SHANGHAI, Sept 25 (China Economic Net) - At the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, the world's largest and most influential vocational skills competition, Pakistan's cooking competitor Mohid Mehboob is showcasing more than culinary skills - he is sharing the flavors and traditions of his country.

Pakistan’s WorldSkills cooking competitor Mohid Mehboob is interviewed by CEN in Shanghai. [Photo/Wang Xiaotong]

“Pakistan is participating for the first time in WorldSkills,” Mohid said, noting that the team is competing in cooking, electrical installation and graphic design. For the cooking part, he said they had spent six months preparing, with continuous training and guidance from German experts. “So we are very well prepared,” he told CEN.

For Mohid, one of the best ways to introduce Pakistan to the world is through its spices. “The spice will be like garam masala,” he said, describing the aromatic and spicy blend as somewhat similar to Chinese five-spice. “We use it in almost every dish, from karahi to biryani.”

Maintaining a national identity while meeting international standards can be challenging, Mohid acknowledged. But distinctive spices offer a way to preserve that identity. “We use spices that are very rare, just as Chinese people do,” he said.

He also spoke warmly of his experience in China, praising the country’s cuisine and describing Shanghai as a very modern city with excellent infrastructure and impressive cars.

As a student at the College of Tourism & Hotel Management (COTHM), Mohid also expressed hope that the close friendship between China and Pakistan would lead to stronger cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). According to Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, a new China-Pakistan TVET initiative signed in January 2026 will train more than 50,000 Pakistani young people and develop around 2,000 master trainers over five years.