Foreign
To build China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area into highland of opening up

By Zhang Xinzhu
On June 10, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province, during which he announced that the Chinese government supports building a demonstration area in Qingdao for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation.
Six years on, the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) has grown into a center for international logistics, modern trade, two-way investment cooperation, and commercial, tourism and cultural exchanges, while boosting the development of the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade.
The demonstration area has become a gathering area for enterprises from SCO member states to share development opportunities in the Chinese market, and is forging ahead to build itself into a new and promising platform for Belt and Road cooperation.
The SCODA is striving to establish itself as a hub for institutional innovation.
Since its establishment, the SCODA has placed institutional innovation front and center and has reaped early fruits by pioneering more than 80 institutions.
Besides, the demonstration area has set up a comprehensive economic and trade platform to offer one-stop services covering trade, customs clearance, logistics, and finance, resolving obstacles faced by enterprises in economic and trade investment.
These achievements have proved that steadily expanding institutional opening up can facilitate trade and investment, and enhance the level of trade cooperation.
The SCODA is striving to establish itself as a new hub for economic and trade cooperation.
Based on the SCO International Hub Port and a multimodal transportation service platform covering railway, sea, air and land ports, the SCODA is working to build a convenient connectivity pattern and a manufacturing center, logistics center and product distribution center facing Northeast Asia. The SCO International Hub Port has obtained the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE).
Moreover, the SCODA has launched 21 international train routes and set up an overseas assembly center for China-Europe (Qilu) freight trains in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Besides, it has also opened a sub-demonstration area in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. By further enhancing infrastructure connectivity, the SCODA can provide enterprises with more opportunities and contribute to economic growth.
The SCODA is striving to maintain safe and stable industrial and supply chains.
Industrial and supply chains are important parts of modern economy, which have a significant impact on the operation of the modern economic system.
To better ensure stable industrial and supply chains of SCO member states, the SCODA has hosted the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum & the SCO International Investment and Trade Expo, and launched the China-SCO Industrial Park Alliance, promoting information sharing, logistics connectivity, and project collaboration.
In addition, the SCODA has set up an area for the application of the industrial internet and built 20 export-oriented industrial clusters, including the Haier COSMOPlat Industrial Internet Ecopark. By enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, the SCODA aims to better safeguard the common interests of all SCO member states.
The SCODA is striving to nurture high-caliber professionals.
Close economic and trade cooperation relies heavily on talents. The China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade, which was established in 2022, serves as a practical platform to train professionals who can contribute to multilateral economic and trade cooperation among SCO member states.
So far, the institute has carried out 180 training sessions for more than 13,800 participants from SCO member states and Belt and Road partner countries, providing practical experience tailored to their actual needs. An increasing number of professionals with expertise in international economic and trade rules and national conditions of different countries have emerged, which will further deepen the exchanges and cooperation among SCO member states.
History tells us that openness and cooperation are a major driving force behind dynamic international economic and trade activities. Looking ahead, openness and cooperation will remain essential for continued human progress.
Moving forward, the SCODA will consolidate its role as an important link in international industrial, supply and trade chains, boosting economic and trade cooperation of SCO member states. It will continue to build a pilot area for institutional innovation in two-way investment and trade among SCO member states, a gathering area for entrepreneurship and business development, and a new and promising platform for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to create a new highland for opening up in the new era.
(Zhang Xinzhu is a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Qingdao Committee and secretary of the Party Working Committee of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area)
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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