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CIFTIS a platform for China to share development opportunities with rest of world

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The 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) kicked off in Beijing on September 2. Joined by over 12,000 enterprises from 153 countries and regions, the grand fair showcases the new progress and breakthroughs in services trade and shares the new technologies and benefits of human progress.
“We will work with all other parties to uphold openness, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win, share opportunities in the growth of services trade, and promote world economic recovery and growth,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a message delivered via video link at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2021 CIFTIS.
He said trade in services is a key component of international trade and an important area of economic and trade cooperation between countries, stressing China will open up at a higher level, create more possibilities for cooperation, further improve rules for the services sector, and continue to support the innovation-driven development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). His remarks sparked broad attention and response from the international society.
A review of human history shows that the world economy thrives in openness and withers in seclusion. The services sector is unique as it is asset-light but heavy in soft factors of production. As such, it requires, more than other sectors, an open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for businesses to grow. It calls for the concerted efforts of all countries to reduce border and behind-the-border barriers constraining the flow of production factors and promote cross-border connectivity.
CIFTIS is a comprehensive and state-level exhibition and trading platform dedicated to trade in services with a global reach. Themed “Towards Digital Future and Service Driven Development,” this year’s event aims to establish a wide platform for cooperation and seek the development of trade in services, and will be made into a special and productive one. It will create market opportunities and development dividends for all parties relevant, and inject more confidence and power into the global economic recovery.
Great times call for grand architecture, and grand architecture calls for great vision. To meet the actual needs for growing trade in services, China welcomes relevant parties to share its opportunities, and hopes to tackle the problems facing world economy, global trade and investment together with them.
In his speech, President Xi announced a series of new measures for China to open up at a higher level, create more possibilities for cooperation, further improve rules for the services sector, and continue to support the innovation-driven development of SMEs.
China will implement across the country a negative list for cross-border services trade and explore the development of national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services. It will scale up support for the growth of the services sector in Belt and Road partner countries and share China’s technological achievements with the rest of the world. It will support Beijing and other localities in piloting the alignment of domestic rules with the ones in high-standard international free trade agreements and in building demonstration zones of digital trade. It will deepen the reform of the New Third Board (National Equities Exchange and Quotations) and set up a Beijing Stock Exchange as the primary platform serving innovation-oriented SMEs.
These practical measures fully demonstrate China’s vision and responsibility in promoting the development of trade in services and sharing all benefit from a growing trade in services with people in different countries. They also indicate China’s resolution and confidence in following its fundamental policy of opening-up and always supporting the economic globalization.
Practices have proved, and will continue to prove that the opening-up and cooperation in the service sector is gradually becoming an important force driving development, and China’s continuous development and opening-up will inject strong impetus into global recovery and growth.
Openness is essential for development and progress. It also holds the key to post-COVID economic recovery. We must promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, uphold the multilateral trading regime, discard discriminatory and exclusionary standards, rules and systems, take down barriers to trade, investment and technological exchanges, and enhance supply, industrial, data and human resources chains, so as to build an open world economy.
As China enters a new development stage, it will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm, so as to establish a new system for higher-level open economy, build a more attractive business environment, and achieve win-win results with the rest of the world at a higher level. It will make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all, and make greater contribution to the building a community with a shared future for mankind and a better world.

by People’s Daily

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Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

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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.

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China’s new chapter in global innovation

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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.

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Chinese democracy in action:a village bench meeting shapes national law

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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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