Foreign
Chinese automakers keep investing in R&D

By Xu Peiyu
Chinese automakers are enjoying robust growth and rising market shares, as revealed by semi-annual reports recently released by multiple automobile groups.
According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), from January to September, Chinese automakers sold nearly 11.92 million passenger vehicles, up 20.5 percent from a year ago, with a market share of 63.8 percent. Notably, the market share of new energy vehicles manufactured by Chinese automakers exceeded 80 percent.
Industry experts attribute the rapid rise of Chinese automotive brands to their sustained increase in R&D investment, as it gives them the ability to make technological breakthroughs and deliver innovative products.
BYD is the leading car manufacturer by sales volume in China. It is also the biggest investor in R&D among Chinese automakers. According to statistics, in the first half of this year, BYD’s R&D expenditures ranked first among over 5,300 A-share listed companies, amounting to 20.2 billion yuan ($2.84 billion), a 42 percent increase year on year and a record high. This figure was 6.6 billion yuan higher than BYD’s net profit during the same period.
New entrants in the automotive market have also shown impressive R&D investments. Li Auto invested over 6 billion yuan in R&D in the first half of the year, marking a 42 percent increase compared to the previous year, while NIO also spent over 6 billion yuan in R&D. Both companies’ management teams revealed that they plan to maintain quarterly R&D investments of around 3 billion yuan.
It is noteworthy that in the first half of the year, R&D investments from companies like BYD, Geely, Changan, and Seres exceeded their net profits.
Since 2011, BYD’s investment in R&D has surpassed the company’s net profits in 13 out of the past 14 years, sometimes reaching several times the amount of net profit in the same period. To date, BYD’s cumulative R&D investment has approached 150 billion yuan.
Substantial investments have enabled automotive companies to develop independent R&D capabilities.
Currently, BYD employs over 100,000 R&D personnel, making it the carmaker with the largest R&D workforce globally. It has filed more than 48,000 patents and has over 30,000 patents granted.
In the first half of this year, Seres saw a rapid increase in its patent applications and approvals. It filed 1,812 patent applications, including 1,313 invention patents and 300 utility model patents.
Chinese automotive brands are constantly making technological breakthroughs. For instance, BYD’s e-platform 3.0is the world’s first intelligent control platform that features a function that integrates and controls independent drive of three motors and rear-wheel steering technology. It combines the advantages of BYD’s fifth-generation DM (dual mode) technology and the e-platform 3.0 Evo, enhancing driving experience for users.
Through technological innovation, automotive companies have gained unique competitive advantages. BYD’s Blade Battery marks a significant innovation in the new energy vehicle sector, known for its high safety, high energy density, and long cycle life. Seres’ superrange-extender system achieves thermal efficiency of 45 percent and a power-to-fuel conversion efficiency of 3.65 kilowatt-hours per liter. In the first quarter of this year, Seres’ range-extenders maintained the highest industry adoption rate, and the company has reached cooperation agreements with 12 partners.
The pace of new product launches has also been accelerating. This year, companies like Seres and Changan have introduced multiple new energy products to meet the diverse needs of consumers.
A recent report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., revealed that Chinese electric vehicle companies are 30 percent faster than automakers from other countries in developing and launching new models.
Chinese EV makers offer models for sale for an average of 1.3 years before they are updated or refreshed, compared with 4.2 years for foreign brands, the report said.
Am executive of Seres said that in the context of increasingly fierce competition in the global automotive industry, independent R&D is a key way for Chinese brands to secure core competitiveness.
Driving industry innovation through technological advancement is particularly important, especially by leveraging disruptive and cutting-edge technologies to guide the industry toward high-end, intelligent, and green development, the executive added.
An expert said that the emphasis Chinese automakers place on R&D reflects a trend of consumption upgrading in the Chinese automotive market. Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose cost-effective and technologically advanced products manufactured by Chinese carmakers.
In the future, Chinese automotive companies will continue to strengthen their R&D efforts. Currently, BYD’s intelligent driving development team comprises nearly 5,000 engineers, and the company plans to invest 100 billion yuan in smart technologies, including generative AI and large model.
By continually enhancing R&D and innovative technologies, Chinese automakers are driving the entire industry toward greater efficiency, environmental sustainability, and intelligence, while also contributing to the sustainable development of the global automotive industry.
Foreign
Trump begins mass layoffs at Voice of America

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.
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.
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