Foreign
RCEP drives significant growth in regional trade, investment cooperation

By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect for all its 15 members on June 2 last year, which marked the start of a new stage for the trade bloc with the world’s largest population and trade volume as well as the greatest development potential.
Over the past year, the RCEP has greatly facilitated the free flow of production factors within the region, including raw materials, products, technology, talent, capital, information, and data. It has gradually fostered a more prosperous integrated market for the region and promoted cooperation in more areas, on higher levels and in greater depth.
According to statistics, intra-regional trade in the RCEP region reached $5.6 trillion last year, slightly higher than that of 2021 when the agreement was not in effect. Regional industrial and supply chain cooperation has become increasingly close. In 2023, the RCEP region attracted $234.1 billion in greenfield investments, a surge of 29.8 percent year-on-year and more than double the number from 2021.
For businesses, the most direct benefit of RCEP lies in tariff reductions. Over 90 percent of goods traded within the region will eventually be tariff-free.
Recently, a cargo ship carrying 6,000 tons of imported benzene docked at a pier in Huizhou Port, south China’s Guangdong province. After on-site inspection and sampling by customs officers from Huizhou Customs, this batch of imported benzene was quickly unloaded into a tank area and transported through pipelines to a facility of CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation) and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited for further processing.
It was the eighth batch of benzene imported by CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited this year with preferential tariff treatment under the RCEP.
Zhou Xin, the company’s customs declaration manager, said, “The tariff for benzene imported from Vietnam has been reduced from 2 percent to 0, saving us nearly 7 million yuan ($962,953) in costs. This allows us to expand our imports, thus better meeting the demand of the domestic market for raw benzene.”
Tariff reduction has brought tangible benefits to businesses. In 2023, Chinese companies saved 2.36 billion yuan in taxes on 90.52 billion yuan of imports under the RCEP.
“Since the implementation of the RCEP, our overseas customers have saved nearly 2.53 million yuan in tariff costs, thanks to the RCEP Certificates of Origin issued by the customs. This is of great significance for maintaining our overseas customers,” said Zong Qiaoling, customs manager of a home tech company.
According to Zong, the company has applied for 80 RCEP Certificates of Origin from January to May this year, with a total cargo value of over 34 million yuan.
Certified exporter system is one of the highlights of the RCEP. Companies that have obtained certified exporter status can issue origin declarations themselves, which carry the same effect as Certificates of Origin issued by customs authorities.
Changfa Agriculutral Equipment in east China’s Jiangsu province obtained certified exporter status this year. Hu Xiangbao, vice general manager of the company’s overseas marketing, said, “Now we can issue origin declarations at any time, making trade more flexible and efficient. This status also helps us improve our image and strengthen relationships with our foreign trade partners.”
Since the RCEP agreement came into force, member countries have further relaxed market access in areas such as goods, services, and investment, promoting the gradual harmonization of rules of origin, customs procedures, inspection and quarantine, and technical standards. This has accelerated the free flow of economic factors within the region, leading to closer cooperation in industrial and supply chains.
The implementation of the RCEP has led to closer trade and investment ties between China and other member countries.
Steady progress has been made in trade in goods. China’s total imports and exports with the other 14 RCEP members reached 12.6 trillion yuan in 2023, representing a 5.3 percent increase from 2021.
Investment cooperation has also been on the rise. China’s non-financial direct investment inflows into other RCEP member countries increased 26 percent year on year to hit $18.06 billion in 2023, outperforming China’s global average growth rate in investment by 14 percentage points.
To promote the high-quality implementation of the RCEP, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has held dozens of economic and trade activities, such as the High-level Forum for RCEP Economic and Trade Cooperation. Additionally, hundreds of online and offline training sessions have been conducted, benefiting hundreds of thousands of enterprises. The CCPIT has also published practical manuals to provide assistance to enterprises in effectively utilizing the RCEP.
An official with the Ministry of Commerce said that China will fully leverage its role as the co-chair of the RCEP this year to lead the high-quality implementation of the trade pact and boost the agreement’s regional impact.
At the same time, the country will continue to provide support and services to help enterprises effectively utilize and benefit from the preferential measures under the RCEP and other free trade agreements, the official added.
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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