Embracing the trend of openness and pooling strength for win-win cooperation

By Guo Jiping, People’s Daily


The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) opens in Shanghai on Nov. 5 and will run through Nov. 10.

This year’s exhibition space exceeds 370,000 square meters for the first time, drawing participants from 162 countries, regions, and international organizations. More than 4,100 overseas companies are participating, and over 480 products are expected to make their debut at the expo, hitting a record high.

At a time when unilateralism and protectionism continue to disrupt the international economic and trade order, the CIIE, now in its ninth consecutive year, has become an irreplaceable international public good in the global economic and trade system.

A closer look at the exhibition layout of the 9th CIIE reveals six major exhibition areas and an Innovation Incubation Special Section, each with its own highlights.

Pavilions dedicated to medical equipment and health care products, consumer goods, and food and agricultural products have all been expanded. More than 2,000 companies are participating in the event for the first time.

Among the newcomers are the U.S.-based Project Management Institute and Germany’s Caparol, a leading producer of architectural coatings.

For the first time, the CIIE will feature a global consumer brands showcase to help expand and upgrade consumption of quality products.

“The CIIE stands as a clear demonstration of China’s commitment to expand opening up,” said Carl Fey, professor of strategy at BI Norwegian Business School. As he has observed, China’s opening up is geared toward pursuing shared development with the rest of the world, and the CIIE highlights China’s key role in global trade.

Over the years, the range of exhibits at the CIIE has expanded from consumer goods and components to high-end equipment, core technologies, and quality services.

This evolution reflects the deeper integration of global industrial and supply chains. Today, exhibitors, including industry giants, emerging players, small and medium-sized enterprises, and specialized businesses, can all connect with market demand more precisely and explore growth opportunities across the entire industrial chain.

The CIIE is increasingly attracting international buyers. Ahead of this year’s event, trade delegations from Shanghai, Guangdong, and other regions secured a number of major buyers with strong purchasing power, well-established brands, and substantial demand.

Dedicated matchmaking events were held in Egypt, Germany, the UK, and other countries, bringing negotiations closer to China’s trading partners. During the expo, a buyers’ corridor will help connect quality products and services directly with the Chinese market.

In the first three quarters of 2026, China’s imports reached 16.74 trillion yuan (about $2.5 trillion), representing a 22.3 percent year-on-year increase. September alone saw monthly imports surpass 2 trillion yuan for the first time.

The CIIE offers a window into China’s vast domestic market, where growing demand is creating more opportunities for business around the world.


The expo is also becoming an increasingly attractive platform for foreign investors.

Through the CIIE, exhibitors including ZEISS Group, Schneider Electric and AstraZeneca have established R&D centers, regional headquarters and advanced manufacturing bases in China.

As global companies unveil debut products, many are simultaneously accelerating plans to deepen local R&D, increase investment, and consolidate regional operations.

Over the past three years, the number of foreign-invested enterprises in China has grown steadily. Between January and April 2026 alone, more than 3,000 foreign-invested firms announced additional capital commitments.

The CIIE continues to witness how exhibits become marketable products and exhibitors become investors, and more global companies deepen their presence in China and create benefits for the world.

Beyond commerce, the expo is strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties. More than a marketplace for goods and services, it serves as a cross-cultural forum. The distinctive Country Exhibition area hosts performances and exhibitions that offer visitors a rich tapestry of global traditions.

This year introduces several firsts: the Premium Collection will feature intangible cultural heritage workshops, the Gourmet Festival will launch a global tasting zone, and the Arts Carnival will collaborate with China Fashion Week. These initiatives foster mutual understanding and enrich economic partnerships with stronger societal connections.


The CIIE provides a broader multilateral platform for open cooperation. In step with the trend of economic globalization, it has established an authoritative platform for high-level dialogue and multilateral economic and trade cooperation.

For the first time, more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders are participating. Nearly 200 firms and institutions have attended all nine editions, while five countries, including Moldova and Romania, as well as the United Nations Development Programme, are joining for the first time, demonstrating the strong appeal of openness and cooperation.

China advances high-level opening up with the aim of expanding the pie of cooperation with the rest of the world. Its stories of opening up have sent a message to the world that China is not only the world’s factory but also a global market. It is not only a “super seller” but also a “super buyer.”

The two-way engagement does not marginalize other stakeholders; rather, it creates tangible benefits for neighboring economies and fosters regional prosperity.

At this year’s expo, pavilions dedicated to Asian and African products will be expanded, featuring higher-quality displays and enhanced programming. These enhancements aim to help African countries with diplomatic ties to China leverage tariff-free access and encourage more Global South countries to fully utilize the CIIE.

Stephen Jackson, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, noted that the CIIE offers developing economies a practical pathway to integrate more deeply into global value chains and share the benefits of trade.


China will harness the momentum of opening up and pool strength for win-win cooperation. It will firmly uphold multilateralism and continue to make the CIIE a success, helping steer economic globalization toward greater openness, inclusiveness, balance and shared benefits.

Foreign companies strengthen their footprint in Shenzhen

By Li Zong, People’s Daily

At Qianhai in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, the bonded maintenance center of German health tech company Siemens Healthineers provides global after-sales support for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment.

Simultaneously, next-generation digital elevator technology from Finnish manufacturer KONE is quickly reaching markets across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Foreign banks and financial institutions from the UK, Singapore, and elsewhere are establishing operations in the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Financial City.

With its high degree of openness and strong economic vitality, Shenzhen continues to strengthen its appeal as a global investment destination.

Throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Shenzhen registered 44,000 new foreign-invested enterprises, and the volume of foreign investment actually utilized in the city surpassed 300 billion yuan (about $45.05 billion). More than 340 Fortune Global 500 companies have invested in the city.

The latest figures show that Shenzhen’s actual utilization of foreign investment exceeded 44 billion yuan in the first nine months of this year, up more than 60 percent year on year.

