Foreign
E China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port strives to become world-class port

By Zhang Weihao, People’s Daily
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China’s Zhejiang province, the world’s first port to achieve an annual cargo throughput of over one billion tonnes, contributes significantly to the stable operation of China’s foreign trade industrial and supply chains as well as the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.
During the first half of this year, the port saw its cargo throughput climb 6 percent year-on-year to 679 million tonnes, while its container throughput rise 1.2 percent, compared to the same period last year, to 17.68 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), according to data released by the operator of the port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd., on July 7, 2023.
Burgeoning ports promise booming trade. Ports are considered a barometer of a country’s foreign trade and national economic development. In recent years, cities across China have leveraged smart manufacturing to boost efficient operation of ports, empowered the construction of smart ports with digital technologies, and facilitated green development of ports with sci-tech innovations.
Thanks to these efforts, the country’s key shipping routes have enjoyed unimpeded, efficient, stable, and orderly operations, playing a positive role in guaranteeing the stability of industrial and supply chains. By helping better unleash the potential of the Chinese economy, these ports inject new impetus into global economic growth.
As China’s busiest port, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port enjoys favorable geographical location and superior natural conditions. It lies at the meeting point of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, backed by the Yangtze River Delta economic circle, and facing the main maritime shipping routes on the Pacific Ocean.
The port is one of the few deep-water ports in the world. The main channels of its core port area are over 22.5 meters deep, allowing 300,000-tonnage vessels to freely enter and depart the port, while 400,000-tonnage vessels can enter and depart the port during high tides.
The port also boasts first-class infrastructure. It has over 200 berths for 10,000-tonne vessels and above and more than 120 large and extra-large deep-water berths for 50,000-tonne vessels and above, making it the port with the most large and extra-large deep-water berths in the Chinese mainland.
Because of its unparalleled strengths, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has ranked first in the world in annual cargo throughput for 14 consecutive years. Last year, it handled 33.35 million TEUs of containers, maintaining its position as the world’s third largest port in terms of container throughput.
The port is also the second largest port in China in terms of sea-rail intermodal cargo transportation volume. It operates 23 sea-rail intermodal train routes, providing services covering 63 prefecture-level cities in 16 provinces across the country.
The port has opened 122 shipping routes connecting China and countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and has increased its number of maritime shipping routes to Central and Eastern Europe to 14. Last year, the port and five ports in Central and Eastern Europe handled 769,000 TEUs of containers for foreign trade between China and Central and Eastern Europe, up 16.5 percent compared to the previous year.
On July 5, 2023, 400,000-tonne mining vessel Ore Brasil docked slowly at the No. 1 berth of the Shulanghu ore transfer terminal of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port with the help of several tugboats. With this, all 68 mining vessels with the largest capacity of 400,000 tons in the world had sailed to the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, fully demonstrating the port’s advantage of being a comprehensive hub port.
At present, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is striving to usher in a new phase of growth by advancing smart port construction and promoting green and low-carbon transformation.
The terminal in the Meishan port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has significantly improved operational efficiency through intelligent facilities, such as unmanned container trucks and remotely controlled automated gantry cranes and bridge cranes.
In an effort to enhance energy conservation and cut carbon emissions, the terminal has adopted photovoltaic technology to provide solar power for some of its equipment. Meanwhile, it has achieved 100-percent shore-side power coverage, providing clean energy to ships berthed at the port area.
The busy and thriving scenes and streams of substantive data from the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port inspire confidence and hearten people.
With over 300 container shipping routes linking more than 600 ports in over 200 countries and regions, the port has woven a maritime shipping and trade network that connects China to the rest of the world, contributing to China’s efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows.
Foreign
China’s new chapter in global innovation

By Gu Yekai, Liu Yiqing, People’s Daily
At a smart construction project site managed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a quiet technological revolution is underway. Amid cranes and concrete, engineers are deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could fundamentally reshape the construction industry.
