Against the backdrop of the global automotive industry’s rapid transition toward electrification and low-carbon mobility, a new cross-regional consortium dedicated to cultivating high-skilled talent for the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector launched Friday in Bangkok, drawing together stakeholders from China and multiple Southeast Asian nations to advance cooperation in green transportation and technical vocational education.
This joint initiative unites leading NEV manufacturers, government regulatory bodies, industry associations and vocational education institutions from across China and ASEAN member states, creating a unified collaborative platform to develop joint training programs and formalize cross-border partnership agreements. Over 100 delegates from China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia gathered for the launch ceremony, which took place alongside the Thailand leg of the World New Energy Vehicle Congress, the global industry conference that kicked off the same day in the Thai capital.
Attendees at the event used the gathering to explore pathways to deepen collaborative work in intelligent energy systems, smart mobility solutions and next-generation green technology innovation. The initiative received formal backing from three major Chinese industry and education bodies: the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the National Steering Committee of Teaching for Automobile Vocational Education, and the China Society of Automotive Engineers.
Addressing attendees, CAST President Wan Gang noted that the global automotive sector is currently undergoing a profound structural transformation, shifting steadily toward electrification, intelligent connectivity and low-carbon operations. He emphasized that this industry-wide shift is fundamentally dependent on skilled human capital, with rising demands for advanced technical knowledge, upgraded practical skills, strong management capabilities and cross-cultural global competence among industry practitioners.
Against the backdrop of 2026 marking the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Wan explained that this new talent development platform is designed to drive coordinated technological innovation, joint workforce cultivation and expanded bilateral and multilateral cooperation between China and ASEAN nations.
The rapid growth of China’s NEV sector underscores the urgent need for expanded cross-border talent development: data from the China Passenger Car Association shows China’s domestic NEV retail sales hit roughly 12.81 million units in 2025, representing a 17.6% year-on-year increase. Exports of Chinese-branded NEVs surged even faster, jumping 139% year-over-year to 2.04 million units, meaning NEVs accounted for nearly half — 49.5% — of all Chinese brand vehicle exports last year.
Despite this rapid growth, stakeholders say the globalization of NEV talent still faces multiple persistent barriers, including fragmented international skill certification systems, uneven talent distribution across regions, and divergent cultural and regulatory frameworks between markets. Xu Nianfeng, secretary-general of the National Steering Committee of Teaching for Automobile Vocational Education, called on education regulators, industry groups and leading NEV manufacturers to work together to develop unified automotive competency standards and curriculum frameworks tailored to the specific industrial needs of different regional markets. He also highlighted the importance of establishing mutual recognition agreements for skill certifications, a policy change that would smooth cross-border talent mobility across the Asia-Pacific region.
As ASEAN’s central automotive manufacturing hub and one of the region’s fastest-growing NEV markets, Thailand has emerged as a top destination for Chinese NEV investment and a leading example of bilateral cooperation to build a skilled workforce aligned with global green growth trends. Yodsapol Venukosess, secretary-general of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission under Thailand’s Ministry of Education, noted that China’s global leadership in NEV innovation and production can support Thailand in building a domestic vocational training system aligned with the latest industry technological trends.
“We hope to strengthen such cooperation and create more opportunities in this green trend,” Yodsapol said.