KINSHASA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Sino-Congolese conference on vocational and technical training was held on Monday in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

In his remarks, DRC Minister of State and Minister of Vocational Training Marc Ekila Likombio said vocational and technical education plays a key role in promoting the country's industrialization and improving youth employment.

The minister expressed the DRC's willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in this field, drawing on China's experience in technical training, skills development and school-enterprise partnerships.

Chinese Ambassador to the DRC Zhao Bin said the DRC is at a critical stage of socio-economic transformation, with growing demand for skilled technical workers.

He said that China attaches great importance to cooperation with the DRC in vocational training and will continue to tailor training programs to local needs, particularly in infrastructure, mining, agriculture, healthcare and information technology.

The ambassador added that practical cooperation between China and the DRC has yielded tangible results, with Chinese enterprises having created more than 100,000 direct jobs in the DRC and carried out corporate social responsibility projects that benefited over 300 local communities.

China hopes to use the event as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation in vocational training and trade for the benefit of both peoples, Zhao added.

Representatives from the government, business and education sectors of both countries attended the event, along with more than 800 Congolese trainees. Enditem