Foreign
Fruitful results achieved at 19th China-ASEAN Expo

By ZhangYunhe, Zhu Jiaqi, People’s Daily
The 19th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit concluded in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Sept. 19.
The four-day event, themed “Sharing RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) New Opportunities, Building a Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area,” expanded the circle of friends for open cooperation under the RCEP framework and made positive contributions towards building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
The expo featured 88 economic and trade events held in-person and virtually. They facilitated more than 3,500 trade and project cooperation matches, and around 1,000 were made online.
The exhibition area reached 102,000 square meters this year, where a total of 5,400 exhibition booths were set up by 1,653 enterprises. Besides, over 2,000 enterprises joined the event online.
“Many foreign merchants took interpreters to the expo to enquire about sewage purifiers and relevant technologies. We saw broad market prospects given the emphasis placed by ASEAN countries on environmental protection,” said XueDongning, manager of the administrative department of an environmental protection investment company based in GuangxiZhuang autonomous region that has joined the expo for seven consecutive years.
Xue believes that the China-ASEAN Expo not only provides a platform for economic and trade cooperation but also facilitates intercompany exchanges.
PungKheav Se, president of the Federation of Khmer Chinese in Cambodia, said that more and more ASEAN countries have become desirable investment destinations for Chinese enterprises.
“The 19th China-ASEAN Expo helped ASEAN countries and China, especially Cambodia and China grasp the new opportunities brought about by the implementation of the RCEP, and made positive contributions to promoting bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation,” said Kheav Se.
South Korea participated in the expo as a specially invited partner this year, and an investigation tour to Guangxi was paid by a delegation of representatives from South Korean companies.
It is hoped that South Korea, China and ASEAN countries, as close neighbors, could push for closer cooperation in economy, culture and social affairs to jointly respond to global challenges, said South Korean Trade Minister AhnDuk-geun.
“Since the RCEP took effect this January, it has been joined by more and more countries. Our circle of friends is getting larger and larger,” said ZhangShaogang, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China’s trade with ASEAN countries surged 13 percent year on year in the first seven months of this year, accounting for 15 percent of China’s total foreign trade during the period, according to the vice chairman.
During this year’s China-ASEAN Expo, 267 international and domestic cooperation projects were signed, with a total investment of over 400 billion yuan ($56.4 billion), up 37 percent from the previous year. About 76 percent of the volume came from enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and other major areas. Besides, the expo witnessed a new record in the number of provinces signing cooperation projects.
“The expo fully demonstrated the strong resilience of China-ASEAN economic ties. It has offered firm support for and made great contributions to the economic recovery of the region,” said WeiZhaohui, secretary-general of the expo’s secretariat and deputy director-general of the Guangxi International Expo Affairs Bureau.
China-Malaysia bilateral trade surged 34.5 percent year on year to $176.8 billion last year. As the Country of Honor of the 19th China-ASEAN Expo, Malaysia sent 34 enterprises to the event. Twenty-three of them attended the event in-person, while 11 joined it online. Most of these enterprises are in food and beverage, healthcare, as well as petroleum and gas industries.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail SabriYaakob said the China-ASEAN Expo is an important platform for driving regional economic recovery and enhancing China-ASEAN trade exchanges. He said Malaysia hopes to further strengthen its trade ties with China and elevate the ties to a new level through multiple initiatives and measures.
Foreign
Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

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.
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.
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