Foreign
A Serbian fashion designer’s day with mobile payment in China
By Li Zong, People’s Daily
Recently, China issued a document on further optimizing payment services and enhancing payment convenience, with an aim to better meet the diverse payment needs of senior citizens and foreign travelers.
How do foreigners in China feel about their current payment experiences ? Let’s find the answer with David Van de Kamp, a Serbian fashion designer.
【15:00, March 27, Checking in at hotel】
Van de Kamp came to China this time to attend the third China Chaoshan International Textile and Garment Exhibition held in Shantou, south China’s Guangdong province from March 28 to 30.
On March 27, he arrived at the hotel in Shantou he had booked. The check-in took him just a few minutes.
“I don’t speak much Chinese, but the check-in went smoothly. I handed over my passport at the front desk, and the staff handled it very efficiently,”Van de Kamp said.
According to him, it was convenient to pay with his Mastercard he obtained in Serbia via foreignbank card POS machines at the front desk.
“Having installed foreignbank card POS machines last July, the hotel now accepts payments from Mastercard and Visa settled at real-time exchange rates,” the hotel manager said.
Van de Kamp runs a studio that designs and manufacturers sweaters. He hoped to find higher-quality raw materials at the China Chaoshan International Textile and Garment Exhibition this time. The textile and garment industry has become one of the distinctive and advantageous pillar industries in Shantou. Each year, the city exports over 1.85 billion pieces of products. Within a 40-kilometer radius, there are over 10,000 enterprises engaged in the industry. “I want to hang around to see if I can have some ideas for designing,” he said.
【19:30, March 27, Taking public transport】
After having a short rest at the hotel, Van de Kamp went out to the streets. “In Serbia, the main payment methods are bank cards and cash, while using mobile apps is more convenient in China. I only need to bring my phone when going out,” he said.
The man applied for a Chinese SIM card and signed up for a WeChat account with it. “My WeChat account is linked to my Serbian bank card, so I can pay directly. The card binding was easy – just following the instructions to upload a photo of my passport, and completing verification.”
Van de Kamp went to a historical and cultural block taking a taxi he hailed on a ride-hailing app. When he got off the taxi, the fare was automatically deducted from the account in the app.
“I have enabled password-free payment, so I don’t need to manually pay the fare on my phone. The deducted amount is recorded on my Chinese bank card,” he said.
He had previously used a foreign bank card to withdraw Chinese yuan from an ATM, which incurred service charge. That’s why he decided to get a Chinese bank card.
“Although it is convenient to withdraw money with a foreign bank card now, I have rarely paid with cash and hardly needed to specifically withdraw money ever since I started using mobile payment,”Van de Kamp told People’s Daily.
【20:00, March 27, Shopping】
Van de Kamp walked into a clothing store of a shopping mall in Shantou, and started checking out the designs and materials of the garments.
“Wherever I go, I always visit local clothing stores first to experience the different dressing styles and preferences. I feel the raw materials used for these clothes are very good, mostly pure wool and other natural fibers. The designs also emphasize practicality,”Van de Kamp said.
Whenever he saw appetizing food, such as rice noodle rolls, sweet soups, and fried tofu, he would pause and scan to pay with his phone.
He even figured out a pattern: “In shops, the vendors usually scan my payment QR code; but when buying from street stalls, I usually scan their receiving QR code. Overall, there are many payment options, making life quite convenient in China.”
Recently, major banks and payment institutions in China have taken multiple measures to further clear payment obstacles for foreigners in China. On March 14, the People’s Bank of China released a payment guide in both Chinese and English, providing foreign travelers to China with instructions on how to access various payment services and the process of using them.
Nowadays, an increasing number of hotels in China accept payments from foreign bank cards, and there are also more and more service centers that cater to foreigners’ needs. It is believed that more foreigners will be able to embrace a convenient life in China, where they can pay for taxi fares, book hotel rooms, and purchase tickets on their mobile phones.
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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