“When I first came here more than a decade ago, workers were still lining the production lines,” said Zhang Hongliang, vice president of operations for Flex’s Industrial Products business in Asia-Pacific, beside an automated production line at Flextronics Electronics Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Today, the facility is the company’s only pilot “future factory” in Asia. Automated equipment, integrated digital systems, and AI algorithms drive its production lines, doubling productivity per employee.

In the early years of reform and opening-up, Shenzhen’s flexible policies as a special economic zone and convenient port access attracted large numbers of foreign manufacturers. In 1987, Flex, a technology company founded in Silicon Valley in the U.S., established its first factory in the Chinese mainland in Shekou, Shenzhen. The company has continued to expand its investment in the city ever since.

“Shenzhen’s highly efficient supply chains, robust digital ecosystem, and proactive government support for technological upgrades have laid a solid foundation for the company’s transition to intelligent manufacturing,” Zhang said. The achievements made in Shenzhen are now being rapidly replicated across Flex’s manufacturing facilities worldwide.

As Shenzhen steps up efforts to build a world-class automotive hub, French auto parts maker Valeo is becoming increasingly integrated into the local automotive industry chain, advancing technological upgrades and optimizing production in intelligent driving and smart cockpit systems.

“China is no longer just the world’s largest automotive market. It has also become a global ‘fitness center’ for the automotive industry and a demanding testing ground,” said Zhou Song, president of Valeo China.

Around 30 percent of the value of intelligent connected vehicles comes from the information technology industry, which aligns closely with Shenzhen’s industrial foundation and innovation ecosystem, Zhou added.

At Siemens Healthineers’ Shenzhen base, more than a dozen MRI systems stand in rows as they undergo final testing before being shipped to Australia, Japan, Thailand and other markets. By the end of 2025, the facility had delivered more than 10,000 MRI and angiography equipment to over 120 countries and regions.

Siemens Healthineers established its Shenzhen operations in 2002. Back then, China’s medical device industry was still in its early stages. An MRI system involves thousands of components, and a local supply chain was yet to be established.

“We have remained committed to localizing our operations and helped develop more than 300 local suppliers. Locally sourced components now account for 80 percent of our finished products,” said Ma Tianshi, general manager of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd.

“We remain committed to investing in Shenzhen and deepening our presence in China, strengthening our intelligent manufacturing capabilities to serve both the Chinese and global markets,” said Ma.

As more foreign companies establish and expand their operations in Shenzhen, the city is evolving from a manufacturing base into an important center for global innovation.

In the first half of this year, foreign investment in actual use in Shenzhen’s high-tech industries accounted for more than 70 percent of the city’s total utilized foreign investment. The city is now home to more than 200 foreign-funded R&D centers, employing over 30,000 researchers.

In March this year, KONE officially opened its southern China headquarters in Qianhai.

“KONE’s presence in China has evolved from sales and manufacturing to R&D and, more recently, innovation,” said Xie Jijun, senior vice president of KONE Greater China. The company is now introducing digital, green and energy-efficient technologies in the Chinese market before taking them global.

The rapid growth of emerging and future industries in Shenzhen is also drawing international financial institutions to the city.

HSBC Bank (China) Co., Ltd. has set up a team in Shenzhen to provide financial services for technology and innovation companies. The team focuses on cross-border fintech innovation in the Greater Bay Area and has launched a range of innovative products that leverage digital technology and are tailored to the needs of technology and innovation companies.

“This reflects our confidence in Shenzhen’s technology and innovation companies and its emerging industries, as well as our commitment to supporting their growth,” said Li Qile, general manager for the Greater Bay Area at HSBC Bank (China) Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen has consistently worked to attract and utilize high-quality foreign investment while further opening up its economy. In December 2025, the city introduced measures to further attract and utilize foreign investment, strengthening policy support for opening up key sectors, improving the business environment and facilitating investment.

Going forward, Shenzhen will actively advance institutional opening-up and develop itself into a high-level international trade hub, said an official from the Investment Promotion Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality.

Qinzhou: Bridging rivers and seas, opening to the world

By Zhang Yunhe, People’s Daily

Situated on the Beibu Gulf coast in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Qinzhou has served as a maritime gateway since ancient times, linking inland waterways with the open sea.

Today, propelled by the expansion of the Beibu Gulf International Gateway Port, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, the city is forging a dynamic new path toward deeper maritime engagement and global integration.

A modern maritime hub: Streamlining connectivity and multimodal transport

At the automated container terminal of Beibu Gulf Port, cargo operations run continuously around the clock.

Nearby, at a bulk cargo berth, the vessel Dubai Nature — carrying imported soybeans — has just docked. On deck, Bangladeshi crew member Rajib oversees mooring operations. Watching giant vessels pass one after another along the channel, he said: “The port is spacious. Operations run in an orderly manner, and the staff are friendly and responsible. It has left a deep impression on me.”

Qinzhou Port currently has 96 operational berths, including berths capable of accommodating vessels of up to 300,000 tonnes. It operates 92 container shipping routes, connecting with more than 200 ports in over 100 countries and regions worldwide.

In June this year, Moiz Farooq, executive editor of Pakistan Economic Network, visited Qinzhou. At the Smart Port Innovation Center of Beibu Gulf, he watched demonstrations of smart port operations, including the precise dispatching of autonomous container trucks.

“Qinzhou has world-class port facilities, and landmark projects such as the Pinglu Canal give it outstanding advantages in developing foreign trade,” Farooq said.

“I hope to see more Pakistani companies come to Qinzhou and explore cooperation opportunities in areas such as logistics, port development, maritime trade, and the digital economy.”

On September 16, the landmark Pinglu Canal opened for navigation. “The waterway establishes a new link between the inland waterway network and the sea, effectively shortening transport distances and reducing costs. It will also spur industrial clustering and port-related economic development in Qinzhou, enhancing regional competitiveness,” said Philippe Gourbesville, president of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, after visiting the canal.

