Thirteen new professions, mostly hi-tech-related such as artificial intelligence (AI) technician, the Internet of Things (IoT) technician, big data technician and cloud computing technician, were jointly released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Bureau of Statistics in April.

They are defined as new since they are not included in China's Catalogue of Professions that was first published in 1999 and revised in 2015. The catalogue initially listed 1,838 professions, which were reduced to 1,481 in the revised version.

The new professions reflect the social and economic development of the country in recent years, as the Chinese Government has promoted these emerging hi-tech industries since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. The number of professionals employed in these industries has kept surging, forming a stable group of employees with high educational levels and strong technological expertise.

The emergence of the 13 new professions is a reflection of the vitality of the Chinese economy, as they are injecting new impetus into China's development. Currently, the Chinese economy is transitioning from high-speed to high-quality growth, which poses new requirements for labor. The release of these new professions indicates that China has successfully cultivated workers who meet the requirements for this growth type and will promote sustainable growth.

These professions also represent the hot areas of development for the country's future. China is gearing up for Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution featuring automation and data exchange in the manufacturing industry. The 13 professions represent the new trend. In order to cultivate more professionals to satisfy the needs of China's economic development in the future, many Chinese universities have set up majors related to AI and the IoT.

The 13 new professions will not be the last ones. As China's economy develops, more such professions will emerge in the future.