Foreign
China powers up recycling of decommissioned wind, solar equipment

By Liao Ruiling
China’s new energy industry is steadily growing. The renewable energy industry, especially the wind and solar power sectors, is becoming an important force in the domestic energy supply.
Wind and solar resources are unlimited given by nature, but equipment components generating the resources have their lifespan.
How should decommissioned wind and solar equipment be recycled? Can equipment recycling be achieved in the green transition of energy? China is finding the answers.
Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued a guideline on promoting the recycling and reutilization of decommissioned wind-power and photovoltaic equipment.
“We have so far recycled about 5,000 tons of photovoltaic modules, and the whole-year figure is expected to reach 7,000 tons,” said Zhuang Huliang, vice general manager of PVRC, China’s first private company specializing in dismantling and recycling waste photovoltaic modules based in Changzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province.
“As the conversion efficiency of photovoltaic modules gradually improves in China, some old equipment in solar plants retired ahead of schedule, bringing more recycling opportunities for the industry,” Zhuang told People’s Daily.
China has become the world’s largest producer and user of wind and solar power, with cumulative and newly installed capacity ranking first globally for many consecutive years.
Zhuang said that generally, a single photovoltaic panel lasts 25 to 30 years, and China is expected to see massive module retirements from 2025 onwards, and the amount of module retirements will increase year by year.
The lifespan of a wind turbine is usually about 20 years. “By 2025, over 1,800 onshore wind turbines in China will be decommissioned. The number will exceed 34,000 by 2030, with an installed capacity of approximately 45 million kilowatts,” said Xu Junxiang, head of the China National Resources Recycling Association.
Decommission doesn’t necessarily mean that the equipment should be abandoned. In fact, these wind and solar equipment still have high recycling value.
“It’s estimated that 35 million tons of waste will be generated in China from decommissioned wind and solar equipment by 2030. These retired equipment contain abundant resources,” said Yao Xin, vice dean of the Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Suzhou) Tsinghua.
According to Yao, preliminary estimates show that decommissioned wind turbines with an average capacity of one megawatt can reclaim 100 to 240 tons of steel, copper, aluminum and fiberglass, while retired photovoltaic equipment of the same capacity can reclaim 60 to 80 tons of copper, aluminum, plastic and other materials.
Establishing a recycling system for decommissioned wind and solar equipment can effectively improve the efficiency of raw material utilization and reduce the extraction of virgin resources, Yao noted.
To properly recycle decommissioned wind and solar equipment, it is important to set up the rule that one is responsible for the waste it generates.
The guideline urges and guides centralized wind and solar power generation enterprises to dispose of retired equipment according to law. It bans illegal disposal including arbitrary landfilling and discarding, and prohibits abandoning industrial solid waste into domestic waste collection facilities.
It also requests power generation companies to take waste recycling and proper disposal as an important part of wind farm renovation and upgrading projects.
The guideline offers advice on how to recycle. Zhuang said it demands power generation enterprises and other primary waste producers, in partnership with professional recycling institutions, to form specialized recycling systems. It could avoid irregular disposal of retired wind and solar equipment that would lead to resource waste and environmental pollution.
Insiders believe that R&D of related technologies is indispensable for establishing a sound mechanism for recycling decommissioned wind and solar power equipment. The efficiency of component recycling would increase as technology developed, which not only makes recycling more economical, but also drive healthy development of the industry through continuous technological upgrades.
“The guideline will build a solid foundation for efficient recycling of China’s decommissioned wind and solar equipment. With the implementation of relevant policies, China is expected to forge a wind and solar equipment recycling industry with a scale of over 10 billion yuan ($1.08 billion), and provide valuable references for the recycling standardization of other large equipment,” said Yao.
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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