Fostering industrial growth and streamlining business services 

To support business development, Qinzhou has set up dedicated service teams at both municipal and county levels to assist enterprises in the real economy. Staff members regularly visit businesses and follow up on concerns raised through online platforms, providing ongoing support to help businesses resolve operational difficulties.

Han Seong Woo, a South Korean manager at Guangxi Lingshan Delin Toys Co., Ltd. in Lingshan county, Qinzhou, once encountered difficulties with identity verification when applying to change his company’s business address.

Recognizing the complexity, staff members promptly coordinated across departments and guided him through the necessary steps. What he anticipated would be a lengthy bureaucratic process was resolved efficiently.

Thanks to multiple opening-up platforms, including the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park and the Qinzhou Port area of the China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Qinzhou is now home to 211 foreign-invested enterprises. Foreign-funded projects in light industry, aquatic products and port-related industries are steadily being implemented, injecting fresh impetus into local development.

“Qinzhou offers not only a highly supportive business environment but also a rich historical and cultural heritage. Lingshan county, for example, is home to ancient buildings such as those in the ancient Dalu Village,” Han said.

“As Qinzhou continues to open up, it will attract more South Koreans to work and invest here, further strengthening economic, trade and cultural ties between South Korea and China,” he added.

Bridging cultures through education and people-to-people exchange

Inside a classroom at Beibu Gulf University in Qinzhou, students practice conversational Thai under the guidance of instructor Orawee Wei. Standing beside their desks, she uses expressive gestures to help learners master intonation and rhythm.


“After living in Qinzhou for many years, I have come to regard this place as my second home,” she said.

Over recent years, schools in Qinzhou have established sister-school partnerships with their counterparts in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries, organizing a range of people-to-people exchange activities, including cultural and tourism exchange activities and study programs for young people.

Wei, who grew up in a family of teachers in Nakhon Sawan province, Thailand, and joined Beibu Gulf University in 2020.

“When I first arrived, only 80 students were studying Thai. Today, that number has grown to more than 200, with an increasing number of young Chinese people eager to learn the language,” she said.

Wei teaches specialized courses such as Business Thai and Practical Thai for International Trade. She has seen five cohorts of her students graduate.

“My students are actively involved in Thailand-China economic and trade exchanges. They work as accompanying interpreters, business secretaries and foreign trade accountants for Thai and Chinese companies, helping strengthen economic and trade ties between Qinzhou and ASEAN,” she said.

From an ancient port once bustling with sailing ships to a modern gateway now traversed by giant vessels, Qinzhou has become a key hub of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

Linking mountains and seas and creating opportunities, the city keeps goods moving, businesses thriving and people connected, offering a vivid example of cooperation and exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

CPC’s self-governance offers new insights for global political civilization 

By He Yin, People’s Daily

The international community has paid close attention to the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), highlighting the global significance and contemporary relevance of the century-old Party’s experience in self-governance.

The session, held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, reviewed the major achievements and valuable experience gained in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance in the new era, and deliberated and adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Certain Major Issues concerning Persevering with Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance.

International observers have noted that the session demonstrated the CPC’s unwavering commitment to self-reform, further strengthened the century-old Party’s stability and cohesion, and offered valuable experience for countries seeking to explore their own paths of development. 

To understand China today, one must learn to understand the CPC. Looking back on the Party’s more than 100-year history, a key reason for its success in winning one victory after another is that it has consistently attached great importance to its self-governance, had the courage to uphold truth and correct errors, and grown ever stronger by relying on its own efforts and the support of the people to resolve its own problems throughout different periods of its history.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Party has advanced Party building as a great new project in the new era, securing historic achievements and bringing about historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country, while ushering in a new landscape of governance both within the Party and across China.

“China’s modernization rests on a political strength that deserves greater international attention: the capacity to identify institutional weaknesses and organize sustained action to address them,” says an article published on the website of The Diplomatic Insight, a Pakistani magazine. 

International observers generally believe that the CPC’s continued efforts to step up Party building and improve its governing capacity, together with its sustained commitment to full and rigorous Party self-governance, help improve the country’s governance system and provide a strong political guarantee for advancing Chinese modernization with confidence.

To govern the country well, the Party must first govern itself well, and to make the country strong, the Party must first strengthen itself. 

Today, the international landscape is characterized by intertwined changes and turbulence. Some countries have long been plagued by conflict and disorder, while others remain mired in political infighting and social unrest.

More and more people are looking to China’s experience for answers to a fundamental question: Why can the CPC succeed?

In the more than five years since the opening of the Museum of the Communist Party of China, an increasing number of delegations from foreign political parties have visited this “spiritual home” of the CPC to learn about the century-old Party’s experience in state governance.

After visiting the museum, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov wrote in the visitors’ guestbook that all the brilliant achievements and great victories are the result of the Chinese people’s efforts for the future of their country under the strong leadership of the CPC.

During his visit to China, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé visited Liangjiahe village in northwest China’s Shaanxi province and Yundang Lake in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, among other places, and also toured the Museum of the Communist Party of China. He said that during his visit, he personally witnessed the remarkable achievements of Chinese modernization under the leadership of President Xi and gained a deeper understanding of China’s governance philosophy and the key to success.

With unwavering resolve and perseverance, the CPC has continued its efforts to exercise full and rigorous Party self-governance, while enriching and refining its experience in governing the country. 

These efforts have added new dimensions to exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign political parties, while offering valuable experience in party governance to political parties around the world.

As the Party endeavors to supervise, govern, develop, and strengthen itself in the new era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies in response to the major questions of our times — what kind of long-term governing Marxist party should be built and how it should be built, thereby giving birth to Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building.

This thought has enriched and developed Marxist theory on party building, and it represents a major achievement in advancing the Party’s theoretical innovation through the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture. 

