Photo taken on Oct 13, 2017 shows the meeting attended by members of the WorldSkills International in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Members of the WorldSkills International voted Friday that the 46th WorldSkills Competition would be held in the Chinese city of Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a video message in support for China's bid to host the WorldSkills Competition before the vote in Abu Dhabi. Xi said that on behalf of the Chinese government and people he firmly supports Shanghai's bid to host the 46th WorldSkills Competition in 2021, and gave his assurance that the city would be ready to host an innovative and influential event. Members of the WorldSkills International voted Friday that the 46th WorldSkills Competition would be held in the Chinese city of Shanghai. Xi said in his message before the vote that the competition would promote international exchanges and cooperation in vocational skills, drive the Chinese people especially nearly 200 million young people to take up new skills, and offer a chance for China to contribute to global skills development. The Chinese government is willing to be involved across the board and will continue to make its contribution to global poverty reduction and sustainable development, Xi said in the message. The bid team, including Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, and Ying Yong, mayor of Shanghai, gave presentations. The WorldSkills Competition dates back to 1950, when it was first held in Madrid, Spain. The biennial event seeks to increase the awareness and prestige of vocational and blue-collar professions. China first participated in the event in 2011. black rubber wristbandscustom silicone wristbands uk24hourwristbandscustom wristbands ukjordan wristband rubberfidget spinner bracelet
Beijing has unveiled its first batch of 682 civilian firefighters, recruited from the ranks of former soldiers and local youth. Fire and rescue services in China are permanently staffed by soldiers of the Armed Police Force and fall under the Ministry of Public Security. However, in April, the Beijing city government approved a plan to recruit civilians as firefighters under contracts. Former soldiers under 38 years old who previously served in fire brigades account for 20 percent of the new recruits, while civilians under 30 from Beijing represent 80 percent. "It's necessary to recruit these firefighters because the officers and firefighters in active service are too few," said Liu Wuliang, director of the civilian-staffed fire brigade. "The number of fire protection sites increased after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and we need more firefighters on duty." The firefighters passed a strict three-month selection process, including interviews, health checks, fitness tests and psychological tests. The enrolled firefighters joined a monthlong intensive training program in July, during which they went through enhanced physical training, including pushups, situps and running. Basic skills required for firefighters were also practiced, such as wearing breathing apparatus, connecting fire hoses and using personal rescue ropes. The firefighters were also required to walk into high-temperature rooms and find and rescue people in dense smoke in a simulated environment. "The training in July was the first phase of our training plan. They will receive the second phase of training after they are assigned to different fire squadrons," Liu said. The firefighters work under contract for three years, and will be assigned to fire squadrons around Beijing, he said. They will work four days on duty and two days off, and are on call 24 hours a day when at work. The income of the firefighters is around 100,000 yuan ($14,900) per year before taxes. Cheng Si contributed to this story.
