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China’s PV industry sees accelerated development, expanded overseas market

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By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily

In the city of Shannan, located on a plateau at an elevation of 4,994 to 5,100 meters in southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region, nearly 80,000 solar panels were glistening under the sunlight.

This solar farm was connected to the grid and started generating electricity on Dec. 30, 2023. It is the world’s highest solar project and supplies electricity for nearly 4,000 households.

“The project employs our ultra high-power components, and from order placement to delivery completion, it took just over a month,” said Gao Jifan, chairman of TrinaSolar Co., Ltd. (TrinaSolar).

Gao, who came to Xizang 22 years ago, shared his experience of building photovoltaic (PV) power stations in the autonomous region.

“Back then, the equipment had to be carried on horses to construction sites. An average PV power station was only around 20 kilowatts, with a few dozen solar panels, which were imported,” Gao said.

At that time, China’s PV industry was just starting out, with only a handful of companies manufacturing PV products. TrinaSolar, which has a history of only five years, didn’t even have a component factory back then and its annual revenue was just about 100 million yuan ($14.07 million).

However, in the first three quarters of 2023 alone, the company’s revenue exceeded 80 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of over 40 percent. It’s profit more than doubled.

China’s PV industry has undergone a remarkable transformation, from a situation where raw materials, equipment, and markets were heavily reliant on foreign sources to becoming a global leader with nearly half of the world’s installed solar power capacity and over 80 percent of major manufacturing output.

According to data released by the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, the manufacturing output of the PV sector exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan in the first ten months of 2023. In the first three quarters of 2023, the export volume of silicon wafers, solar cells, and modules increased by 88.3 percent, 74.3 percent, and 33 percent year on year, respectively.

Behind the steady expansion of the PV industry lie the opportunities brought about by global green and low-carbon transformation and China’s efforts to achieve its “dual carbon” goals – reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the same time, the expansion of the industry is also the dividend resulting from companies accelerating technological iteration and driving cost reduction.

In December 2023, Chinese solar technology giant LONGi set a new world record of 27.09 percent for the efficiency of crystalline silicon heterojunction back-contact (HBC) solar cells, breaking the 26.81 percent efficiency record it announced in November 2022.

The secret to these breakthroughs comes from continuous research and development. On one hand, the company explores different promising technological paths and industry sectors; on the other hand, it focuses its efforts on scaling up the production of selected technologies.

Over the past five years, LONGi has invested over 18 billion yuan in research and development.

Since 2014, Chinese companies have shattered records in PV cell conversion efficiency for over 50 times. Cao Renxian, secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association and chairman of Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd., noted that with the accelerated industrialization of several advanced technologies, the conversion efficiency of perovskite and tandem solar cells made new highs last year, marking China’s global leadership in PV technology.

Guided by the “dual carbon” goals, the PV sector is deeply integrating with industries, construction, transportation, and other fields. Through the innovation in application models, the market continue to expand in depth and breadth.

On Dongyu Island in south China’s Hainan province, where the permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia is located, hotels and parking lot shelters have been equipped with building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

Unlike traditional installations where solar panels are mounted on rooftop brackets, the roofs of such buildings on the island are composed of inner panels, insulation cotton, outer panels, and a photovoltaic power generation layer.

BIPV allows solar panels to become a part of buildings, eliminating the need for separate pathways during installation. This means that the same roof area can accommodate larger-capacity components, resulting in an increase in electricity generation of approximately 15 percent.

Building overseas factories has become a prominent trend in the Chinese PV industry over the past two years. TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co.,Ltd. is actively promoting the investment and construction of a solar crystalline wafer factory in Saudi Arabia. JA Solar plans to invest approximately 2.7 billion yuan to build a 5-gigawatt high-efficiency battery project in Vietnam. Canadian Solar has established a 5-gigawatt PV module production facility in Texas, United States.

Liu Yiyang, deputy secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, noted that currently, PV companies are increasingly establishing factories overseas. The destinations have expanded from Southeast Asia to include markets such as the United States, the Middle East, and Indonesia.

The trend of expanding overseas production capacity has led to more involvement in the entire supply chain. “Moreover, the focus has shifted from solely exporting products to providing production, management, branding, and services, aiming to build a global cooperation and mutually beneficial ecosystem.” Liu added.

“PV products are transitioning from a ‘made in China, sold globally’ model to a ‘made globally, sold globally’ one. Looking ahead, it is necessary to build a high-quality ecosystem for the coordinated development of the PV industry, actively integrate into the global industrial system, and engage in international cooperation in areas such as green energy.” said Gao.

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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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