The power of truth knows no borders. By persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance, the CPC has leveraged its own governance to guide and underpin China’s governance. In doing so, it has challenged the notion that the Western model of political parties is the only viable model and contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to the development and progress of global political civilization.

Madhav Kumar Nepal, co-coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party and former Nepali prime minister, said Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building has offered important insights for the development of political parties around the world. 

Only by consistently attaching great importance to party building and having the courage to renew itself can a political party lead a country toward lasting peace and stability, he said.

More than a century after its founding, the CPC remains in its prime. 

As the world’s largest political party, the CPC stands ready to work with other political parties around the world to deepen exchanges of experience in state governance, promote the exchange and mutual understanding of ideas, and join hands on the path to modernization, forging ahead on the broad path toward building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The Canton Fair: A window into China’s evolving economic and cultural identity

By Peng Fei, Li Zheng, People’s Daily

For seven decades and 140 editions, the China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, has convened without interruption. It is a legend in the history of international trade fairs and serves as a living record of China’s modernization journey.

Through this annual gathering, observers can trace the transformation of entire industries, the rise of dynamic urban centers, and the emergence of new cultural expressions. The fair also sheds light on the foundations, ambitions, and long-term vision guiding China’s development, while reflecting its growing integration into the global economy and its distinct approach to industrial progress.

Manufacturing remains the backbone of any modern economy, and a robust industrial system provides the material and technological foundation for national development.

In 2000, some 50 flashlight manufacturers from Xidian town in Ninghai county, east China’s Zhejiang province, made their debut at the 88th Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong province.

Lacking permanent booths and marketing budgets, they shared exhibition space and pooled funds to produce promotional materials. At the time, competitive pricing was their primary advantage.

More than two decades later, that same sector has undergone a dramatic shift. Foshan Electrical and Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tsinghua University recently developed an ergonomic desk lamp featuring diffused, glare-free lighting. The product earned top honors at the Canton Fair Design Award, a competition established to recognize excellence and drive industrial innovation.

This progression mirrors a broader trend across Chinese manufacturing. Today’s exhibitors no longer showcase isolated products; they demonstrate integrated supply chains and the technological capabilities underpinning China’s modern industrial base. Currently, 64 percent of participating companies have adopted advanced technologies such as the industrial internet and artificial intelligence. New and environmentally friendly products now represent record-high shares of the exhibition lineup.

From agricultural specialties to the “old three” products (clothing, furniture, home appliances) and the “new trio” products (electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar products); from printed catalogs to face-to-face product displays and transactions, and now to full-chain solutions, the evolution of the Canton Fair reflects the transformation of Chinese manufacturing.

Moving beyond OEM (original equipment manufacturing) to develop their own brands, and shifting from competing on price to creating greater value through innovation, Chinese industries are upgrading by bringing sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation into closer alignment.

China’s drive for innovation is also opening up new opportunities for the world.

China’s exports of new energy equipment are helping developing countries build up their own industrial capabilities. Chinese algorithms and AI models are finding applications around the world, helping bridge the global digital divide. Through innovation and green development, China’s industrial system is bringing greater stability and certainty to the world economy.

China is stepping up efforts to make breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, develop industries of the future, foster emerging industries as new pillars of growth, and transform and upgrade traditional industries, unlocking tremendous potential and vitality for high-quality development.

The exhibition economy creates value far beyond the factory floor, significantly benefiting host cities.

In Guangzhou, improved sea-air transport links are making logistics more efficient, contactless customs clearance is making trade more convenient, and riverside greenbelts are enhancing the urban environment. Additionally, low-carbon exhibitions and digital technologies are adding fresh momentum to innovation. Located on Pazhou Island in Guangzhou, the Canton Fair Complex, the world’s largest exhibition complex, reflects a new vision for high-level opening-up.


Today, the Canton Fair is more than a platform for bringing buyers and sellers together. It has become a hub for business exchanges across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Leveraging the strength of China’s unified national market, Guangzhou is becoming increasingly adept at allocating high-end global resources. The city has also been named one of China’s “Happiest Cities” for several consecutive years.

An exhibitor badge at the Canton Fair is also an invitation to discover Chinese culture.

Inside the exhibition halls, ChangingTek Robotics Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., uses a robotic hand equipped with tactile sensors to make lacquer fans, bringing traditional Chinese aesthetics to life through technology. Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital’s AI-powered pulse diagnosis device has also caught the attention of overseas buyers, offering them a glimpse of the appeal of traditional Chinese medicine.

By incorporating cultural elements into product design and giving traditional culture a new lease on life through sci-tech innovation, exhibitors are winning over international customers.

Beyond the exhibition halls, Guangzhou has issued 20 million yuan (about $3 million) in dining vouchers, organized a food festival during the fair and arranged complimentary one-day tours exclusively for overseas buyers. Doing business starts with making friends, and a visit to the fair is also an opportunity to experience life in China.


Cultural influence runs deep.

The growing popularity of “China Travel” and “China Shopping,” along with the rise of “Chinamaxxing” on overseas social media, shows that China’s cultural appeal is reaching an ever-wider international audience. Chinese online literature, online drama series and video games are further strengthening the country’s cultural influence abroad.

What draws the world to China is no longer just its goods and services, but also its vibrant, relatable culture and the values and ideas that underpin it.

Amid geopolitical uncertainty and a sluggish global economic recovery, China’s major fairs, including the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the China International Consumer Products Expo and the China International Supply Chain Expo, underscore the country’s commitment to common development in harmony, solidarity and win-win cooperation.

“Visiting the fair feels like coming home” and “China remains a reliable hub for global trade” reflect both confidence in Chinese market opportunities and appreciation for China’s cooperative development model

Through its efforts to advance the four major global initiatives, champion the open source and inclusive AI initiative, build platforms for international economic and trade cooperation, and share development experience with other Global South countries, China offers insights into what makes a better life and how humanity can build a better future together.

