Foreign
Digital industrial clusters prosper in China

By Wang Zheng, People’s Daily
The rapid development of the digital economy over the recent years in China has led to a tide of the construction of digital industrial clusters.
A batch of digital industrial clusters with international competitiveness has taken shape and grown strong across China, injecting fresh impetus into the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.
Digital industrial clusters, led by new development philosophy, include enterprises and relevant organizations driven by digital factors and engaged in digital product manufacturing, digital services, and digital technology application. They have strong core competitiveness.
According to China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) on the development of the digital economy, the country aims to raise the proportion of the added value of core digital economy industries in its GDP to 10 percent in 2025, up from 7.8 percent in 2020.
The China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID) said over 60 percent of China’s 25 advanced manufacturing clusters are engaged in the digital economy. The prospering development of the digital economy is driving the upgrade of industrial clusters.
China Speech Valley, an industrial base focusing on speech recognition technologies in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, reported revenue of 137.8 billion yuan ($19.71 billion) from its main businesses last year. Led by leading artificial intelligence and speech technology company iFLYTEK, the industrial base is home to 1,423 enterprises. The annual average growths in its output value and number of enterprises have both exceeded 30 percent over the past five years.
A digital security industrial cluster in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, is home to leading Chinese video surveillance product and solution provider Dahua Technology, top-notch manufacturer and supplier of video surveillance equipment Hikvision, as well as over 4,300 other innovative enterprises engaged in the industry. The revenue of core businesses of the cluster reached 272.08 billion yuan ($38.9 billion) last year, up 17.2 percent year on year. It has the world’s largest two producers of digital video recorders and cameras, with a market share of over 50 percent.
Represented by global leading provider of optical products Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company and laser technology developer Huagong Tech, the Optics Valley in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, has received total investment exceeding 200 billion yuan during the past three years and owns more than 15,000 optoelectronic enterprises. The industrial cluster has witnessed a series of breakthroughs, such as the making of the world’s first 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chip and China’s first 400G silicon photonics optical module.
Platform-based synergetic online development and production is one of the features of digital industrial clusters. For instance, Chinese tech firm Xiaomi, establishing over 100 enterprises in its ecological chain in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, has created more than 100 hot-selling products. So far, the Chinese company has gathered over 4,000 online development teams on its platform.
The new model of work division is another feature of digital industrial clusters. Gao Yingmai, director of the Digital Economy Strategy Research Office of CCID, told People’s Daily that different from the models of one-to-one division adopted by traditional industrial clusters, digital industrial clusters use platforms to connect businesses.
Data alignment and interaction as well as artificial intelligence-enabled analysis make industrial collaboration more precise and efficient, Gao explained.
For instance, these platforms could detect shortages of key spare parts and then seek suppliers, and could also predict fluctuations in the market and thus ensure a reasonable inventory and timely production, Gao noted.
Digital industrial clusters can achieve synergy in R&D, orders, production, quality, inventory and services, said Fan Qiuci, an expert with the AliResearch, a research arm of Alibaba Group. Fan said the clusters can digitalize and align various systems for a closed synergy loop, so as to stabilize and strengthen industrial and supply chains,
An official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that China will strengthen digital industrialization, industrial digitalization and its data-to-value capability, so as to build digital industrial clusters with international competitiveness in different fields in a phased manner.
According to the official, the country will accelerate the development of industrial clusters, with market potential and dominated by innovative players. China will also build a development pattern led by major enterprises, followed by small- and medium-sized enterprises and constantly joined by innovative companies, to continuously integrate the digital economy with the real economy and traditional industries.
Besides, China will also speed up its efforts to build a national big data center and actively explore the new models of data flow and transaction, to fully turn digital dividends into development potential, the official added.
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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