Foreign
China-Africa infrastructure cooperation fosters closer people-to-people connections
By Yan Yu, People’s Daily
A rehabilitation and modernization project of the Mbuji Mayi-Nguba section of the N1 National Road in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently broke ground.
Alexis Gisaro Muvuni, minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works, driving a wheel loader, personally launched the Chinese-built project.
Muvuni said the N1 National Road is an artery linking Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, and Lubumbashi, the country’s economic hub.
DRC-China cooperation in infrastructure has yielded fruitful results, and China is working to enhance road connectivity in the DRC, bringing benefits to the Congolese people, the minister added.
Across the vast African continent, such vibrant scenes of construction are unfolding almost daily. Building roads, erecting bridges, constructing buildings, establishing factories…
For many years, numerous Chinese engineers have ventured into Africa, bringing advanced technology and rich experience to help improve local infrastructure, connectivity and integration processes.
Improving infrastructure conditions is a common expectation and urgent desire of African countries. As Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, stated, infrastructure development is the cornerstone of Africa’s development.
For a long time, weak infrastructure has been a major bottleneck constraining Africa’s economic and social development. A study by the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa showed that poor infrastructure such as roads, railways, and harbors has added 30 percent to 40 percent to the costs of goods trade among African countries.
At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will implement eight major initiatives with African countries in the next three years and beyond. Infrastructure connectivity is a key focus of the initiatives.
Under the framework of FOCAC, China has been working with African countries within its capacity to help them improve infrastructure, enhance their capacity for self-growth, and achieve sustainable development.
For instance, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway built by Chinese companies stands as Africa’s first electrified transboundary railway, symbolizing a new era of regional connectivity and progress.
The New Wami Bridge in Tanzania opened to traffic in October 2022, helping boost local agriculture, mining, transportation and other sectors with great economic and social significance.
The Chinese-built Kafue Lower Gorge Power Station in Zambia was put into operation in March 2023, generating stable electricity that powers the lives of local residents.
Statistics showed that since the founding of FOCAC, Chinese companies have built and upgraded more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, roughly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports, and a large number of hospitals and schools in Africa.
Today, the practical cooperation between China and Africa in infrastructure connectivity has achieved fruitful results.
Infrastructure plays a vital role in the growth of industries.
The Foundiougne Bridge in Senegal, constructed by China Railway Seventh Group, was officially opened in 2022. It has not only become one of the main arteries connecting the north and south of the country but has also reduced the time and cost of travel from Senegal to neighboring countries.
The 46MW Biovéa biomass power plant currently under construction by China Energy Engineering Corporation in Côte d’Ivoire is expected to be completed and generate electricity by 2025. This project will provide power supply for 1.7 million local people and benefit 12,000 palm growers, increasing their income by about 20 percent.
Besides, China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd (Genertec) has participated in the design, procurement, construction, and operation of more than 2,000 communication towers in Ghana, which serve over 3 million people in the country’s rural areas.
All of these vividly illustrate the cooperation between China and Africa to advance infrastructure connectivity and promote economic and social development of African countries.
Well-built infrastructure brings closer people-to-people exchanges.
Since its completion, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, linking Ethiopia and Djibouti, has provided job opportunities for over 55,000 people in local areas.
In Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau, local fishermen say that with the Bandim Fishing Port, constructed with Chinese assistance, it is more convenient to go fishing on the sea, and their income has improved significantly.
In the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa, the Liwatoni Floating Bridge, the first floating bridge in East Africa built by a Chinese company, has greatly facilitated local residents crossing the sea.
The accelerated advancement of China-Africa infrastructure connectivity is bringing tangible benefits to African people.
It is thrilling to see the continuous development of infrastructure connectivity cooperation between China and Africa, which has been expanded from transportation facilities to production-oriented and life-service-oriented infrastructure connectivity, including logistics centers and industrial parks. Besides, such cooperation has extended into new infrastructure areas such as finance, internet, and digital information.
In recent years, China and Africa have been deepening digital cooperation. Chinese companies are actively participating in the construction of digital infrastructure in Africa, including submarine and land cables, 5G networks, and data centers, bringing more convenience to African users.
Moving forward, by working together to deepen friendly cooperation and advance connectivity, China and Africa will open up more avenues of development and foster stronger people-to-people connections throughout the vast African continent.
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.
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.
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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