Innovation behind less invasive treatment for serious diseases

By Meng Fanzhe, People’s Daily

Can serious illnesses be treated with minimally invasive procedures? Traditional cardiac interventions often rely on X-ray guidance and iodine-based contrast agents, which can pose significant risks to pregnant women and patients with compromised kidney function.

Addressing this clinical limitation, researchers in China have developed an ultrasound-guided percutaneous cardiac procedure. By navigating instruments through the skin using real-time ultrasound imaging, surgeons can perform complex heart treatments without open-chest surgery, radiation exposure, or contrast dyes.

Such advancements not only minimize physical trauma and accelerate patient recovery but also underscore a broader principle: persistent medical challenges frequently serve as catalysts for scientific breakthroughs.

This pattern of constraint-driven innovation extends well beyond healthcare. In densely populated urban areas, engineers have designed vertical-shaft tunnel-boring machines that excavate downward to create underground parking spaces, significantly reducing surface disruption.

Similarly, while seawater holds vast potential for clean hydrogen generation via electrolysis, dissolved salts and impurities typically degrade equipment. By integrating physical separation with electrochemical processes, scientists have engineered a selective membrane that filters out contaminants, enabling direct hydrogen extraction from seawater without prior desalination.

Tackling these multifaceted problems demands interdisciplinary collaboration. By moving beyond established approaches, questioning conventional assumptions, and drawing on knowledge from different disciplines, researchers can open up new paths to innovation.

Translating laboratory breakthroughs into widespread public benefit, however, requires deliberate efforts to ensure accessibility. To expand access to the ultrasound-guided cardiac procedure, developers have integrated the necessary equipment into mobile surgical units. These fully equipped vehicles allow medical teams to deploy advanced care directly to remote communities.

Likewise, precision agriculture in China has been transformed by equipping farm machinery with  the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. Coupled with government subsidies and on-site technical training, this integration ensures that cutting-edge positioning tools are not merely technologically advanced, but practically usable for farmers nationwide.

The gap between a functional prototype and a widely adopted solution is often bridged by cost, training, and service infrastructure. Yet high performance and broad accessibility need not be trade-offs. Designing technologies for usability and equitable distribution is, in itself, a critical form of innovation. When development strategies explicitly incorporate deployment logistics and support, emerging technologies can realize their full societal impact.

Currently, the Percutaneous and Non-Fluoroscopic Procedure is used in nearly 2,000 medical institutions across 72 countries, including the UK, France and Kenya, and has helped treat more than 200,000 patients.

Recognizing its global value, the United Nations has initiated training programs to expand medical expertise and patient access. Addressing a shared global health need, this homegrown Chinese innovation is strengthening China’s medical capabilities while giving other countries more treatment options. This is a concrete contribution to building a global community of health for all.

Advanced technologies can benefit people across national borders. In Rwanda, local technicians who learn to grow mushrooms using Juncao grass go on to share their knowledge with women’s cooperatives and youth groups.

China’s Fengyun meteorological satellites also provide early warnings and disaster prevention services to countries and regions around the world, including developing nations.

Protecting lives, preventing disasters and alleviating poverty are shared aspirations of people around the world. By sharing data and technical standards and training talent, China is extending cooperation beyond technology transfer to helping other countries build the capacity to apply these innovations, giving Chinese innovation greater global significance.

The idea of treating serious illnesses with less invasive methods reminds us that technological progress should start with people’s needs. Innovation can better serve humanity when it dares to explore new approaches, works patiently to lower barriers to access and seeks to benefit others.

Looking ahead, China will continue to turn its strengths in independent innovation into drivers of development and improvements in people’s lives, further strengthening the sci-tech foundations of Chinese modernization and creating more opportunities for the world through its own development.

China steps up efforts to combat climate change

By Kou Jiangze, People’s Daily

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently released an annual report on the country’s policies and actions on climate change.

According to the report, in 2025, China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP were 17.7 percent lower than in 2020. 

Meanwhile, non-fossil fuels accounted for 21.7 percent of total energy consumption, up from 16 percent in 2020. Installed wind and solar capacity reached 1.84 billion kilowatts. Forest stock volume stood at 20.988 billion cubic meters. New energy vehicles (NEVs) accounted for 50.8 percent of all new vehicle sales.

Li Gao, vice minister of ecology and environment, noted that China has achieved significant milestones in addressing climate change and is steadily advancing along a green, low-carbon development path tailored to its national circumstances. 

“Major progress has been made in decarbonizing the energy and industrial sectors, with several targets outlined in China’s 2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) already met ahead of schedule,” he said.

Renewable energy’s share of electricity generation continues to climb. Notably, as of July 2026, installed solar capacity surpassed coal-fired power for the first time, establishing it as China’s largest electricity source. Furthermore, all incremental electricity demand nationwide was fully met by renewable generation.

Industrial transformation is yielding measurable results. The green and low-carbon sector is projected to generate approximately 11 trillion yuan ($1.65 trillion) in output value, supported by over two million enterprises. China now operates the world’s most comprehensive clean energy supply chain. 

From 2021 to 2025, ultra-low-emission retrofits were completed for production capacity totaling 940 million tons of crude steel, 360 million tons of coke, and 470 million tons of cement clinker.

Green and low-carbon initiatives in key sectors are making steady progress. In 2025, freight turnover by rail and waterway increased by 20.8 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively, compared with 2020. Ships calling at ports along the Yangtze River Economic Belt used 230 million kilowatt-hours of shore power, four times the 2020 level. 

Besides, China has continued to promote energy-saving retrofits of existing buildings, while all new buildings are required to meet green building standards.

China is also implementing a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035. Its capabilities in monitoring, early warning, risk assessment, and disaster prevention and mitigation have improved significantly, while climate change adaptation efforts in key sectors and regions have been steadily advanced.

