Foreign
China’s Spring Festival becomes international cultural event

By Ye Ban
The 78th UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution by consensus to list the Lunar New Year, known as Spring Festival in China, as a UN floating holiday.
It’s another example of the increasing international appeal of the Spring Festival, showcasing once again the influence of Chinese culture.
The festival, born in China, has become a global cultural event, bringing joy to people around the world.
The Spring Festival is becoming a global holiday. Some rough estimates suggest that the festival is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and is celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity.
In recent years, a “Spring Festival fever” has been heating up overseas. Every Spring Festival, dignitaries from various countries send greetings to the Chinese people.
Since 2010, a series of activities celebrating the festival have been hosted across the world, from New York in the United States to Tokyo in Japan, from Madrid in Spain to Belgrade in Serbia, and from Moscow in Russia to Auckland in New Zealand.
Splendid events such as traditional dragon and lion dances, Chinese New Year painting, dumpling making, and temple fairs have been hosted globally, allowing people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds to experience traditional Chinese culture immersively and have a great time.
The adoption of the resolution shows that the Spring Festival has been warmly welcomed and supported by UN member states and staff of the UN Secretariat. The festival will become more and more international.
The Spring Festival is a window for the world to better perceive China. As the most ancient and important traditional festival in Chinese culture, the Spring Festival is a time for family reunions and ringing in the new year.
For Chinese people both at home and abroad, no matter where they are or how far they have traveled, going home for the Chinese New Year is a tradition always cherished.
The New Year’s atmosphere comes with the warmth of a family reunion after a long journey, the hustle and bustle of visiting relatives and friends with gifts, the joyous celebrations in streets decorated with lanterns, and the wishes for a better life in the coming new year.
As times change, Chinese people have found more ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Digital red envelopes have become a new festive element, and many families are spending the festival on trips. Regardless of the changing forms, what remains unchanged is the deep-rooted family culture ingrained in the Chinese people.
A BBC documentary introducing the Spring Festival focused on the spectacular sight of hundreds of millions of Chinese people traveling home for family reunions. Understanding the Spring Festival means understanding the deep-rooted longing for family reunions and the strong sense of patriotism that binds the Chinese people together.
The Chinese Lunar New Year builds a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. It symbolizes joy, harmony and peace and its Chinese name “Spring Festival” conveys the greetings and warmth of the spring season. The festival embodies the core values of harmony, love and peace in Chinese culture, and carries the common values of humanity including harmonious family, social inclusion and sound relationship between man and nature.
China’s promotion of the festival as a UN floating holiday is a pragmatic step toward implementing its Global Civilizations Initiative and advocating respect for the diversity of the world’s civilizations, conveying the hope for harmonious coexistence, mutual reinforcement, and exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations. The efforts also represent the aspiration for people from all countries to understand and befriend each other, and to work together hand in hand.
Egyptian Ambassador to China Assem Hanafi saw the similarities between the Egyptian and Chinese people in cherishing family and kinship through traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival. He said that people from all countries are in greater need of the happiness that festivals bring in the turbulent world today.
Sitting together with family, listening to each other, and sharing laughter are the most comforting times for people. The Spring Festival is exactly a perfect opportunity for Chinese and friends from all over the world to share Chinese culture and enjoy wonderful moments together.
With the adoption of the UN resolution, the cultural significance of the festival will resonate more widely among people from different countries. This will effectively promote the exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and showcase the values of diversity and inclusiveness advocated by the UN.
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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