Li Fengjian, an AI specialistwith Xianyuan Technology, detailed how the company’s latest intelligent system – built on a large model – adapts to complex construction environments.”Engineering machinery equipped with intelligent agents can adjust its operations automatically in response to weather conditions,” Li explained, adding that a spatiotemporal sensing network further enhances the system, providing real-time tracking of both personnel and materials throughout the construction site.
In February this year, Xianyuan Technology rapidly integrated its self-developed model with DeepSeek-R1, effectively blending a general-purpose framework with industry-specific models. This integration, Li noted, has produced a solution capable of delivering expert-level performance in challenging, dynamic environments. The firm is based in the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, aburgeoning AI incubator that now hosts over 200 innovative enterprises.
China’s technological transformation extends well beyond the construction sector. Overthe past three decades, the country has evolved from its initial forays into internet connectivity to becoming a key player in global digital innovation.
Here, a steady stream of technological innovations are emerging, from the early days of emails and web browsing to the cutting-edge technologies represented by DeepSeek and the dynamic evolution of social media.
Wu Jianping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and headof the Zhongguancun Laboratory, pointed out that while China had introduced only one internet standard before 2005, it now contributes to over 200 worldwide. Such strides illustrate the country’s concerted push toward high-level technological self-reliance – a journey marked by both persistence and determination.
Beyond the digital realm, China is makingsignificant inroads in aerospace, new energy, and other high-tech sectors. It has transitioned from being a follower to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders, and in some areas, even taking the lead. Wu attributed these achievements to a dynamic ecosystem of policy reforms and talent cultivation that encourages creativity and technical expertise at every level.
Amid intensifying international competition, collaborative research and the integration of new technologies with traditional industries are central to China’s high-quality economic development.
Mei Linhai, a researcher at China’s State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Intelligence, remarked that the age of AI calls for continuous exploration. “In this era, everyone is an innovator. Only by persistently pushing the boundaries can we remain at the forefront of both technological and industrial development,” Mei observed.
In the field of general-purpose AI, Mei emphasized that independent innovation is paramount. He advocates for a self-driven industrial ecosystem that leveragesbreakthrough technologies to boost productivity and unlock new possibilities, Mei said.
Foreign
Chinese democracy in action:a village bench meeting shapes national law

By Wei Zhezhe, Liu Botong, People’s Daily
In a modest corner of Jiangmen, south China’s Guangdong province, residents of Weidong village are experiencing firsthand a form of democracy that starts at the grassroots level and reverberates all the way to Beijing.
Wu Tengxin, a local villager who relies on a scooter for daily mobility after contracting polio, recalls a time when the village’s public spaces were ill-equipped for people with disabilities. Now, thanks to a simple suggestion made during a meeting, his everyday life has changed.
In November 2022, a team from a local legislative outreach office – a branch of China’sNational People’s Congress (NPC) – visited Weidong village and set up a “bench-style meeting.” Residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, gathered to voice their concerns about inadequate accessibility.
Amid the conversation, Wu offered a straightforward proposal: “I hope rural accessible facilities can be improved to make mobility easier for people with disabilities and the elderly.” His words were relayed verbatim to lawmakers.
The response was swift. On June 28, 2023, at the third session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, legislators passed a law on building a barrier-free living environment. The law stipulates that improvements”shall align with social and economic development levels, coordinate urban and rural progress, and gradually narrow the gap in infrastructure between urban and rural areas.”
Today, Wu observes that the village’s main roads and public squares have been upgraded with accessibility features that make getting around considerably easier.
This episode illustrates what Chinese officials call “whole-process people’s democracy” – a system where citizen input is woven into every stage of policy development.
Jilie Ziri, head of Abuluoha village in Butuo county, southwest China’s Sichuan province, remarked that for young generations in China, democracy has become a lived experience. “Villagers are the masters of village affairs,” he said, emphasizing how active villager participation has injected new vitality into local governance.
Experts point to consultative democracy as a cornerstone of this process. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, underscores the important role of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, whose members hail from every stratum of society and bring a wealth of expertise and connections.
