Foreign
Zhejiang pilot FTZ an important hub for opening up in east China

By Jiang Nan, Dou Hanyang, People’s Daily
The China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, unveiled on April 1, 2017, is among the third batch of China’s pilot free trade zones (FTZs). Since its founding, the Zhejiang pilot FTZ has embraced rapid development and continuously contributed to the high-quality development of the open economy.
Last year, the Zhejiang pilot FTZ, occupying less than 1/400 of Zhejiang province’s total area, accounted for 6.5 percent of the newly registered enterprises, 9.2 percent of the tax revenue, 20.6 percent of the foreign trade volume, and 18.1 percent of the actual utilization of foreign capital in the province.
At present, the Zhejiang pilot FTZ has adopted a “four-area” development model, with each area having a strategic focus based on its strengths. The Zhoushan area is developing as an oil and gas free trade hub; the Ningbo area focuses on logistics and transportation; the Hangzhou area is emerging as a digital free trade zone; the Jinyi area is dedicated to commerce and trade.
The Yiwu International Trade Market, which is located in the Jinyi area, is the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities. Selling 2.1 million categories of small commodities to over 230 countries and regions, it fuels the development of 2.1 million small and medium-sized enterprises and supports jobs for 32 million people.
The Jinyi area cooperates with some 40 cross-border e-commerce platforms around the world, and is working to continuously improve the support system for digital trade sectors such as cross-border e-commerce. Besides, it is also optimizing its trade models, and has built an official website market “chinagoods.com.”
According to an official, the Yiwu International Trade Market boasts 75,000 business stalls. In the past, purchasers had to go from stall to stall searching for the items they wanted, which was both tiring and time-consuming.
Today, thanks to the efforts to streamline procurement processes, purchases can be made swiftly and thus the trade volume has been significantly improved.
The Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train route, which starts from the Jinyi area, has developed into one of the China-Europe freight train routes with the most operating lines and highest loading efficiency since it was launched nine years ago. Today, with the train service heading west by land, and the Yiwu-Ningbo-Zhoushan corridor going east by sea, goods and commodities are flowing steadily from the Jinyi area to the world.
Over the past three years, the Ningbo area of the Zhejiang pilot FTZ has been continuously promoting trade liberalization and facilitation, further consolidating and enhancing its status as a global cross-border trade hub.
In 2022, the cargo throughput at Ningbo Zhoushan port reached 1.26 billion tons, ranking first globally for 14 consecutive years. The container throughput reached 33.35 million twenty-foot equivalent units, maintaining its position as the third largest globally.
From January to August this year, Beilun district, where the Ningbo area is located, achieved a total import and export volume of 295.4 billion yuan ($40.37 billion).
The Hangzhou area of the Zhejiang pilot FTZ is leading the way in integrating high-standard digital trade rules, exploring the establishment of a comprehensive institutional framework for the development of digital trade, and nurturing digital industry clusters with international competitiveness.
Currently, Hangzhou’s cross-border e-commerce retail export platforms account for two-thirds of China’s total, and its cross-border payment and settlement volume represents 40 percent of the country’s cross-border e-commerce exports.
In the first half of this year, Hangzhou’s digital service trade volume increased by 19.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Knowledge-intensive service trade accounted for over 80 percent of service trade, surpassing the national average.
In the hall of the Zhejiang Mercantile Exchange, a giant electronic screen is eye-catching. The screen displays not only the trading prices of various oil products, but also China’s Zhoushan LSFO (low sulphur fuel oil) bonded bunker price, known as the “Zhoushan price.”
“The market share of enterprises currently participating in Zhoushan’s bonded bunker price reporting has increased to 84 percent in the local bonded bunkering market,” said Lai Xin, chairman of the Zhejiang Mercantile Exchange. He noted that the “Zhoushan price” was officially introduced on June 21, 2021, marking an important institutional innovation achievement of the Zhoushan area.
“This mechanism breaks the monopoly of overseas markets on LSFO pricing,” Lai stated. In the past, China’s domestic oil and gas trading market lacked pricing power, but now with the “Zhoushan price,” it can effectively promote the use of RMB pricing in the bonded LSFO bunkering sector, and gradually increase the international influence of China’s spot price for bonded bunker fuel.
The Zhoushan area continues to build an international oil and gas industry cooperation platform with global influence. This has led to a spillover effect of expanded industrial chains and outward development in refining, storage, shipping and more. Consequently, the Zhoushan area is seeing the rapid emergence of a trillion-yuan oil and gas industry cluster.
Currently, the Zhoushan area is home to 12,700 oil and gas companies. In 2022, its oil and gas trade volume reached 776.123 billion yuan. Over the past 6 years, the accumulated trade volume has exceeded 270 million yuan, with an average annual growth of 64 percent.
Foreign
Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s attempt to deport migrants allegedly linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under a wartime law.
US District Judge James Boasberg issued a restraining order preventing the administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expel undocumented migrants accused of gang ties. The order initially protected five individuals challenging the deportation but was later expanded to all affected noncitizens in US custody.
Boasberg also directed that any planes carrying these migrants be returned to the United States. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned,” he ruled. The restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days or until further court action.
The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, citing Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization that has “unlawfully infiltrated the United States” and is engaging in hostile actions. However, civil rights groups, including the ACLU, argue that the gang’s activities do not meet the legal definition of an invasion.
The Justice Department has appealed the ruling, while the case continues in court.
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.
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