Foreign
China to quicken formulation and introduction of 2021 version of negative list for foreign investment: MOFCOM official

China will pick up pace in formulating and introducing the 2021 version of negative list for foreign investment and continuously expand its opening-up, in a bid to facilitate high-quality development through higher-level opening-up, said an official with the Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM) at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on August 23.
China has opened more fields up and further widened market access for foreign enterprises in recent years, said Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce in China.
The country has not only cut the items on its national negative list for foreign investment to 33 from 93 in the 2015 version of the national negative list, but raised foreign equity caps in industries including automobile, finance and securities, Wang noted.
China’s efforts to open its market wider have paid off. Since 2012, the overall scale of the country’s foreign investment inflow has maintained growth. For nearly four years, China has remained the world’s second largest recipient of foreign investment.
Last year, foreign direct investment (FDI) into China rose 4.5 percent while the global FDI flows fell by 40 percent. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 56 percent of U.S. companies, 73 percent of European companies, and 89 percent of Japanese companies in China still made profits last year, according to reports released by foreign chambers of commerce in China.
Most foreign companies in China are also participants in the country’s construction of “dual circulation” development pattern whereby domestic and foreign markets can boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay, noted Wang.
Foreign-funded enterprises operate in China and benefit China, Wang said, explaining that on the one hand, with their production, sale and purchase activities all conducted in China, foreign enterprises have become deeply integrated into China’s internal circulation; on the other hand, they have completed two fifths of China’s imports and exports, thus facilitating the interaction between the country’s domestic market and global markets.
The MOFCOM plans to roll out measures in four aspects to draw foreign investment, according to Wang.
For starters, the MOFCOM will continue shortening the country’s negative list and widening market access for foreign investment, continuously easing restrictions and expanding opening-up. Meanwhile, the country will advance negotiations on free-trade agreements and actively participate in and promote WTO reform.
Second, the MOFCOM will further improve services for foreign companies. The ministry, together with 20 other government departments and major provinces in China, has established a task force for key foreign-invested projects, which has performed its function of solving problems for key foreign-invested companies and projects and will provide even better services in the future.
Third, the MOFCOM will give full play to the role of complaint mechanism to safeguard the rights and interests of foreign-funded enterprises in accordance with the law. The Investment Promotion Agency of the MOFCOM has set up the National Center for Complaints of Foreign-invested Enterprises. Regional foreign company complaint handling organs can also be found on the website of the MOFCOM.
Fourth, China will push ahead with the implementation of the foreign investment law and its supporting rules and regulations to create a world-class business environment established on market principles and the rule of law.
Pilot free trade zones, as China’s new platform of opening-up and test fields of the country’s reform and opening-up, have launched 278 institutional innovations at the national level. The construction of the country’s Hainan Free Trade Port is also progressing steadily.
China intends to follow international economic and trade rules of higher standards to expand opening-up, such as rules of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, said Wang.
“We will also further shorten the negative lists for foreign investment in pilot free trade zones, for which we have always been working hard,” Wang said.
By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily
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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