Foreign
Kenyan avocado finds ready market in China after CIIE debut

By Che Bin, Huang Weixin, Huang Peizhao, People’s Daily
In a lush avocado orchard on the shores of Lake Naivasha in Nakuru County, Kenya, more than 2,500 avocado trees stretched as far as the eye could see. Richard Wafula, owner of the farm, was busy harvesting avocados with his workers.
“Soon, approximately 10 containers of fresh avocados will be delivered to Chinese consumers from here,” he said.
China and Kenya signed a protocol to foster bilateral trade in avocados in January 2022. Seven months later, the first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya entered the Chinese market, making Kenya the first African country to export fresh avocados to China.
In November 2022, Kenyan fresh avocados made their debut at the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE), immediately favored by Chinese consumers. It marked another remarkable chapter in China-Africa win-win cooperation.
Richard Tuwei is an avocado farmer from the western Kenyan city of Eldoret whose orchard was originally planted with 1,200 avocado trees. In August 2022, Tuwei’s products were among the first to pass an access review and export fresh avocados to China.
“In the past, when the avocado season arrived, we had to wait for some time before picking because local traders needed time to find buyers. But now, we pick the fruit as soon as it is ripe. The demand in the Chinese market is enormous, and our products have quickly found a ready market. This new opportunity encouraged us to plant an additional 500 trees last year,” Tuwei told People’s Daily.
Kenya is the largest exporter of avocados in Africa. Currently, 30 percent of the country’s avocados are exported to China, and this trend is expected to continue growing in the future. According to estimates from the local agricultural department, avocado exports to China will increase the annual income of local farmers by 30 percent to 50 percent.
The business with the Chinese market has brought tangible changes to the lives of Kenyan farmers. Tuwei told People’s Daily that in the past, he had to borrow money from friends to pay for his children’s tuition. But now, with a stable income from avocado farming, he can comfortably cover his daily expenses, and his life quality has been significantly improved.
Wafula and Tuwei’s Chinese partner is Shanghai-based Greenchain Information Science and Technology (Greenchain). Greenchain has built partnerships with over 500 avocado growers and manages seven farms in Kenya.
To ensure that the fresh avocados meet the standards of the Chinese market, the company has signed cooperation agreements with local growers, which cover the entire process starting from the planting of avocado seeds all the way to the final sale of the fruit. This helps realize order-based cultivation management.
According to Du Gongming, general manager of Greenchain’s African business division, avocado features high economic value and low cultivation costs, and its cultivation boasts mature pest control techniques. After the successful export of fresh avocado to China last year, many Kenyan farmers started switching to avocado planting, hoping for more cooperation with China, he said.
“China has a huge population, which is a crucial asset for any market. We believe that in the future, more farmers will export avocados to China,” said Kello Harsama, principal secretary in the State Department for Crop Development in Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
After the fifth CIIE, Greenchain established a new avocado processing plant, in order to meet the growing demand in the Chinese market. The plant officially started operation in March this year.
“We purchased new equipment, introduced new packaging technology, and built a fumigation laboratory. Everyone is confident about the business development,” said Du.
It takes about 25 days for an avocado to hit the Chinese market from being picked in Kenya. Last August, the first batch of avocados from the African country arrived in China in 4 containers. This year, Greenchain has already shipped over 100 containers of avocados to China, and the number is expected to reach 300 by the end of the year.
“The CIIE has brought obvious driving effects, promoting win-win situations for multiple parties,” Du said.
In the past, China mainly imported avocados from South American countries. Nowadays, African avocados have entered the Chinese market, providing more choices for consumers.
“We are continuously expanding our marketing channels and increasing the sales of Kenyan avocados in the Chinese market,” said Du.
The CIIE debut of Kenyan avocados marked the deepening agricultural cooperation, as well as economic and trade exchanges between China and Africa.
In recent years, under mechanisms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, 16 agricultural products from 11 African countries have gained access to the Chinese market, and China has granted zero-tariff treatment to 98 percent of products originating from 21 African countries. Today, China stands as the second-largest destination for African agricultural exports.
Greenchain has participated in the CIIE for five consecutive years, and will continue to join the sixth CIIE this year. At that time, African specialties such as pineapples from Benin, chili peppers from Tanzania, and seafood from Kenya will be showcased for the first time at the event.
China-Africa practical cooperation enjoys broad prospects, and the stories of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes between the two sides are to be continued at the CIIE.
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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