Skill power as soft power? China’s Luban workshops and the transformation of Sino-African relations

Skill power as soft power? This article introduces “skill power” as a novel mechanism of state influence grounded not in cultural appeal but in the strategic provision of technical and vocational competencies that generate attraction through demonstrable outcomes. Drawing on comparative discourse and document analysis of China’s Luban Workshops in Kenya and Ethiopia, we identify two divergent of skill power: Kenya’s model emphasizes rapid digital skills acquisition, vendor-linked certification and entrepreneurship aligned with the national digital economy agenda, whereas Ethiopia’s approach prioritizes industrial automation capabilities and trainer-of-trainers diffusion across national vocational systems. Across both cases, influence operates through three mechanisms: human capital formation linked to employability outcomes, institutional embedding of pedagogical practices and technical standards, and ecosystem entrenchment through vendor-associated technologies and certifications. However, these gains entail technological path dependencies because vendor-specific training and equipment ecosystems may constrain host-country technological choice. The study therefore conceptualizes skill power as a relational and conditional form of influence, whose durability depends on local ownership, institutional capacity, technological diversification, and alignment with national development priorities. We conclude with policy recommendations for national skills compacts, technology-neutral curricula and joint lifecycle financing to maximize developmental benefits while safeguarding technological pluralism and long-term institutional sustainability.