China aims to cultivate about 62,000 master artisans by 2035

China aims to cultivate a first-class industrial workforce with a view to providing strong talent and skill support for the building of a great country, and for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.

Through deepening reforms in the building of its industrial workforce, the country aims to foster approximately 2,000 national-level master artisans, 10,000 provincial-level master artisans and 50,000 city-level master artisans who are highly knowledgeable and have high levels of technical and innovative skills by 2035, according to a set of guidelines issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

To adapt to the needs of new industrialization, the country will promote modern vocational education, increase efforts to foster talent with comprehensive technical skills, and refine the lifelong vocational skills training system for industrial workers, aiming to cultivate urgently needed talent for the development of new quality productive forces and the promotion of high-quality development, according to the guidelines.

The country will promote continuing education projects for industrial workers by encouraging more colleges and universities to establish classes and advanced training courses for craftspeople, model workers and technical talent.

The world's second-largest economy will also encourage manufacturing enterprises to implement fundamental industrial skills training projects for workers and offer support plans for talent.

Efforts will also be made to attract more young people to join the ranks of industrial workers through strengthened policy support and employment-related services, and through the establishment of match-making platforms for colleges and companies.

The country will also strengthen skills training for migrant workers and help them integrate into cities more effectively by easing policies related to their permanent urban residency registration, helping migrant workers gain equal access to basic urban public services, according to the guidelines.

The European Central Bank (ECB) decided on Thursday to cut its key interest rates by 25 basis points at its rate-setting meeting.

With this adjustment, the interest rates for the deposit facility, the main refinancing operation, and the marginal lending facility are now set at 3 percent, 3.15 percent and 3.4 percent respectively, the bank said in a statement.

The decision to lower interest rates was "based on its updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission," the statement said.

This marks the ECB's fourth rate cut this year, reducing rates from their historical highs.