At a time when Tianjin is going all out to contain its current COVID-19 outbreak, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College, a co-founder of the Thailand Luban Workshop, has sent encouragement to faculty and students of Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College (TBVTC) and Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College (TRTVC), as well as all the people of Tianjin. 

Representatives from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College give their best wishes to Tianjin residents. [Photo/Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College]

"Hope that you are safe and sound, being protected from the dangers of the virus. Wish you all the best and happiness for the whole family. With unity and concerted efforts, we will get through this crisis together!" 

Luban Workshops, initiated by Tianjin, are programs designed to offer high-end technical skills training that can help college students meet requirements of the emerging global market.

The Thailand Luban Workshop was the first to be established. Supported by the TBVTC and the TRTVC, it has ushered in a new chapter in China-Thailand cooperation in vocational education and set a good example for the internationalized development of Chinese vocational education.

The new COVID-19 outbreak in Tianjin is the first time that locally transmitted cases of the Omicron variant have been discovered at the community level on the Chinese mainland.

The city launched mass nucleic acid testing on Jan 9. As of 3 pm the next day, samples from more than 9.6 million people had been collected, and 1,152 close contacts of confirmed cases had been identified. Around 75,000 people have been quarantined.