Foreign
Beijing speeds up building of digital trade demonstration zone

In recent years, Beijing has ramped up efforts to build a digital trade demonstration zone, attracting an array of major projects, including the Beijing International Big Data Exchange, China Beijing Environment Exchange (now China Beijing Green Exchange), Ueda Yagi Money Broking (China) Co., Ltd., the first wholly foreign-owned money broker in China, as well as Allianz Insurance Asset Management Co., Ltd., China’s first wholly foreign-owned insurance asset management company.
The move serves as a follow-up to the city’s vigorous efforts to build a national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector and a pilot free trade zone (FTZ).
Since last September, Beijing has accomplished 80 percent of the tasks set for three to five years in the construction of the “two zones”, promoted 10 of its best-practice cases in the country, and put into practice 34 policies that were introduced into the country for the first time.
The pilot FTZ, which covers 0.7 percent of the city’s area, has contributed 7 percent of Beijing’s economic growth and 28 percent of the increase in the number of foreign-funded companies in the city, providing strong support for Beijing in gathering production factors from across the world and developing itself into an international highland of openness and innovation.
As the only city in China that has been encouraged to build the “two zones”, Beijing has rolled out multiple policies and systems to broaden market access for foreign investors and facilitate capital flow, said Liu Meiying, deputy head of the leading group office for the “two zones” work in Beijing, at the recently concluded 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) held in Beijing.
“In pursuit of a bright future through digital technologies, we are going to take advantage of the platform of the CIFTIS, give full play to Beijing’s role as a capital city, align domestic rules with high-standard international economic and trade rules to improve service trade levels in key fields including digital trade, finance, culture, professional services, education, and health care, and further liberalize and facilitate the cross-border flow of production factors, so as to form an efficient and safe service trade governance system,” pointed out Yan Ligang, head of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.
To advance the construction of a digital trade demonstration zone and further facilitate the flow of data, Beijing has established the Beijing International Big Data Exchange, piloted cross-border flow of data, and explored a regulatory sandbox mechanism for data market out of concerns for safety in digital economy.
Beijing has also pushed ahead international cooperation on digital trade, striving to build a world-class digital trade port and foster mechanisms for collaboration in the aspect.
Driven by policies on the construction of the “two zones”, 1,035 foreign-invested enterprises put down roots in Beijing from January to July, a year-on-year increase of 55.2 percent. During the same period, the city’s actual use of foreign capital reached $10.33 billion, 19.1 percent more than that of the same period last year.
While high-end technological industries that accord with Beijing’s development orientation have raced to take a bite of the city’s opportunities, new business forms, models and technologies represented by digital economy are emerging as new drivers of the city’s economic development.
Beijing has taken the lead in China in implementing a policy on recognizing securities and futures occupational qualifications acquired overseas, making it easier for international talents to work in the city. Thanks to the policy, talents who already obtained qualifications and job experience overseas don’t have to take relevant examinations in China again before engaging in certain fields in the city.
The Chinese capital city has also taken measures to simplify work-related formalities for foreign talents. It is the first Chinese city to pilot a project that enables foreign nationals to apply for and receive work permits and residence permits for working at a single service window, which is much more convenient compared with the procedures required in the past.
Beijing has also allowed foreign talents with permanent residence permits to establish sci-tech companies and guaranteed that they are equally treated in the market as Chinese entrepreneurs, making it easier for them to start their own businesses.
Besides 19 international schools under construction and increasing the number of international hospitals, the city has also built eight communities for foreign talents to create a warm and friendly atmosphere for them.
“Digital trade is regarded as an important part in the construction of the ‘two zones’. In fact, it also enjoys exciting prospects in health care. We are on the front foot and have great potential to integrate it into online and offline health care services before, during, and after consultations,” said Zhu Hailuan, vice president of the China branch of Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company that established a production base in Beijing as early as 1995.
By Zhu Jingruo, He Yong, People’s Daily
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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