Foreign
“Shuttle trucking” makes air transport more efficient

By Du Haitao, People’s Daily
A flight from Billund Airport in Denmark recently arrived at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China’s Zhejiang province, carrying 39.6 tons of imported goods.
The cargos were soon cleared through customs. Of that, 39.3 tons, mainly chemicals and spare parts, were shipped by trucks to Shanghai and Beijing.
These shuttle trucks, which run on fixed schedules and routes, connect the final destinations of cargos with the airports at which they arrive. This air-land intermodal transportation utilizes trucks’ cost and flexibility advantages to meet enterprises’ logistics demands.
It is estimated that shipping goods indirectly by consolidating cargo on flights to Hangzhou first and then trucking them to final destinations in China, reduces shipping costs per kilogram by 10 percent to 15 percent compared to direct air shipping to each destination.
In the first five months of this year, the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Customs supervised 4,039 truck shipments totaling nearly 9,109 tons, up 78.3 percent and 16.6 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.
To ensure efficient operations of the shuttle trucks, the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Customs implemented a 24/7 clearance plan to quickly process cargo. This mechanism enables goods to be shipped to their final destinations are cleared through customs on the same day they arrive in China.
The Customs is cooperating with airlines and relevant enterprises to expand the coverage area of the trucking service and contribute to the integrated logistics development in the Yangtze River Delta.
As China’s economy and society continue to develop, there are increasing demands for more efficient and convenient logistics transportation. As a form of air-land intermodal transportation, these shuttle trucks are more and more favored by the market.
Guangxi Civil Aviation Industry Development based in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has launched an interprovincial shuttle truck service for imported express parcels to promote air-land transport connections in Nanning. This has greatly enhanced the capacity of Nanning’s airport to guarantee timely delivery of imported express parcels.
The airport of Nanning has an annual international air cargo and mail processing capacity of 150,000 tons. It operates 11 international cargo routes to 12 cities in 8 countries of ASEAN and South Asia.
Thanks to the shuttle truck service, seafood, fruits and other featured products from ASEAN countries can enter the Chinese market more conveniently. The airport of Nanning has become an important channel for ASEAN products to expand their market in China.
A similar services has been launched by Haikou Meilan International Airport, south China’s Hainan province, too, which sources goods from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou and other cities and then exports them together. This facilitates effective connections between the Hainan Free Trade Port and domestic and foreign cities. At the same time, it expands the airport’s import channels, enhances coordination between air cargo services, reduces transportation costs for businesses, and further improves the airport’s freight capacity.
Experts said that the air-land intermodal transportation takes advantages of China’s developed expressway network and flexible trucking services, and thus well connects air and land transport and makes air transport safer and more efficient.
As innovations are made to improve such shuttle truck services and the transport network, the high-quality development of China’s logistics industry is expected to be further advanced.
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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