The report shows that China has established an integrated meteorological observation system comprising 10 Fengyun meteorological satellites, 842 weather radars, 131 upper-air observation stations, and more than 100,000 ground-based meteorological observation stations, among other facilities. The system can comprehensively monitor and identify 83 percent of hazardous weather events. Initial progress has also been made in developing a territorial spatial framework that incorporates climate change adaptation.

To support China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is accelerating the development of a carbon footprint management system. Li said that as of the end of September this year, China had issued 37 national standards for calculating product carbon footprints, and the national greenhouse gas emission factor database contained 576 emission factors.

According to the report, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China’s national carbon emissions trading market helped reduce carbon emissions in the thermal power sector by approximately 530 million tons. The market also helped the power generation sector reduce society-wide emissions reduction costs by 56.8 billion yuan.

Li said China had established the world’s largest carbon emissions trading market. It currently covers around 8.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for more than 65 percent of the national total, and cumulative trading of emission quota has exceeded 1 billion tons. China will continue expanding the market’s coverage, with the petrochemical, chemical and other industrial sectors to be included by 2027.

China’s voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction market is also expanding rapidly. To date, 44 projects have been registered, covering more than 25 million tons of emissions reductions. Trading volume has exceeded 24 million tons, with transaction value approaching 2 billion yuan.

The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will be held in Antalya, Turkiye, in November this year. 

Li said China supports making implementation the focus of COP31. It believes the conference should engage in in-depth discussions on longstanding issues, including insufficient emissions reduction efforts and financial support from developed countries, as well as new challenges posed by unilateralism and protectionism, which undermine collective efforts to address climate change.

COP31 should help advance the multilateral process by supporting and creating the conditions for all parties, particularly developing countries, to implement their NDCs, and make tangible progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

NJC Cannot Dictate Chief Judge Nominee to Imo JSC, Attorney-General Insists

The Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Paul Obinatu has challenged the constitutional authority of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to direct the Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on the candidate whose name it should submit for consideration in the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge of the state, describing such an intervention as an encroachment on the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the State Commission.

In a statement issued on November 6, 2026, the Attorney-General maintained that the NJC lacks the constitutional authority to dictate, control or substitute its preferred candidate for the independent assessment and recommendation process entrusted to the Imo State JSC under the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The objection follows a directive reportedly issued by the NJC to the Imo State JSC at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, concerning the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge for the state.

The Attorney-General argued that the NJC’s constitutional responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor does not confer on it the additional power to determine or dictate the candidate the State Judicial Service Commission must submit to it. He maintained that the directive is constitutionally untenable because it interferes with a responsibility expressly vested in the State Judicial Service Commission.

SECTION 202 GUARANTEES IMO JSC’S INDEPENDENCE

Central to the Attorney-General’s objection is Section 202 of the Constitution, which expressly provides that the State Judicial Service Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person in exercising its constitutionally assigned powers.

He argued that this provision establishes a clear constitutional safeguard against external interference in the Commission’s responsibilities and cannot be overridden by the NJC through administrative directives or procedural guidelines.

According to him, the NJC cannot invoke its national institutional status or its recommendation powers to exercise control over the Imo State JSC in a manner inconsistent with the Constitution.

Consequently, any directive requiring the State JSC to submit a particular candidate or dictating the outcome of its independent assessment would, in the Attorney-General’s interpretation, amount to unconstitutional interference.

CONSTITUTION ASSIGNS DISTINCT RESPONSIBILITIES TO NJC AND STATE JSC

The Attorney-General anchored his position on Section 271(1) and the relevant provisions of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

Paragraph 6(a) of Part II of the Third Schedule empowers the State Judicial Service Commission to advise the NJC on suitable persons for nomination as Chief Judge of the state.

Conversely, Paragraph 21(c) of Part I of the Third Schedule empowers the NJC to recommend to the Governor, from among the list of persons submitted by the State JSC, a candidate for appointment as Chief Judge.

Section 271(1) further provides that the appointment shall be made by the Governor on the recommendation of the NJC, subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly.

According to the Attorney-General, these provisions establish a clear constitutional sequence: the State JSC identifies and advises on suitable candidates, the NJC considers the submitted names and makes its recommendation to the Governor, while the Governor exercises the appointing authority subject to legislative confirmation.

He insisted that the NJC’s recommendation powers cannot be interpreted as authority to dictate which candidate the State JSC must select or submit, as doing so would effectively transfer the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to the NJC and render Section 202 meaningless.

NJC GUIDELINES CANNOT OVERRIDE THE CONSTITUTION

Addressing the NJC’s Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers, the Attorney-General acknowledged the Council’s authority to prescribe and enforce procedural requirements for judicial appointments.

However, he maintained that such guidelines cannot confer powers beyond those granted by the Constitution or be used to compromise the independent functions of the State JSC.

He stressed that the NJC’s responsibility to ensure compliance with appointment procedures must not be extended to usurping the constitutional authority of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission.

COURT DECISIONS REINFORCE ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S POSITION

In support of his argument, the Attorney-General cited several judicial authorities which he said affirm the importance of constitutional boundaries and institutional independence.

They include Elelu-Habeeb & Anor. v. Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors. (2012) LPELR-15515(SC), Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission & Anor. v. Salisu & Ors. (2019) LPELR-47107(CA), and Bamisile v. National Judicial Council & Ors. (2012) LPELR-8381(CA).

Other authorities referenced are FRN v. Nganjiwa (2022) LPELR-58066(SC), NJC & Ors. v. Senlong & Ors. (2010) LPELR-4582(CA), and Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & Ors. (2024) LPELR-62576(SC).

The Attorney-General maintained that these authorities reinforce the principle that every constitutional institution must exercise its powers strictly within the limits prescribed by law, irrespective of its institutional standing.

