Foreign
World’s longest expressway tunnel completed in NW China’s Xinjiang

By Li Ya’nan, People’s Daily
The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world’s longest expressway tunnel located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, completed tunneling on Dec. 30, 2024.
Built by China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), the 22.13-kilometertunnel will reduce the time it takes to drive across the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains from several hours to about 20 minutes once operational.
It is a key project of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which runs from the regional capital of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli county in southern Xinjiang.
Since construction began in 2020, thousands of builders have worked in the mountains. Over the course of 52 months, the construction team overcame challenges suchas complex geological conditions, highaltitudes, extreme cold, and high ground stress, achieving another groundbreaking featin China’s expressway tunnel construction.
Notably, this project was the first in the country to use a hard rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) for expressway construction and pioneered an innovative construction method for rapid excavation, significantly shorteningthe construction period.
How to pass through the fault zones?
According to Huang Dengxia, chief engineer of the fifth section of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project under CCCC, the tunnel passes through 16 geological fault zones, 12 of which are located at the tunnel’sentrance, featuring fragile and complex rock formations. Besides, the tunnel’s construction faces high ground stress, with peak stress reaching nearly 22 MPa, said Huang.
“It’s just like working in a ‘tofu pudding’ environment with a high risk of mud surges and rock bursts,” Huang remarked.
At 1,900 meters into the entrance, the construction team encounteredF6, the largest fault zone along the route that spans 440 meters in width. Its fractured, water-rich rock posed immense difficulties for construction.
“Hard rock TBMs are especially vulnerable to the environment where the rock alternates between hard and soft layers,” said Wu Teligen, head of the engineering department of the fifth section. “Collapses and water inflows often occur in such conditions. Sometimes, water inflows could reach as much as 7,000 cubic meters in a single day.”
To address the persistent threat of collapses, the team anchored over 37,800 polyethylene pipe foam concrete components into the rock face, creating a shock-absorbing layer that is 70centimeters thick, which helps mitigate the fault zone’s stress impact on the surrounding rock supports. After 80 arduous days, the team successfully navigated through the fault zone F6.
How to shorten construction period?
With traditional drilling and blasting methods, it would take 72 months to cut two 22.13-kilometer-long holes through the Tianshan Mountains.However, to foster regional development and address local people’s transportation needs, it is important to shorten the construction time.
“After extensive research and analysis, we broke down the construction into smaller, more manageable segments, allowing for faster excavation,” said Miao Baodong, chief engineer of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project.
To be specific, the team added a middle drift between the two parallel main tunnels, with hard rock TBMs, customized by CCCC for the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, acting as “trailblazers,” Miao said, adding that this approacheffectively segmented the main tunnels into multiple sections for simultaneous excavation.
At the construction site, the two TBMs, named “Tianshan” and “Shengli,” advanced respectively from the northern and southern sides of the Tianshan Mountains, withthe massive cutterheadsdriving dozens of blades forward to crush rock into fragments. The machines proceeded at a speed of 20 to 30 meters per day, which was over five times faster than manual drilling, thereby reducing the original construction time to 52 months.
How to ensure construction safety and efficiency?
The innovative construction method has significantly increased the excavation speed and provided additional working faces. However, it also presented new challenges – how to ensureconstruction safety and efficiency at the same time.
“During peak construction, the exit end of the tunnel alone had seven working faces operating simultaneously, with over 1,200 personnel and 600-700 vehicles passing throughevery day,” said Li Yalong, manager of the sixth section of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project.
“To ensure safe and orderly operations, we created an intelligent system to coordinate transportation within the tunnel, equipped vehicles with positioning devices, and adopted electronic access control for personnel. Technology has been a vital tool in our construction,” Li added. For instance, a digital monitoring and command center has been established, providing real-time data on the movement of personnel and vehicles within the tunnel in a single interface.
The project also set up a specialized technical team to ensurethat the two TBMs running from the opposite sides met precisely within the mountain. Every six months, the team conducted joint measurements from both the entrance and exit ends of the tunnel to carefully calibrate the plane control points and elevation control network so as to keep the tunnel alignment on track.
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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