Foreign
China National Archives of Publications and Culture tells stories of civilization exchanges

By Liu Chengyong
In the long course of human history, many civilizations emerged. Some faded away with the passage of time, and some endured despite twists and turns.
Chinese civilization has remained uninterrupted for thousands of years, only growing more vibrant as time passes. This would not have been possible without the collection, preservation and passing down of classics and publications.
Oracle bones, pottery symbols, bronze inscriptions, stone carvings, seals, bamboo and wooden slips, woodblock printing, rubbings, ancient books, chorography, maps – these artifacts record the marks of Chinese civilization, character symbols, and cultural context. They are the creators of the Chinese civilization and witnesses to the Chinese history.
Today, these cultural treasures of the Chinese nation are preserved and presented at the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which comprises headquarter in Beijing and branches in Xi’an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. They strengthen the bridge of mutual learning between China and civilizations worldwide.
Boasting a rich and valuable collection, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture is dubbed as a cultural gene bank of the Chinese nation. It collects nearly 24 million precious copies and editions of various publications and gathers almost 500 million data entries, with 24 million open to the public.
Like a time tunnel, the editions and copies archived tell the stories of exchanges and mutual learning among human civilizations, such as the journey of Zhang Qian, a royal envoy in China’s Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD), to the Western regions via Central Asia, which eventually led to the opening of the ancient Silk Road, the “Journey to the West” by Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang (618-907), the story of Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen who brought Buddhism to Japan, and the legendary voyage to Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa by Chinese navigator Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
They record the extraordinary journeys of different civilizations, from their initial encounters to the exchanges and mutual learning that developed between them across various historical stages.
During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), China was a leading country in terms of navigation technologies. A green-glazed bowl with Chinese character Ji exhibited at the headquarter of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture was salvaged from the Shipwreck Huaguangjiao No.1 of the Southern Song Dynasty.
In Chinese, Ji symbolizes the Chinese people’s longing for an auspicious and peaceful life. This relic mirrors the demeanor of ancient Chinese sailing afar and pioneering outward on the Maritime Silk Road hundreds of years ago.
The archives gathers a wealth of other valuable items that witness the history of cultural exchanges. These include a Song Dynasty (960-1279) edition of the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, which chronicles Xuanzang’s journey along the ancientSilk Road. Also featured is a copy of the original 1688 French publication of “An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius.” This work marked the first communication of Confucian thought in French, and was a national gift to Chinese President Xi Jinping from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in 2019.
Two “cultural exchange day” events were recently held at the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which were joined by 88 sinologists from some 60 countries as well as over 30 foreign experts of culture, museum studies and publishing.
They were amazed by the infrastructure construction, high-quality exhibitions and displays, and the tremendous cultural treasures of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture. They also expressed their hope to strengthen communication with the archives and jointly promote the inheritance and preservation of Chinese classics and materials overseas.
With a focus on its core mission of collection, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture reaches out to the grassroots, general public, and overseas to comprehensively advance surveys, investigations, and acquisitions.
Adhering to the principles of collecting everything that should be collected, and preserving everything that should be preserved, it brings together Chinese classics and materials scattered across the country, circulating among the people, and lost overseas. It strives to include editions embodying the outstanding cultural achievements of human civilization, gathering strength for advancing human development and progress.
Different nations and civilizations are rich in diversity and have their own distinct features. No one is superior or inferior to others. Based on its diverse collection, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture strengthens mutual learning among civilizations, builds communication mechanisms and dialogue platforms for cultural exchanges, carries out international cultural exchange and people-to-people communication activities, and gathers domestic and foreign experts to launch theoretical and practical studies of bibliography.
At the same time, assisted by technology, industry and art, the archives actively innovates communication and promotion approaches, explores to establish multidimensional cultural communication paths, and works to realize the expression of bibliography in diverse forms. It excavates and presents the Chinese culture, vividly tells the historical and cultural stories behind Chinese classics and materials, and displays and disseminates the beauty of civilization and the splendor of culture.
(Liu Chengyong is the director of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture.)
Foreign
Trump begins mass layoffs at Voice of America

The Trump administration has initiated sweeping layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters, effectively dismantling institutions long seen as critical for American influence abroad.
On Sunday, contractors working for VOA received an email notification that their employment would be terminated by the end of March. “You must cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems,” the email read, according to multiple staff members who confirmed the development.
The move, which comes just a day after all employees were placed on administrative leave, disproportionately affects non-English-language services, where contractors make up a significant portion of the workforce. Many of these contractors are not U.S. citizens and may now face visa issues, further complicating their status in the country.
While most full-time staff remain employed for now, they have been told not to work, leaving VOA and its sister organizations in a state of uncertainty. Some services, unable to produce new programming, have resorted to playing music.
VOA, founded during World War II, has been a critical tool for U.S. public diplomacy, broadcasting in 49 languages to audiences in countries where press freedom is restricted. However, President Trump signed an executive order on Friday targeting its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), as part of broader federal budget cuts.
The cuts extend beyond VOA, affecting other U.S.-funded media entities such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Farda (which broadcasts in Persian to Iran), and Alhurra, an Arabic-language network launched after the 2003 Iraq invasion. The administration argues that taxpayers should not fund what it calls “radical propaganda,” despite VOA’s longstanding editorial independence.
Liam Scott, a VOA journalist covering press freedom and disinformation, expressed concern over the decision. “I’ve covered press freedom for a long time, and I’ve never seen something like what’s happened in the U.S. over the past couple of months,” he wrote on social media.
The move has drawn international attention, particularly from China and Russia, which have been expanding their own state-funded media efforts. The Chinese state-run *Global Times* reacted with an editorial declaring that “the monopoly of information held by traditional Western media is being shattered.”
Trump’s administration has pursued aggressive cuts across federal agencies, including eliminating most foreign aid and significantly reducing the Department of Education. With input from tech billionaire Elon Musk, Trump has focused on reducing government size to facilitate tax cuts.
As the global media landscape shifts, the dismantling of U.S.-funded broadcasters leaves a vacuum that could be filled by rival state-controlled networks. Whether Congress or legal challenges will intervene remains to be seen, but for now, the future of America’s international broadcasting efforts hangs in the balance.
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.
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