Economic Management, he is also the director of the Executive Committee of this competition. Mr. Li Jinsong, President of Tang International Education Group, Mr. Wu Heping, Dean of Northwest Normal University International Cultural Exchange Institute, Professor Zheng Yanqun, a doctoral supervisor at Beijing Language and Culture University, Mr. Long Ting, Vice Dean of Jiangxi Tourism & Commerce Vocational College, Ms. Hu Yan, Deputy Secretary of Huanggang Polytechnic College, Mr. Wang Yanting, Vice Dean of CaoFeidian College of Technology, Mr. Chen Mingjuan, Vice President of Shanghai I&C Foreign Language School and other experts made wonderful speeches on the theme of Chinese + vocational skills and international education cooperation.

Ms. Peng Yuhua, as the lead person in charge of the "Chinese + Vocational Skills" delivered a keynote speech. She highly summarized the international education school’s development process, achievements and successful experiences, and expounded the planning vision of international education development during the “14th five-year Plan”. Ms. Peng Yuhua made three points on "Chinese + Vocational skills": from conceptually, the first, "Chinese" is China, "Wen" is language and culture, "Chinese" is China language and culture. Why use "Chinese" instead of "Mandarin"? Because "Chinese" covers "Mandarin", so use "Chinese" instead of "Mandarin". "Vocational" refers to a certain industry (student employment), "Skill" refers to technical, "Ability" refers to ability or potential, and "vocational skills" refers to the technical and ability to engage in a certain industry. The concept of "Chinese + vocational skills" can be summarized as using Chinese language learning as a platform to teach students vocational skills, develop vocational abilities and spread the Chinese excellent traditional culture, cultivate knowledge, love, and friendship and and serve their own economic and social development.

The second, it expounds the significance of "Chinese + Vocational skills". Ms. Peng Yuhua deeply elaborated on the political and economic significance of the country’s“Belt and Road” initiative, using educational diplomacy to serve country’s initiatives, serve enterprises to go abroad, and contribute Chinese wisdom, Chinese experience and Chinese solutions. The third is to report the "Chinese + Vocational Skills" competition’s objectives, tasks and plan. Beijing Institute of Economic Management will host the "Chinese + Vocational Skills" of the China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" International Skills Competition.

Wan Liwei, vice president of Hainan College of Economics and Business, gave a wonderful special report entitled "Accelerating the Internationalization of Education and Serving the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port". This paper introduces the great significance of international cooperation of education in the construction of Hainan free trade port, and she expresses high support for this competition.

Ms. Feng Chao, Dean of the International Education School of Shandong Polytechnic College, she shared the experience of the college’s international cooperation and the development of the "Chinese + Vocational Skills" project with the topic of "School-Enterprise Cooperation, Chinese Plus Skills Promoting the Construction of - The Belt and Road Initiative ."

During the conference, Mr. Qi Xiangyang, director of the Liaoning Petrocchemical Vocational And Technology, Mr. Hu Jingyu, a famous Chinese planner, Mr. Liu Ninghai, Dean of the School of Culinary Technology, Jiangsu College of Tourism, Mr. Zheng Hongcheng, Dean of the International College of Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College, Mr. He Hongjie, the leader of the non-heritage major of Beijing Fengtai Occupation Education Center School, and Mr. Wang Dayong, Dean of the Art and Design College of Guangdong Teachers College of Foreign Language and Art and other experts have gave a special report on the preparations for this competition. Ms. Li Huajie, China Chief Representative of the National academic degree Evaluation and Certification Center of the United Kingdom, has shared his the relevant experience. The experts at the meeting also discussed the significance, form, content, expected results, track framework and evaluation standards of the intangible cultural heritage track, the new infrastructure track, the industrial skills track, the track framework and evaluation standards, as well as supporting equipment for the event.

Mr. Zhuang Lei, Secretary General of the competition Executive Committee and director of vocational education business of Tang International Education Group, announced the list of experts that recommended by the competition executive committees, and set up working groups of each track to make corresponding preparations for the competition.

Looking back of 2020, with the support of Chairman of Thailand's "The Belt and Road Initiative" Foundation, Thailand Deputy Monk Wang Songde Tongchai, Ministry of Education of Thailand, Ministry of Education of Malaysia, and many well-known universities and vocational colleges in China, Tang International Education Group officially launched the preparatory work for this competition in China. This meeting is another important work after the launch of the China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" International skills Competition in 2020.

ASEAN is a friendly neighbor of China, which is linked by mountains and rivers and is close to each other. Since the launch of China-ASEAN cooperation, it has been working closely, taking the lead and standing at the forefront, and has become the most successful and dynamic model of a regional cooperation. For a long time, China-ASEAN relations have create few number of the firsts: China is the first country to join the “Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia” and establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. It is also the first major economy to establish a free trade area with ASEAN. In the year of 2020, the two sides became each other's largest trading partner for the first time, and jointly promote the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), establishing a free trade zone with the world’s largest population, largest economy and a great potential area for development, and achieved a historic breakthrough in this bilateral cooperation.

The preparatory work for this competition has been highly supported by the experts and the leaders of the universities. The successful of holding this meeting has laid a solid foundation for China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" international skills competition. The competition’s executive committees will continue to attract more experts to join in and continue to build a platform for international education and industrial exchange, and strive for more extensive support from the governments, institutions and organizations of China-ASEAN countries.

Build up the competition has China-ASEAN regional characteristics with a high-level of world influence, and international top-level skill event! Tang International Education Group will joint with all parties to host the China-ASEAN "Crown Jewel" International skills Competition, which will contribute to promoting educational cooperation between the both sides, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations and connecting the hearts and minds of the people.