IMO CHIEF JUDGE APPOINTMENT MUST FOLLOW CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURE

The Attorney-General warned that allowing the NJC to assume functions constitutionally assigned to the State JSC would undermine the integrity of the judicial appointment process and compromise the independence of the Commission.

He maintained that the issue is not a contest for institutional superiority between the NJC and the State JSC, but the need for each institution to respect the constitutional boundaries of its authority.

He further emphasised that the NJC’s responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor must not be confused with the power to control the independent selection and submission process of the State Commission.

The Attorney-General insisted that the ongoing appointment process must be conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution, without interference that could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

For the Imo State Attorney-General, the constitutional position is clear: while the NJC has the responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor, it has no authority to dictate to the Imo State Judicial Service Commission the candidate whose name it must submit in the exercise of its independent constitutional mandate.

PAJUD Questions Lawal Daura’s Recent Comments on President Tinubu

Mr. Lawal Musa Daura, former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), has recently been reported in some online platforms to have made comments alleging that he possesses information concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

We at the Progressive Alliance for Justice, Unity and Democracy (PAJUD), find those reported comments unnecessary and unhelpful to public discourse, and we wish to respond to them.

We state categorically that President Tinubu has, over the decades, faced various political allegations and has had his record subjected to judicial and institutional processes, including decisions of the courts and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Firstly, we question the moral standing of Mr. Daura to present himself as a crusader for accountability, given the controversies that marked his tenure as DSS Director-General, including the widely reported invasion of judges’ residences in Abuja and Rivers State, and the high-handed treatment of judicial officers during that period.

It is our view that Mr. Daura’s tenure was marked by partisanship and a lack of vision in leading the organisation. As an example, we recall the detention of Mr. Gesila Khan, the then Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State, over the 2015 general elections, an action that was widely criticised at the time.

It was also during the same period that DSS operatives were reported to have invaded the Ekiti State House of Assembly, an action that drew intervention and criticism from the House of Representatives.

It is also on record that hooded DSS operatives invaded the National Assembly during his tenure, obstructing lawmakers from discharging their constitutional duties in an incident that was televised nationally and internationally, to the embarrassment of the country.

Another case often cited is that of Mr. Jones Abiri, a journalist, who was detained for a prolonged period without trial during Mr. Daura’s tenure, an action that drew criticism from human rights organisations.

Mr. Daura’s predecessors and successors, including Mr. Yusuf Bichi and the present Director-General under President Tinubu, have, in our view, conducted the affairs of the Service with greater regard for the rule of law, dignity and professional standards.

We also recall that Mr. Daura was reported to have written a security report against Mr. Ibrahim Magu, which contributed to the non-confirmation of Mr. Magu by the Nigerian Senate as Chairman of the EFCC, after his name had been forwarded for screening.

It is also a matter of public record that during his tenure, several persons, including Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, Nnamdi Kanu and Omoyele Sowore, were detained despite court orders granting them bail, including orders of the ECOWAS Court.

Mr. Daura’s tenure, in our assessment, was resistant to rational persuasion and superior reasoning. He was also reported to have prevented the EFCC from carrying out its lawful investigation into the Ikoyi funds recovery, and to have interfered in the work of other anti-graft agencies.

If Mr. Daura is today reported to be threatening to release information on Mr. President, we consider such claims to be old, recycled and misleading, and a ploy to deceive the public. His reported association with the Allied People’s Movement (APM) as a vice-presidential running mate to Governor Seyi Makinde has also raised questions about his political motives.

To further justify our position, we recall the reported forceful ejection of his predecessor, Col. Kayode Are (rtd) and his family, from the DSS guest house in their absence, an action we consider arbitrary and an abuse of power. We also recall his reported altercation with then Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over the attempted operation at judges’ residences in Port Harcourt.

Another statement once credited to him in an engagement with newspaper editors — to the effect that he could cause crisis in Nigeria within five minutes if he wanted — was, in our view, unprofessional and unbecoming of a security chief.

It is our view that the statement credited to Mr. Daura may be part of the reason why, during his tenure, banditry and kidnapping grew in the North-West, North-Central and parts of the North-East, without visible evidence of successful prosecution of actors and their sponsors.

Under Mr. Daura’s watch, criminal elements such as Buharin Daji, Bello Turji, Dogo Gide, Dankarami, Ado Alero and Auwalun Daudawa, among others, became notorious and held parts of the country under siege, yet there was no visible decisive action against them, even after the abduction of Magajin Garin Daura in Katsina State.

We are concerned that Mr. Daura expects commendation from Nigerians when his tenure should be critically examined for acts of omission and commission. There is no doubt that Nigeria cannot make progress without proper investigation of actors, sponsors, collaborators and promoters of banditry — an action Mr. Daura failed to undertake while in office.

In fact, as a demonstration of PAJUD’s genuine interest in solving the security crisis that has bedevilled our country in recent years, we are making a clarion call, in unmistakable terms, urging Nigerian security agencies and their foreign counterparts to revisit the handling of the Boko Haram prisoner swap and ransom payment issues that arose during his tenure as DG, DSS.

In several dossiers and published articles on the activities of Mr. Daura, including an article by Dr. Ann McGregor titled “Nigeria and State Complicity with Terrorists,” questions were raised about ransom payments and prisoner swaps allegedly midwifed by a Swiss intelligence officer, Mr. Pascal Holliger, who was said to be operating as an NGO worker in the North-East.

Subsequently, Boko Haram released a number of Chibok girls and Dapchi captives, excluding Leah Sharibu and others. It was reported that some Boko Haram detainees were exchanged and ransom was paid.

However, it has been alleged in some publications that Mr. Daura was accused of operating an offshore account into which part of the proceeds was diverted. These are allegations that we call on the relevant authorities to investigate thoroughly and transparently, in the interest of justice and accountability.

