Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) The Ministry of Labor welcomed the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) flag to Taichung Monday, saying the inclusion of Taiwan in the relay recognizes the island's importance at the largest vocational skills competition in the world.
In addition to showcasing Taiwan on the international stage, it also encourages local competitors, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun said at the flag relay ceremony, which was held in conjunction with the opening of the 48th National Skills Competition at the Workforce Development Agency's Taichung-Changhua-Nantou Regional Branch in Taichung.
The national competition event, which is being held at several locations in the central Taiwanese city, runs until Aug. 10.
The WorldSkills International currently has 79 member countries, most of which also organize national skills competitions at the local level. Taiwan is currently a member under the name Chinese Taipei.
WSC, the largest vocational skills competition in the world, is held every two years in different parts of the world.
The international leg of the WorldSkills Flag Relay started on March 12 in Madrid, Spain, and traveled to several countries including South Korea and Japan before arriving in Taiwan on Monday.
According to the WSC, after the international phase of the relay is complete, the flag will travel across Russia, including the Republic of Tatarstan, before arriving in Kazan for the opening ceremony of the 45th WorldSkills Kazan 2019.
At the previous event, held in Abu Dhabi last year, Taiwan won four gold, one silver and five bronze medals, as well as 27 medals of excellence, to finish fourth in the medals table.
