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China steadily enhances ability to ensure livelihood during development

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By Ren Ping, Zhang Fan, People’s Daily

“The Chinese people’s aspiration for a better life is the goal we have been striving for, and the ultimate purpose of advancing reform and promoting development is to improve the livelihood of the people,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said. Xi is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission..

Xi made the remarks while chairing a symposium attended by representatives from businesses and academia in Jinan, east China’s Shandong province on May 23.

The essence of modernization is the modernization of people. Chinese modernization is a cause of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. Since entering the new era, China has achieved two miracles – rapid economic growth and lasting social stability. Putting livelihood issues in an important position is exactly one of the significant reasons to this success.

The country has won the largest battle against poverty in human history and achieved moderate prosperity, the millennia-old dream of the Chinese nation. It has built the world’s largest networks of high-speed railways and expressways. Besides, it has built the largest education, social security, and healthcare systems in the world. The splendid development of China is exactly a perfect answer sheet to livelihood problems.

Livelihood progress is an important standard measuring economic and social development. Over 70 percent of China’s government expenditures went toward ensuring the people’s wellbeing. This year, the country has set aside 66.7 billion yuan (about $9.39 billion) for employment subsidies, 408.5 billion yuan for transfer payments for shared fiscal powers in education, and 76.5 billion yuan for subsidies for basic public health services.

Minzhucun community of Xiejiawan neighborhood, Jiulongpo district in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality was once troubled with poor housing conditions, outdated infrastructure, excessive sewage, and inadequate supporting facilities.

Today, this place has transformed into a vibrant community with a spacious community reception hall, a multifunctional service center, and a community canteen where delicious meals are served.

By addressing deficiencies in facilities, enhancing community functions, and improving the quality of living, old communities have become new homes for residents in the new era.

China is always working to address the needs of the people, from their basic necessities to reform and development, in an attempt to improve their wellbeing and create a better life for them. This fully embodies the people-centered philosophy followed by the country.

China has strengthened its efforts in renovating old urban residential communities and ensuring the supply of affordable housing, so as to allow more families to be able to have a decent and secure place to live in.

China has raised the thresholds for special additional deductions in personal income tax for taking care of children and the elderly, which benefits 66 million taxpayers. Besides, medicines covered by the medical-insurance system saved over 200 billion yuan for patients nationwide in 2023.

Ensuring and improving people’s livelihood helps build a better future.

In Xicheng village, Lujiang county, Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, villager Tao Youbao has installed household photovoltaic equipment on his rooftop, which he calls a “solar bank.” According to him, the “solar bank” generates electricity for his family, and the surplus can be sold to the power grid, which earns him a few thousand yuan per year.

As of 2023, China’s installed capacity of distributed photovoltaic power generated by households exceeded 115 million kilowatts, equivalent to the capacity of approximately five Three Gorges power stations. It is predicted that nearly 27.3 billion square meters of total roof areas covering more than 80 million rural households can be installed with photovoltaic power generation equipment.

The widespread adoption of household photovoltaics will not only contribute to rural vitalization, but also play a pivotal role in driving the green transformation of the energy sector.

China works to meet people’s aspirations for a better life, with an aim to provide them with more stable jobs, higher incomes, better education, and more reliable social security.

Regions and departments across China have been making sustained efforts and taking more measures to strive for greater achievements in improving people’s wellbeing. By focusing on the concerns of the people and addressing practical issues related to their livelihood, China will steadily enhance its ability to ensure livelihood during its development and continuously improve  people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

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Trump begins mass layoffs at Voice of America

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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.

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Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

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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.

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China’s new chapter in global innovation

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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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