Foreign
China steadily enhances ability to ensure livelihood during development

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Jiulongpo district in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality was once troubled with poor housing conditions, outdated infrastructure, excessive sewage, and inadequate supporting facilities.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.
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.
Foreign
Chinese democracy in action:a village bench meeting shapes national law

By Wei Zhezhe, Liu Botong, People’s Daily
In a modest corner of Jiangmen, south China’s Guangdong province, residents of Weidong village are experiencing firsthand a form of democracy that starts at the grassroots level and reverberates all the way to Beijing.
Wu Tengxin, a local villager who relies on a scooter for daily mobility after contracting polio, recalls a time when the village’s public spaces were ill-equipped for people with disabilities. Now, thanks to a simple suggestion made during a meeting, his everyday life has changed.
In November 2022, a team from a local legislative outreach office – a branch of China’sNational People’s Congress (NPC) – visited Weidong village and set up a “bench-style meeting.” Residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, gathered to voice their concerns about inadequate accessibility.
Amid the conversation, Wu offered a straightforward proposal: “I hope rural accessible facilities can be improved to make mobility easier for people with disabilities and the elderly.” His words were relayed verbatim to lawmakers.
The response was swift. On June 28, 2023, at the third session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, legislators passed a law on building a barrier-free living environment. The law stipulates that improvements”shall align with social and economic development levels, coordinate urban and rural progress, and gradually narrow the gap in infrastructure between urban and rural areas.”
Today, Wu observes that the village’s main roads and public squares have been upgraded with accessibility features that make getting around considerably easier.
This episode illustrates what Chinese officials call “whole-process people’s democracy” – a system where citizen input is woven into every stage of policy development.
Jilie Ziri, head of Abuluoha village in Butuo county, southwest China’s Sichuan province, remarked that for young generations in China, democracy has become a lived experience. “Villagers are the masters of village affairs,” he said, emphasizing how active villager participation has injected new vitality into local governance.
Experts point to consultative democracy as a cornerstone of this process. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, underscores the important role of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, whose members hail from every stratum of society and bring a wealth of expertise and connections.
Their regular forums, field research, and public consultations have created robust channels for citizens to contribute ideas and forge consensus.”This approach gathers collective wisdom and transforms public voices into policy,” Tao said.
Another crucial manifestation is the effectiveness of China’s political party system. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Chinese democratic parties actively fulfill their duties, offering recommendations that often translate into concrete policy decisions. This integrated approach demonstrates the unique strengths of China’s political system and the advantages of whole-process people’s democracy.
Tao emphasized that whole-process people’s democracyhas evolved into an efficient and dynamic democratic practice – one that not only reflects the essence of socialist democracy but also presents a pioneering model of political civilization, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global governance and democratic development.
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