Foreign
Foreign travelers enjoy greater convenience in China

By Zhang Tianpei, People’s Daily
China has launched a series of policies to facilitate foreign travelers, becoming a huge magnet for tourists around the world.
Currently, foreign nationals from 54 countries are eligible for the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policies that are effective at 38 ports in 18 provincial-level regions across China. Besides, China has also allowed visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country’s coastline, and relaxed the conditions for foreign nationals to apply for port visas in the country.
China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent year on year, according to data from China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA).
“The number of foreigners visiting China is expected to continue rising in the second half of this year,” said an NIA official.
Anderson, a Danish university student, stumbled upon the information online that he was eligible for a 144-hour visa-free transit in China. Upon making this discovery, he was filled with excitement and wasted no time in booking a flight that would transfer at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, southwest China’s Sichuan province, right at the start of summer vacation.
“I love giant pandas so much. I heard that Sichuan is the hometown of giant pandas, so I’ve always wanted to visit it,” said Anderson.
“This visa-free transit policy offers much convenience. The transit procedure went really fast. It gives me another regular choice when I choose tourist destinations. I look forward to visiting more cities in China to better understand the profound Chinese history and culture and experience the splendid folk customs across the country,” he said, thumbing up to China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy.
Currently, citizens from 54 countries are exempted from visa requirements during transit for 72 or 144 hours in China when heading for a third nation. As China continues to expand its visa-free “circle of friends,” the country has witnessed a significant increase in the number of inbound tourists this year, which is giving a huge boost to its inbound tourism market, said an NIA official.
Immigration inspection departments at all ports in China have launched multiple new measures to facilitate the entries of foreign nationals, including reducing the waiting time for inspection, self-service completion of declaration forms, and establishing multilingual volunteer service teams, to provide high-quality and efficient entry services for inbound tourists.
Tourist groups each consisting of two foreigners or more, and organized or received by Chinese travel agencies, can now enter China visa-free on board cruise ships via the cruise ports in 13 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Sanya. They can stay in China for no longer than 15 days.
The adoption of the 15-day visa-free policy for international cruise tour groups came after years of successful trials across different regions in China, which began in Shanghai in October 2016. Official data showed that since the inception of the pilot initiative, Shanghai has experienced an annual average growth of 10 percent in cruise tourist arrivals.
Now the policy has been expanded to more Chinese cities, which will help to attract more foreign cruise ships to Chinese cruise ports, driving the cruise industry and port development.
Besides, seven cruise ports, namely Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai, have been designated as visa-free transit ports for nationals from 54 countries, an NIA official noted.
At 10:00 pm on July 3, at the visa office of Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, Wang Meifang, an immigration officer with the Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, received a phone call for help from the head of a Chinese tech firm, who urgently needed to invite two foreign experts to China.
Wang explained port visa application requirements in detail, inquired about the information of the tech firm’s invitation, and guided the caller to submit online passport copies, invitation letter and relevant certificates. Everything was nailed in less than half an hour.
At 4:53 am on July 5, the two foreign experts landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. Wang had already completed preparations for visa processing in the visa office of the Terminal 3. After having their photos taken and paying visa fees, the two experts received their visas, full of praise for the efficient, fast and meticulous border inspection services.
As of now, port visa services have been provided at 100 ports in 73 cities in China that see a large number of international flights and a high volume of foreign nationals entering China.
“We welcome more foreign friends to travel, do business, work, study, and invest in China,” said an NIA official. According to the official, China issued 686,000 port visas in the first half of 2024, up 267.9 percent from a year ago.
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.
-
News11 hours ago
Obi donates N20m to Colleges of Nursing in Ahiara and Ihiala
-
News11 hours ago
Kano Emirate Tussle: Appeal Court halts Emir Sanusi’s reinstatement
-
News11 hours ago
Damagum bows as PDP Govs move to re-assert ‘selves over party affairs
-
News11 hours ago
Tinubu’s administration not running govt in secrecy — AGF Fagbemi
-
News10 hours ago
Starship to leave for Mars at end of 2026 – Elon Musk
-
News2 hours ago
IPOB’s lawyer accuses Anambra govt of violating citizens’ rights, wants all arrested charged to court
-
News5 hours ago
N10bn Alleged Loot: SGF Akume’s PA ,Torhile Uchi Turns Chinery
-
News3 hours ago
Joint patrol team neutralises notorious kidnapper in Nasarawa