Foreign
Pudong New Area in Shanghai makes every effort to boost innovation in various fields

Pudong New Area in east China’s Shanghai municipality is ramping up efforts to grow into a more influential and vibrant innovation hub.
At a 1,000-square-meter experience hall of Zhangjiang AI Robot Valley of the area, where robots can perform a lot of tasks, including making coffee, conducting surgery, and solving Rubik’s Cube, visitors feel as if they were in the future world.
Although some industrial parks of Zhangjiang township are still under construction, many businesses have raced to set up offices in the place.
In one to two years, a robotics innovation center equipped with incubator, industrial chain, and supporting services will be put into operation in the heartland of Pudong New Area and the center of Zhangjiang Science City of the area. The robotics innovation center is located only eight kilometers of Zhangjiang AI Island in the north and adjacent to advanced manufacturing clusters in Kangqiao township of Pudong New Area. In addition, an industrial park of 5G carrier China Telecom is also situated in the robotics innovation center.
Many multinational sci-tech innovation enterprises have seen opportunities in Zhangjiang AI Robot Valley.
In July, Fourier Intelligence, a Shanghai-based technology company which has established overseas branches in cities including London and Chicago and exports products to more than 20 countries around the world, moved its headquarters to Zhangjiang AI Robot Valley.
In the first quarter of the next year, Swiss tech giant ABB’s $150-million gigafactory is expected to be comprehensively put into operation in Zhangjiang AI Robot Valley. In the future, a manufacturing mode featuring “robots making robots” will be created there.
A relatively complete AI innovation chain covering various links, from technological breakthroughs and R&D to production and market expansion, has taken shape in Pudong New Area.
One third of the AI companies in Shanghai are located in Pudong New Area. Last year, the output value of AI companies in the area amounted to 91 billion yuan (about $14.05 billion), accounting for 40 percent of that of AI industry in Shanghai.
Pudong New Area has also realized all-round development of industrial chains in integrated circuits and biomedicine.
After years of development, the area’s integrated circuits industry has covered design, manufacturing, package test, equipment material, and other links.
According to reports, two of the global top five silicon wafer foundry companies are headquartered in Zhangjiang township; six of the top ten semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the world have established their headquarters and R&D centers in Zhangjiang; and among the top ten chip design companies in China, seven have established headquarters and R&D centers in the township.
Last year, the output value of Pudong New Area’s integrated circuits field rose 20.5 percent from the previous year to 147.1 billion yuan, accounting for 71 percent of the output value of Shanghai’s integrated circuits industry and one sixth of that of the country.
Biomedicine is also seeing all-round development in Pudong New Area, where there are almost all the key factors for growth, including talents, R&D institutions, innovation chain, and the industrial system.
In fact, 15 percent of China’s innovator drugs and 10 percent of the country’s innovative medical devices are created in the area. During the past five years, seven Class I new drugs invented in the area got market approval for public use, which accounted for nearly 15 percent of that approved in the country. During the same period, nearly 40 Class I new drugs, or about 20 percent of the Class I new drugs invented in the country, were put in clinical trials every year by companies in Pudong New area.
Pudong New Area’s business environment featuring efficiency, openness, international competitiveness, and obvious advantage of talents can help Covestro China improve its strength for innovation and competitiveness, said Holly Lei, president of the China division of new materials manufacturer Covestro.
On July 29, the government of Pudong New Area released its Group Open Innovation (GOI) plan, aiming to give play to large enterprises’ innovation resources and advantage of global innovation network and gather, cultivate, and incubate small and medium-sized sci-tech firms in the innovation chain for collaborative innovation.
The first 20 projects of the plan are focused on key industries and have been participated by well-known innovative companies including Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Baidu, and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.
Pudong New Area is now home to 966 R&D organizations set up by key enterprises and foreign-funded R&D centers, and the number is expected to exceed 1,000 this year. These R&D organizations and centers all have the potential to enjoy rapid development within a few years and realize explosive growth in their respective fields.
In addition, planning for 22 open innovation centers of large Chinese and foreign enterprises is underway in the area.
