Foreign
Domestic drones empower various industries in China

By Kang Pu
In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have picked up pace in empowering various industries in China.
Thanks to technological advances and commercialization of research findings, UAVs’ application has been expanded into more and more fields, such as agricultural and forestry plant protection, emergency rescue, cultural relics protection, and power line inspection.
In Beijing’s Yanqing district, two sets of DJI Dock 2, a new drone dock developed by Chinese drone maker DJI, stand guard day and night at the southern and northern parts of the Badaling section of the Great Wall.
With the support of the drone docks, drones autonomously perform 10 patrol flights on five routes over the scenic area on a daily basis. The routes cover basically all the areas open to visitors.
Video footages from the drones are sent to the management center of the scenic area in real time, so that uncivilized tourist behavior can be discovered and discouraged in time. At night, infrared cameras on the drones make it hard for rule-breakers, including overnight campers, to evade surveillance.
In addition, the DJI Dock 2 can autonomously generate high-precision 3D models of key areas of the scenic area every two weeks. Through comparison of the 3D models, relevant personnel can notice changes in the natural conditions of the scenic area, such as landslides and wall shifts, in a timely manner, and carry out targeted examination and repair.
In Wensu county, Aksu prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, plant protection drones have made farmers’ work in the fields much easier.
“Defoliant can remove the leaves from cotton trees while retaining the branches and cotton, thus preventing leaves from mixing with cotton and affecting cotton quality during harvest,” said Zhu Rui, a drone pilot of a Wensu county-based company specializing in agricultural plant protection-related services.
“This M-22 drone was jointly developed by my company and our partners. It can spray chemicals over 400 mu (about 26.67 hectares) to 500 mu of cotton fields per day,” Zhu said, while operating a drone to spray defoliant over a cotton field.
“Agricultural and forestry plants including walnut trees, Chinese date trees, apple trees, wheat crops, and shelter forests are all taken care of using plant protection drones. They have significantly eased farmers’ workload and increased their income,” Zhu noted.
According to Zhu, drones can increase farmland yields by over 10 percent and reduce the average cost per mu of farmland by more than 30 percent.
In April this year, when a forest fire erupted in Longjingwan village, Baoluan township, Fengdu county, southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, dense vegetation and complex terrain made it dangerous for emergency response teams to approach the forests without an accurate judgment of the situation.
Fortunately, several drones soon arrived over the scene, helping rescue teams get a clear understanding of the fire lines, ignition points and the geographical conditions of the locality.
“Commander, there are two fire lines to the southeast and southwest, plus three separate ignition points. The terrain is gentler to the northwest. I suggest entering the scene from that direction,” a rescuer reported.
With the help of drones, the fire was quickly extinguished.
Last year, Fengdu county equipped all its townships, subdistricts and relevant authorities with 36 domestically produced drones, achieving full coverage of drone-empowered intelligent oversight, according to Tang Shouyuan, county mayor of Fengdu.
“As air vehicles, drones are not limited to ground transportation constraints and can perform complex operations,” Tan Xiang, executive secretary general of the Research Center for UAV Applications and Regulation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out.
In recent years, China’s drone industry has achieved notable progress, with products enjoying higher reliability, lower costs, and diversified application scenarios, Tan said, noting that China has become one of the world’s largest industrial drone markets.
“Widespread application of industrial drones in agricultural plant protection, electricity supply, geography, security, marine science, meteorology, environmental protection, construction, healthcare, among other fields, has profoundly transformed people’s modes of production and lifestyles,” Tan said.
Technological innovations have played a crucial role in underpinning the extensive application of drones across industries.
Pointing out that some people in many sectors still have to work in complex and dangerous environments and perform repetitive tasks, Zhang Xiaonan, strategic director of DJI, said technological progress is supposed to help frontline workers complete missions more easily.
“Where there are pain points, there are sources of inspiration for innovations,” Zhang noted.
The DJI Dock 2, for instance, allows drones to autonomously complete flight missions without the need for a pilot to operate them.
The technical team of DJI envisioned the Dock as the “home” of drones. Equipped with various software and hardware, the “home” enables drones to make flight plans, perform flight missions, collect data, recharge, and complete other operations autonomously.
It took DJI 10 years to gain insights into users’ pain points, hone its Dock products, and finally win market recognition, according to Zhang.
The DJI Dock 2, as the second version of DJI Dock, is smaller but smarter. Compared to the initial version, the DJI Dock 2 has experienced a size reduction of 75 percent and a weight reduction of 68 percent, alongside significant increases in effective operational radius, flight time and professional surveying and mapping capabilities.
The continuous emergence of sci-tech achievements has contributed to the formation of a solid foundation for China’s drone industrial chain, according to Tan.
Drone technologies in China have undergone constant improvements, during which a good number of outstanding companies have achieved a strong presence in the drone industry, and a globally competitive complete industrial chain encompassing research and development, production, sale, and services has taken shape, Tan said.
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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