Livable Changzhou emerges as magnet for global investment, talent

By Han Shuo, People’s Daily

Nestled at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta, Changzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, is a city where rich cultural heritage meets modern vitality. Leveraging its comprehensive industrial ecosystem, high-quality business services, and inclusive urban environment, Changzhou has steadily expanded its opening up and become fertile ground for both living and working. 

The city continues to attract global talent and resources. Today, more than 4,000 foreign residents have made their homes and careers there, evolving from witnesses to the city’s development into active participants who grow alongside it and contribute to its success.

A Robust Industrial Ecosystem 

Industry forms the backbone of urban development and provides the foundation for greater opening up. Changzhou’s well-developed industrial chains and full-cycle business support services offer solid backing for both foreign-invested enterprises seeking long-term growth and international professionals pursuing career development.

One notable example is Germany’s industrial giant Thyssenkrupp, which has increased its investment in Changzhou six times over the past six years, becoming a vivid illustration of mutually beneficial cooperation between foreign investors and the city. 

The city’s mature industrial and supply-chain ecosystem is a major draw for long-term corporate investment, according to Arne Mayer, a German national who is general manage of Bilstein, a German manufacturer of high-performance suspension under Thyssenkrupp.

“Here, personal growth, business growth, and industrial development are closely interconnected and reinforce one another,” he said.

Changzhou attracts global businesses not just with its robust industrial infrastructure, but also with an efficient, welcoming business environment celebrated by international companies.

In October 2022, Ypsomed Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Switzerland’s Ypsomed Group, a leading developer and manufacturer of self-injection systems for liquid medications, chose Changzhou as the location for its first production base in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Talking about this decision, Reto Felber, head of Ypsomed Manufacturing Co., Ltd., emphasized Changzhou’s exceptional business climate: “The city’s excellent business environment was what impressed us most. Government departments function efficiently, attentively listen to companies, and actively help solve practical issues.”

This confidence is shared widely. Today, Changzhou hosts over 3,000 foreign-invested enterprises. 107 Global Fortune 500 corporations have established 216 individual projects within the city. Furthermore, Changzhou supports 34 regional headquarters and functional centers for global multinationals, alongside 35 international research and development facilities. Complementing this network are six high-profile international cooperation parks, including key zones dedicated to German and Swiss partnerships.

Inclusive Urban Governance

Beyond its economic strengths, Changzhou embraces international residents through its vibrant lifestyle and open governance. When Brazilian youth football coach Cassiano joined Changzhou’s training programs in 2024, he was quickly immersed in the province’s sporting culture through participation in the Jiangsu Football City League — a wildly popular amateur tournament. Beyond the pitch, he discovered the city’s historical charm through walks along Qingguo Lane and cultural district alleys, savoring local delicacies like sesame cakes (magao) and shrimp cakes.

This welcoming environment enables foreign residents to build meaningful lives. British educator Steven William Ronald has called Changzhou home since joining Changzhou Institute of Technology in 2011. His integration culminated in a January 2025 invitation to observe municipal government proceedings as a non-voting delegate at the 17th Changzhou Municipal People’s Congress (4th session). “This recognition reflects true openness,” Ronald noted. “It makes us feel like active participants in Changzhou’s development, not bystanders.”

Positioning itself as a youth magnet, the city has attracted young professionals globally through its dynamic multicultural environment. Regular cross-cultural events like the “Love Changzhou” expat salon — hosted annually since 2012 with over 3,000 participants from 16 countries — strengthen community bonds. International corporate teams increasingly participate in local sports leagues too, with 1,200 joining 12 editions of football activities.

Such initiatives have earned Changzhou recognition among China’s top three major cities for foreign talent attraction. With its unique combination of cultural richness and inclusive spirit, international visitors continue to be drawn here to experience, contribute to, and help shape Changzhou’s future.

A Comfortable and Fulfilling Life

When late spring turns to early summer, Arne Mayer enjoys cycling along Changzhou’s riverside greenbelt, immersed in its lush natural scenery. After nine years living in Changzhou, the German native has built his family life here, finding a stable yet fulfilling rhythm. “I’ve found the perfect work-life balance in this city,” Mayer remarked when discussing his settled existence.