With further efforts to optimize business environment for innovation, Pudong New Area has demonstrated growing awareness of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.
In 2017, China (Pudong) IPR Protection Center was inaugurated in the area. Over the past four years, the IPR protection center, which specializes in the management and protection of patent, trademark and copyright, has received more than 10,000 visits for consultation and provided services for 977 applicants.
An entrepreneurial team led by Wang Weifeng, a postdoctoral researcher who has returned to China after studying abroad, got approval of medical devices within merely 70 days.
Thanks to a special review and approval procedure for innovative medical devices, the IPR protection center provides preliminary patent review service for Wang’s team, thus helping the team which possesses tumor sequencing technology get through the critical link in the launch of products.
“The service is just what companies need. It has not only protected the inventions and innovations of our company, but helped us get in on the ground floor of the global market,” Wang said.
By Ji Juesu, Xie Weiqun, People’s Daily
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.
Foreign
Chinese modernization: blueprint for global progress

By He Yin, People’s Daily
At China’s recent annual “two sessions,” Chinese modernization once again captured global attention. International observers are closely following a range of new measures designed not only to accelerate Chinese domestic transformation but also to unlock fresh opportunities for global development.
They believe that Chinese modernization, built on a foundation of openness and cooperation, will continue to yield global benefits with each new milestone.
Today, China stands as a formidable force in the global economy – accounting for around 18 percent of the global economy and nearly 30 percent of world manufacturing output. Year after year, the nation has contributed about 30 percent to global economic growth. With import and export records with almost all countries and regions designated in the United Nations Statistics Division, the country is a major trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions. In 2024, its exports to over 160 countries and regions saw growth.
Often hailed as the “world’s largest developing country,”the “second-largest economy,””world’s factory,””global market,” and “innovation powerhouse,” China is increasingly viewed as a beacon of stability and progress.
In recent years, high-profile events such as the seventh China International Import Expo – where intended deals exceeded $80 billion – and the establishment of over 1.239 million foreign-invested enterprises have reinforced the nation’s reputation as a vast, dynamic market.
Meanwhile, policies encouraging Chinese companies to “go global” have seen a steady stream of new technologies, goods, and services permeate international markets, knitting the country ever tighter into global value chains and bolstering its commitment to win-win cooperation.
The influence of Chinese modernization is evident far beyond its borders. In the Central African Republic, President Faustin-Archange Touadera has repeatedly screened China’s political documentary Carry the Reform Through to the End for cabinet discussions, while officialsin Uzbekistan are adapting China’s poverty-reduction experience to suit their national context. These moves challenge the assumption that modernization must follow Western models, suggesting that China’s alternative pathway offers a viable route to development.
Beyond economic growth, Chinese modernization is increasingly celebrated for its potential to foster win-win cooperation and shared prosperity.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for example, Kazakhstan secured its first maritime access and Laos launched its first modern railway. Support from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has propelled over 160 projects, benefiting more than 30 million people. Moreover, China has given all the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, signaling its commitment to an open and inclusive global economy.
China’s modernization agenda also tackles global challenges head on. In response to global environmental risks, China advocates for building a community of all life on the Earth. To bridge the digital and AI divide, it has launched the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All to ensure that technological advancements benefit every corner of the globe.
On the security front, China continues to promote dialogue and reconciliation in conflict zones while engaging in multilateral security collaborations, reinforcing its reputation as a nation committed to peace and stability.
By proposing initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilizations Initiative, China is not just charting its own course toward modernization but championing an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization – one that seeks to ensure that no nation is left behind on the path to prosperity.
The global appeal of Chinese modernization is far from accidental. Decades of reform and opening up have accelerated its development while enabling the country to contribute to global governance. On the international stage, it has taken on a leadership role – actively shaping global norms, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and advancing world peace and development. By sharing its successful experiences and technological advancements, the country seeks to help other developing countries chart their own courses toward progress.
With over 1.4 billion people engaged in this modernization journey – a number that surpasses the total population of all developed countries combined – China’s approach is redefining the global modernization landscape. For China, modernization is not solely a national endeavor but a blueprint for global progress – a vision that promises a more inclusive future for all.
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