Foreign
China’s Demographic Crossroads: Can High-Quality Development Offset an Ageing Population?

By Liu Nian, People’s Daily
China stands at a pivotal juncture as its demographic landscape shifts: birth rates continue to fall while the proportion of citizens aged 60 or older has surpassed 20% of the total population, according to its National Bureau of Statistics. This “silver wave” coincides with the nation’s push toward common prosperity, yet it raises a pressing paradox—how to reconcile rapid ageing with the challenge of achieving widespread affluence.
Does this demographic transition signal the erosion of China’s famed population dividend? Or can evolving definitions of productivity and innovation redefine its economic trajectory?
The answer lies in untangling the interplay between demographic trends, policy frameworks, and economic resilience. While China’s meteoric rise since the 1980s was undeniably fueled by its vast labor pool, analysts argue that institutional strengths—from socialist governance with Chinese characteristicsto decades of reform and opening-up—unleashed an economic miracle no less critical than sheer workforce size.
Quantity alone no longer dictates prosperity. Even as the working-age population contracts, policymakers emphasize that technology investment, upskilling initiatives, and capital inflows can mitigate labour shortages. A case in point is China’s burgeoning talent reservoir: over 240 million citizens now hold higher education qualifications, fostering a skilled workforce driving sectors from AI to green energy.
This pivot from “population dividend” to “talent dividend” underscores a strategic bet—that quality, not just numbers, will sustain China’s modernization. As automation and innovation hubs like the Greater Bay Area expand, the narrative shifts from demographic anxiety to human capital’s transformative potential. The ultimate test? Whether high-quality development can turn an ageing society into an engine of sustainable progress.
The correlation between population structures and economic dividends defies reductionist arithmetic. It demands the analytical rigour of multivariate calculus, where shifting age coefficients interact with technological vectors and institutional constants. This complexity necessitates a systems-level perspective to truly decipher the demographic dividend equation.
Contemporary economic modelling reveals a paradigm shift: the dividend manifests not merely through crude growth metrics, but through strategic activation of latent human capital. While youth demographics remain crucial, a silent revolution is emerging from an unexpected quadrant – silver-haired populations redefining post-retirement economic agency.
Historical anxieties about elderly technological alienation now confront empirical contradictions. The digital metamorphosis of China’s elderly cohort has become a socioeconomic epiphany. Where pundits once predicted generational obsolescence, silver-haired netizens now dominate Douyin livestreams, orchestrate Taobao storefronts, and curate Xiaohongshu tutorials with the acuity of digital natives.
China’s silver wave of 170 million senior netizens is reinvigorating the digital ecosystem, proving the nation’s demographic dividend maintains potent socioeconomic currency.
This cohort’s renaissance extends far beyond screens. From mist-shrouded Huangshan peaks where septuagenarians clad in Arc’teryx gear deploy DSLR rigs, to Beijing’s frost-kissed ski slopes where grandmothers carve parallel turns, their vitality mirrors youth culture’s intensity. The lifelong learning revolution sees retired accountants mastering Python through digital lecture while former teachers monetize calligraphy tutorials – wisdom economies thriving.
Official metrics quantify the movement: China’s post-retirement cohort channels over700 billion yuan ($96.31 billion) yearly into cultural pursuits and wanderlust, with 35 million silver-haired scholars crowding digital academies and marathon finish lines witnessing a surge of septuagenarian sprinters – concrete manifestations of a nation where sunset years glow brightest.
China’s sunset years fuel economic engines rather than brake them, as evidenced by the phenomenon achieving statecraft recognition. The codified “silver economy” now anchors national policy blueprints, while its lexical zeitgeist cousin “silver power” penetrated mainstream discourse through annual buzzword rankings. Concurrently, medical chaperone services and biographical scribing emerge as legitimate professions among youth entrepreneurs – tangible proof that demographic shifts birth new economic ecosystems.
China has unveiled a national geriatric framework blueprint, mandating creation of multi-tiered, equitable geriatric care apparatus spanning megacities to agrarian counties. The policy white paper prioritizes market-driven eldercare industrialization to address China’s “grey wave” – the coalescing demands of pensioners seeking tailored retirement ecosystems.
By tapping into the potential of an aging society, China aims to generate new economic dividends. The country’s top-level policy design is providing clear direction for future development.
A broader perspective reveals that addressing both the declining birth rate and population aging requires a balanced approach. Further deepening reforms and expanding opening up will provide fresh momentum for Chinese modernization, even amid demographic shifts.
In today’s China, whether young or old, the common goal is to move forward with confidence and live a better life.
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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