Against this background of poor leadership and compromise witnessed under Mr. Daura as DG, DSS, and for the people of Nigeria on whose resources he held office, the failures are particularly galling. We shall initiate action with every patriots, security agencies and friends of Nigeria at the international level to demand accountability for alleged gross negligence, intelligence failures, human rights abuses, loss of lives and the proliferation of terrorism witnessed during his tenure.

Signed.

Com Yakubu Dan Abba
Country Representative, PAJUD.

PAJUD Questions Lawal Daura’s Recent Comments on President Tinubu

Mr. Lawal Musa Daura, former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), has recently been reported in some online platforms to have made comments alleging that he possesses information concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

We at the Progressive Alliance for Justice, Unity and Democracy (PAJUD), find those reported comments unnecessary and unhelpful to public discourse, and we wish to respond to them.

We state categorically that President Tinubu has, over the decades, faced various political allegations and has had his record subjected to judicial and institutional processes, including decisions of the courts and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Firstly, we question the moral standing of Mr. Daura to present himself as a crusader for accountability, given the controversies that marked his tenure as DSS Director-General, including the widely reported invasion of judges’ residences in Abuja and Rivers State, and the high-handed treatment of judicial officers during that period.

It is our view that Mr. Daura’s tenure was marked by partisanship and a lack of vision in leading the organisation. As an example, we recall the detention of Mr. Gesila Khan, the then Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State, over the 2015 general elections, an action that was widely criticised at the time.

It was also during the same period that DSS operatives were reported to have invaded the Ekiti State House of Assembly, an action that drew intervention and criticism from the House of Representatives.

It is also on record that hooded DSS operatives invaded the National Assembly during his tenure, obstructing lawmakers from discharging their constitutional duties in an incident that was televised nationally and internationally, to the embarrassment of the country.

Another case often cited is that of Mr. Jones Abiri, a journalist, who was detained for a prolonged period without trial during Mr. Daura’s tenure, an action that drew criticism from human rights organisations.

Mr. Daura’s predecessors and successors, including Mr. Yusuf Bichi and the present Director-General under President Tinubu, have, in our view, conducted the affairs of the Service with greater regard for the rule of law, dignity and professional standards.

We also recall that Mr. Daura was reported to have written a security report against Mr. Ibrahim Magu, which contributed to the non-confirmation of Mr. Magu by the Nigerian Senate as Chairman of the EFCC, after his name had been forwarded for screening.

It is also a matter of public record that during his tenure, several persons, including Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, Nnamdi Kanu and Omoyele Sowore, were detained despite court orders granting them bail, including orders of the ECOWAS Court.

Mr. Daura’s tenure, in our assessment, was resistant to rational persuasion and superior reasoning. He was also reported to have prevented the EFCC from carrying out its lawful investigation into the Ikoyi funds recovery, and to have interfered in the work of other anti-graft agencies.

If Mr. Daura is today reported to be threatening to release information on Mr. President, we consider such claims to be old, recycled and misleading, and a ploy to deceive the public. His reported association with the Allied People’s Movement (APM) as a vice-presidential running mate to Governor Seyi Makinde has also raised questions about his political motives.

To further justify our position, we recall the reported forceful ejection of his predecessor, Col. Kayode Are (rtd) and his family, from the DSS guest house in their absence, an action we consider arbitrary and an abuse of power. We also recall his reported altercation with then Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over the attempted operation at judges’ residences in Port Harcourt.

Another statement once credited to him in an engagement with newspaper editors — to the effect that he could cause crisis in Nigeria within five minutes if he wanted — was, in our view, unprofessional and unbecoming of a security chief.

It is our view that the statement credited to Mr. Daura may be part of the reason why, during his tenure, banditry and kidnapping grew in the North-West, North-Central and parts of the North-East, without visible evidence of successful prosecution of actors and their sponsors.

Under Mr. Daura’s watch, criminal elements such as Buharin Daji, Bello Turji, Dogo Gide, Dankarami, Ado Alero and Auwalun Daudawa, among others, became notorious and held parts of the country under siege, yet there was no visible decisive action against them, even after the abduction of Magajin Garin Daura in Katsina State.

We are concerned that Mr. Daura expects commendation from Nigerians when his tenure should be critically examined for acts of omission and commission. There is no doubt that Nigeria cannot make progress without proper investigation of actors, sponsors, collaborators and promoters of banditry — an action Mr. Daura failed to undertake while in office.

In fact, as a demonstration of PAJUD’s genuine interest in solving the security crisis that has bedevilled our country in recent years, we are making a clarion call, in unmistakable terms, urging Nigerian security agencies and their foreign counterparts to revisit the handling of the Boko Haram prisoner swap and ransom payment issues that arose during his tenure as DG, DSS.

In several dossiers and published articles on the activities of Mr. Daura, including an article by Dr. Ann McGregor titled “Nigeria and State Complicity with Terrorists,” questions were raised about ransom payments and prisoner swaps allegedly midwifed by a Swiss intelligence officer, Mr. Pascal Holliger, who was said to be operating as an NGO worker in the North-East.

Subsequently, Boko Haram released a number of Chibok girls and Dapchi captives, excluding Leah Sharibu and others. It was reported that some Boko Haram detainees were exchanged and ransom was paid.

However, it has been alleged in some publications that Mr. Daura was accused of operating an offshore account into which part of the proceeds was diverted. These are allegations that we call on the relevant authorities to investigate thoroughly and transparently, in the interest of justice and accountability.

Against this background of poor leadership and compromise witnessed under Mr. Daura as DG, DSS, and for the people of Nigeria on whose resources he held office, the failures are particularly galling. We shall initiate action with every patriots, security agencies and friends of Nigeria at the international level to demand accountability for alleged gross negligence, intelligence failures, human rights abuses, loss of lives and the proliferation of terrorism witnessed during his tenure.

Signed.

Com Yakubu Dan Abba
Country Representative, PAJUD.