An avid sportsman, Mayer particularly praises the continuous upgrading of recreational facilities across Changzhou. From football pitches and baseball fields to neighborhood pocket parks, diverse leisure spaces now enrich residents’ day-to-day lives. He equally commends the ecological transformation along the Yangtze River waterfront, noting: “That picturesque green corridor has become our favorite spot for exercising and unwinding.”

Such satisfying environments and convenient urban living are shared experiences among Changzhou’s international residents. Xavier Desfertilles, a French executive who has helmed a local metal company for 27 years since 1999, attests to Changzhou’s exceptional livability. The 50-year-old highlights thoughtful provisions: bilingual public signage throughout the city, universal acceptance of international payment cards alongside mobile payments, and multilingual medical staff at major hospitals. “Everything’s designed around daily convenience,” he emphasized, reflecting on his quarter-century as a city resident.These thoughtful details — woven into Changzhou’s cultural fabric — enable residents to fully embrace both the tranquility of riverside parks and the efficiency of modern services.

Japan’s security document revisions signal accelerated military expansion

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has approved draft revisions to the country’s three foundational security documents later this year. The draft is highly aggressive, calling for a substantial increase in defense spending, the complete removal of restrictions on arms exports, and a major expansion of offensive military capabilities.

This represents far more than routine policy adjustments. The revisions indicate a deliberate effort by Japan’s right-wing forces to shift away from postwar security constraints. The potential implications for regional stability warrant close attention.

The Japanese government’s push to revise the three security documents is a crucial step toward breaking through the country’s postwar principle of an exclusively defense-oriented policy. The three documents, namely the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program, are widely regarded as the overarching guidelines for Japan’s security and defense policies.

The proposed revisions mark a historic departure from Japan’s postwar exclusively defense-oriented policy. Notably, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has accelerated previous timelines — moving a 2% GDP defense spending target from fiscal year 2027 to 2025, and now seeking to replace strategic documents implemented less than four years ago.

A close reading of the draft leaves little doubt about Japan’s impulse toward remilitarization and the dangerous direction of its new security policies.

The draft openly advocates further strengthening standoff defense capabilities and counterstrike capabilities, calls for ensuring a necessary and sufficient number of missiles and enhancing their range and performance, and even seeks to build submarines capable of carrying vertical launch systems and firing long-range missiles.

It also calls for addressing new forms of warfare by establishing integrated all-domain operational capabilities encompassing outer space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum. The draft further promotes the need to maintain and ensure sustained combat capabilities, proposes institutional reforms in an unprecedented manner, and aims to transform Japan’s defense capabilities within five years.

On the surface, these proposals appear to concern defense adjustments. In reality, they amount to a blueprint for offensive military expansion.

Akihiro Sado, vice president of Osaka Seikei University and a security policy expert, pointed out that although Japan still verbally portrays itself as a “peaceful nation,” it has in practice already abandoned that ideal.

This radical draft is an inevitable product of the dangerous impulses of Japan’s neo-militarism.

Since taking office, Takaichi has overseen a series of moves to expand Japan’s military capabilities. These include accelerating the deployment of medium- and long-range offensive missiles and rapidly advancing the construction of “counterstrike capabilities”; significantly expanding drone forces and introducing large numbers of unmanned systems; promoting the transformation of the Air Self-Defense Force into an “Air and Space Self-Defense Force” and speeding up the militarization of outer space; and continuously strengthening military deployments in the Southwest Islands by adding missile bases and radar facilities in places such as Okinawa.

On the policy front, Japan’s latest defense budget has exceeded 9 trillion yen ($55.66 billion), setting a new record for the fourteenth consecutive year after World War II. The outline of the 2026 edition of Japan’s defense white paper explicitly calls for deeper application of “new forms of warfare,” including drones and artificial intelligence. Japan has also begun restructuring its intelligence system, with the apparent intention of creating a “new prewar-style intelligence system” that serves military expansion.

Budget figures can be calculated precisely, but the boundaries of ambition are far more difficult to measure. From weapons and equipment to institutions and mechanisms, Japan’s remilitarization process is accelerating continuously, racing ever further down a path of offensiveness and expansion.

To justify its accelerated rearmament, Japan’s right-wing forces have repeatedly exaggerated the regional security environment and made groundless accusations against and smears of China’s normal military activities. 

