The 2017 China International Skills Competition opened in Shanghai and neighboring Suzhou, Jiangsu province, today.

More than 240 contestants from 35 countries and regions will compete today and tomorrow in 21 categories, including woodwork, vehicle repair, mobile robotics, hairdressing and baking.

Seventy-six contestants are from China.

Shanghai is in the running along with Switzerland to host WorldSkills 2021, which is a competition held by WorldSkills, a global organization that promotes skills excellence and development. The final decision will be made in October.

"All countries require a vast pool of skilled workers who have been trained to use their heads, hearts and hands," said Simon Bartley, president of WorldSkills International, the organization’s nonprofit member association.

"Work that concentrates on using hands is really important. Without it, a country cannot survive or prosper economically in the global market."