Foreign
China expands opening up in service trade

By Ouyang Jie, Pan Junqiang, Qi Zhiming, People’s Daily
The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2023 (2023 CIFTIS) kicked off in Beijing on Sept. 2.
The five-day event, themed “Opening-up leads development, cooperation delivers the future,” has been joined by over 2,400 offline exhibitors, including more than 500 Global Fortune 500 firms and industry leaders.
These companies come from 28 of the top 30 countries and regions in terms of trade in services, and over 20 percent of them are from outside China.
The 2023 CIFTIS includes a comprehensive exhibition and thematic exhibitions, with a total exhibition area of about 155,000 square meters.
Focusing on industrial hotspots and development trends, thematic exhibitions cover nine areas including engineering consulting and construction services, telecommunications, computer and information services, financial services, supply chain and business services, and environmental services. They showcase high-quality services, cutting-edge achievements and application scenarios in various fields.
The CIFTIS sends a positive signal of opening up, cooperation and win-win results, and the Chinese market is becoming increasingly appealing to foreign enterprises, said Peter Qiu, president of Deutsche Bank (China) Co., Ltd.
Deutsche Bank has a strong business presence in China, and it is very optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese market, Qiu said.
From launching comprehensive pilot programs, to deepening the pilot program of innovative development, and to hosting the CIFTIS, China continues to deepen opening up its service sector, with service trade maintaining rapid growth.
In 2022, China’s services trade value increased by 12.9 percent year-on-year to a record high of 5.98 trillion yuan (about $819 billion), ranking second globally for the ninth consecutive year. In the first seven months of this year, China’s service trade has continued its growth momentum, with services imports and exports reaching nearly 3.67 trillion yuan, up 8.1 percent year-on-year.
Digitalization and green development are driving innovative growth of service trade. The 2023 CIFTIS highlights cutting-edge achievements in chip technology, quantum metrology, satellite remote sensing, AI, and digital healthcare. Over 60 enterprises and institutions released a number of new products and technologies, spearheading scientific, technological and business model innovations in service trade.
In the exhibition area for telecommunications, computer and information services, a series of frontier technologies are displayed, including over 10 6G standard technologies with international influence, China’s first homemade satellite mobile communication system and an ultrasonic sensing smart bracelet for the visually impaired.
It is learned that both online and offline events will be held during this year’s CIFTIS. Over 70 enterprises and organizations including Schneider, Intel, Sanofi, Philips and the People’s Insurance Company of China will unveil their latest achievements and products, such as an intelligent file service center, digital RMB prepaid cards, industrial digital maps and brand-new digital twin platforms.
As an important platform for China’s opening up, the CIFTIS leads service consumption upgrades and provides opportunities for enterprises worldwide to integrate into China’s service market.
At the 2023 CIFTIS, participating countries showcased featured services and achievements in the digital economy, culture, tourism, education, and healthcare. It offered participants an opportunity to seek cooperation and get updated on global service trade development.
Livestreaming studios were set up this year to help overseas companies and international organizations promote their products and services and provide online transaction channels.
Tesla is a participant and beneficiary of China’s opening up, said Tesla China President Wang Hao.
“Over the past decade, Tesla has witnessed and taken part in the rapid growth of China’s new energy vehicle industry. We are fully confident in the Chinese market, and will better leverage the opportunities of China’s high-level opening up and increase our investments here,” he told People’s Daily.
“Qualcomm has participated in the fair for four consecutive years, where we continue bringing our innovations to the Chinese market and expanding collaborations with Chinese companies,” said Qian Kun, senior vice president of Qualcomm.
“China’s commitment to high-level opening up gives us great confidence in the prospects of the Chinese market and our cooperation with China. Moving forward, Qualcomm will expand into more areas like Internet of Things and intelligent connected vehicles, proactively developing domestic and international markets with local partners,” Qian noted.
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.
-
News7 hours ago
SDGs must be integrated into development plans – FG
-
News8 hours ago
2027: Stakeholders allege Akpabio, others have sold APC to PDP in Akwa Ibom
-
News7 hours ago
Nnamdi Kanu’s trial under ‘repealed’ law, mere charade – Lawyer
-
Foreign7 hours ago
Trump begins mass layoffs at Voice of America