Their regular forums, field research, and public consultations have created robust channels for citizens to contribute ideas and forge consensus.”This approach gathers collective wisdom and transforms public voices into policy,” Tao said.
Another crucial manifestation is the effectiveness of China’s political party system. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Chinese democratic parties actively fulfill their duties, offering recommendations that often translate into concrete policy decisions. This integrated approach demonstrates the unique strengths of China’s political system and the advantages of whole-process people’s democracy.
Tao emphasized that whole-process people’s democracyhas evolved into an efficient and dynamic democratic practice – one that not only reflects the essence of socialist democracy but also presents a pioneering model of political civilization, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global governance and democratic development.
Foreign
Chinese modernization: blueprint for global progress

By He Yin, People’s Daily
At China’s recent annual “two sessions,” Chinese modernization once again captured global attention. International observers are closely following a range of new measures designed not only to accelerate Chinese domestic transformation but also to unlock fresh opportunities for global development.
They believe that Chinese modernization, built on a foundation of openness and cooperation, will continue to yield global benefits with each new milestone.
Today, China stands as a formidable force in the global economy – accounting for around 18 percent of the global economy and nearly 30 percent of world manufacturing output. Year after year, the nation has contributed about 30 percent to global economic growth. With import and export records with almost all countries and regions designated in the United Nations Statistics Division, the country is a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions. In 2024, its exports to over 160 countries and regions saw growth.
Often hailed as the “world’s largest developing country,”the “second-largest economy,””world’s factory,””global market,” and “innovation powerhouse,” China is increasingly viewed as a beacon of stability and progress.
In recent years, high-profile events such as the seventh China International Import Expo – where intended deals exceeded $80 billion – and the establishment of over 1.239 million foreign-invested enterprises have reinforced the nation’s reputation as a vast, dynamic market.
Meanwhile, policies encouraging Chinese companies to “go global” have seen a steady stream of new technologies, goods, and services permeate international markets, knitting the country ever tighter into global value chains and bolstering its commitment to win-win cooperation.
The influence of Chinese modernization is evident far beyond its borders. In the Central African Republic, President Faustin-Archange Touadera has repeatedly screened China’s political documentary Carry the Reform Through to the End for cabinet discussions, while officialsin Uzbekistan are adapting China’s poverty-reduction experience to suit their national context. These moves challenge the assumption that modernization must follow Western models, suggesting that China’s alternative pathway offers a viable route to development.
Beyond economic growth, Chinese modernization is increasingly celebrated for its potential to foster win-win cooperation and shared prosperity.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for example, Kazakhstan secured its first maritime access and Laos launched its first modern railway. Support from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has propelled over 160 projects, benefiting more than 30 million people. Moreover, China has given all the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, signaling its commitment to an open and inclusive global economy.
China’s modernization agenda also tackles global challenges head on. In response to global environmental risks, China advocates for building a community of all life on the Earth. To bridge the digital and AI divide, it has launched the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All to ensure that technological advancements benefit every corner of the globe.
On the security front, China continues to promote dialogue and reconciliation in conflict zones while engaging in multilateral security collaborations, reinforcing its reputation as a nation committed to peace and stability.
By proposing initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilizations Initiative, China is not just charting its own course toward modernization but championing an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization – one that seeks to ensure that no nation is left behind on the path to prosperity.
The global appeal of Chinese modernization is far from accidental. Decades of reform and opening up have accelerated its development while enabling the country to contribute to global governance. On the international stage, it has taken on a leadership role – actively shaping global norms, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and advancing world peace and development. By sharing its successful experiences and technological advancements, the country seeks to help other developing countries chart their own courses toward progress.
With over 1.4 billion people engaged in this modernization journey – a number that surpasses the total population of all developed countries combined – China’s approach is redefining the global modernization landscape. For China, modernization is not solely a national endeavor but a blueprint for global progress – a vision that promises a more inclusive future for all.
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