Abstract
The article is devoted to a new initiative of the Chinese government – the establishment of Luban workshops – a system of workshops where future specialists are trained in production automation and even traditional Chinese medicine. The author explores the history of the organization of workshops in different countries, their characteristics and peculiarities. This initiative can be considered as a new tool of “soft power”, which appeared in response to criticism and opposition to the development of the network of Confucius Institutes and other humanitarian-educational projects. Under the national global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing is gradually laying the foundations of its new international order and shaping its institutions beyond its borders in its own image. It can be said that this Chinese brand has also made a significant contribution to the development of international co-operation in professional culture and education.