Foreign
Bird-watching activities bring both ecological, economic benefits to county in Yunnan

By Yang Wenming, People’s Daily
The period from October to May of the following year is the perfect time for bird watching in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan province, as the rainfall decreases and the dry season approaches.
At this time, Xu Xiaolong, a villager from Shiti village in Taiping township of Yingjiang county, would get his homestay ready to accommodate the influx of tourists, which is almost fully booked every day during this peak season.
With a forest coverage rate of over 90 percent, Shiti village is home to over 450 bird species, accounting for more than 1/3 of those found across China.
It boasts a large number of bird species under national-level protection such as the grey peacock-pheasant, collared falconet, and bay-headed bee-eater. Additionally, three species of hornbills, including the malabar pied hornbill, wreathed hornbill, and great hornbill, have stable breeding grounds in Shiti village, making it known as the “hornbill valley of China.”
Leveraging the abundant bird resources, Yingjiang county has vigorously developed the bird-watching industry. By coordinating bird-watching activities with ecological conservation efforts, a new path for development has been paved.
In the past, Shiti village was home to over 300 residents. However, as the village was rarely visited by tourists due to its poor transportation, these residents lacked the expertise in tourism services.
In 2015, the government of Yingjiang county initiated a campaign to promote bird-watching activities, and local bird-watching enthusiasts also established a bird-watching association of Yingjiang county, which not only bolstered bird conservation efforts but also facilitated the development and utilization of bird-watching resources in the area.
Additionally, significant improvements were made to local infrastructure, and financial incentives were provided to villagers who transformed their residential properties into homestays.
In a couple of years, the “hornbill valley of China” began to gain reputation. Currently, there are over 30 bird-watching spots in Shiti village, with more than 50 bird guides who can proficiently identify over 100 bird species. The village provides a number of services for bird enthusiasts from accommodation to tour guide, and to transportation.
The per capita disposable income in Shiti village surged from less than 2,000 yuan ($273) in 2015 to 12,800 yuan ($1748) in 2023, thanks to the booming bird-watching industry. This not only lifted residents out of poverty but also effectively protected the local mountains and forests, fostering harmonious coexistence between bird-watchers and birds.
Today, protecting birds, forests and the ecology has been incorporated into village regulations and become a consensus among villagers. Even children in the village are aware of the importance of protecting birds.
Developing a bird-watching industry presents significant challenges, with the creation of bird-watching sites being one of the toughest.
A successful bird-watching spot requires attracting birds to the area and keeping them there. Building ponds, introducing food sources, and ensuring the right environment can help establish a thriving bird habitat. From a distance, shelters or hides allow visitors to observe and photograph birds without disturbing them.
As Xu explained, “Photographers often travel long distances. If they spend three to five days waiting without capturing anything worthwhile, it’s hard to maintain a steady stream of visitors.”
Creating a bird-watching site may seem easy, but Xu has faced his share of obstacles. Choosing the right location, studying migration routes, ensuring adequate water sources, and providing food for the birds are all delicate balances to strike.
If the site is too close to people, the birds may avoid it; if it’s too far from where people live, and it might deter visitors. Underfeeding won’t keep the birds around, but overfeeding increases costs and risks altering the birds’ natural behavior.
Since 2017, the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county has conducted 10 training sessions in Taiping township, teaching local residents to identify common species in the area, and providing practical guidance on bird-watching services. Xu found these sessions invaluable, saying, “I’ve learned so much.”
In Shiti Village, bird watching spots are divided into two types. One includes sites where bird watchers can feed the birds, and the other is for watching hornbills where feeding is not allowed.
Why is artificial feeding necessary?
“During the dry season when food is scarce, timely and appropriate feeding supplements the food for birds,” said Jin Yinde, an official with the Yunnan Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve. However, unlike “bird cages,” birds in these spots come and go freely without restrictions, and sufficient food and water sources help the survival of bird species.
Yingjiang county guides villagers to develop in a differentiated manner and has built 55 spots for watching great hornbills, collared falconets, and grey peacock-pheasants.
Birdwatchers are flooding into the village as the number of bird-watching spots expands. The rich bird resources and sound ecological environment are also attracting more and more tourists to the village. This poses challenges to Shiti village – how should it balance protection and development, regulate bird-watching activities and avoid disorderly competition?
“Core zones of protected areas must stay closed,” Jin told People’s Daily. Located near the Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve, Shiti village must coordinate bird-watching activities with ecological protection when building bird-watching spots, strictly adhere to ecological red lines, plan bird-watching spots reasonably, set appropriate distances between the spots, and strictly control the density of bird-watching spot distribution.
Shiti village has established a specialized cooperative invested by households involved. Under unified management, it distributes profits to its investors.
The village has also invited the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county to provide training sessions, guiding villagers to strengthen the management of bird-watching spots, strictly control the daily number of tourists based on environmental carrying capacity, and feed the birds in moderation and at appropriate times, so as to minimize disturbances to the environment.
In Yingjiang today, ecological conservation projects such as artificial nests for birds, hornbill conservation, and transnational cooperation on bird protection are continuously advancing. The activities of bird watching and bird protection have formed a virtuous cycle. More and more wild and rare bird species are choosing to settle down in Yingjiang.
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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