Under the pretext of “strengthening defense” and “responding passively” to threats, Japan is in fact vigorously developing medium- and long-range offensive weapons, enhancing force projection capabilities and forward deployments, and attempting to embed military expansion and war preparations deeply into its national institutions, economy, industries, and public discourse.

Step by step, it is pushing beyond the constraints imposed by Japan’s constitution and international law and openly challenging the postwar international order, thereby creating genuine threats to regional security.

History never forgives adventurers who ignore its lessons.

As a principal aggressor and defeated nation in World War II, Japan should remember the immense suffering brought about by that war and faithfully uphold its pacifist Constitution.

Yet the rush to revise the three security documents reflects the ambition of Japan’s right-wing forces to break free from postwar constraints and return to the path of militarism.

Any form of remilitarization pursued by Japan would not only undermine regional peace and stability; it would also represent a profoundly reckless betrayal of its own future.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

China’s vision helps drive progress in global governance

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On June 17, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper titled More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China’s Principles, Proposals and Actions.

The document elaborates in depth on the historical context and significance of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). It comprehensively reviews China’s engagement in and contribution to shaping global governance and charts a clear path to a fairer and more equitable global governance system, helping foster broader international consensus.

Global governance concerns the well-being of all humanity, and building a just and equitable global governance system is a shared vision long pursued by people from across the world.

In 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the GGI, designed to offer a Chinese solution to the two pressing questions of the era: what kind of global governance system should be established, and how global governance can be reformed and improved.

The initiative is built on five core concepts: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, the people-centered approach, and real results. By addressing the root causes of crises and challenges, the initiative provides sound guidance for building a more just and equitable global governance system.

The GGI has received widespread support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations upon its announcement, with over 60 countries joining the Group of Friends of Global Governance. The international community widely recognizes that the GGI aligns with the growing trend toward greater democracy in international relations and bolsters international confidence in practicing multilateralism. It brings valuable stability and positive energy to a turbulent world.

Resolutely upholding the UN’s authority and status is fundamental to the effective implementation of this initiative. The UN Charter lays the institutional cornerstone for global governance, and the UN-centered international system plays an irreplaceable and vital role in global governance.

By contrast, unilateralism and hegemonism cause only grave harm, openly trampling upon international law and the basic norms governing international relations, seriously disrupting the international order, and continuously eroding the foundations of trust in multilateral cooperation.

Regardless of how the international landscape shifts, China remains committed to genuine multilateralism. It consistently upholds the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. 

China adheres to a global governance system characterized by extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit and remains an active champion and strong proponent of multilateral cooperation.

Delivering on the GGI also hinges on major countries shouldering corresponding responsibilities. Major countries are the key forces in advancing international rule of law. They should lead by example in following rules and upholding the rule of law, rather than putting their own interests above international law or, even worse, imposing their own rules upon others.

If allowed to deviate from the principle of sovereign equality, international relations would degenerate into a game among powers, and international law would become groundless, leaving the world in perpetual chaos.

As a responsible major country, China advances the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and takes the lead in practicing true multilateralism. It has long remained a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods, while actively advancing the efforts for building a more just and equitable global governance system.

Advancing the GGI calls for unity and cooperation among all nations. Faced with multifaceted global challenges, countries should build consensus through dialogue, resolve disputes through consultation, and pursue win-win results through cooperation, striving to expand their common interests, so as to increase the synergy and efficiency of global governance.

China stands firmly for win-win cooperation, taking concrete actions to pursue harmonious coexistence and seeking its own success while helping others succeed. All countries need to unite and cooperate, take concrete action, and transform the vision and blueprint of the GGI into a roadmap and timeline for joint action. China advocates that the fruits of governance should be shared by all, so that every member of the international community becomes a winner.

Success in implementing the GGI hinges on addressing deficits in peace and development. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and humanity once again faces a choice: a future marked by peace, dialogue, and win-win cooperation, or one marred by war, confrontation, and zero-sum competition.

Countries must restore development to the center of the international agenda and support developing countries in enhancing their capacity for self-sustaining growth. They should also embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security while addressing the threats to this stake — whether traditional or non-traditional.

China has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, with a focus on different domains and forming a complete action framework that promotes prosperity through development, ensures stability through security, enhances mutual trust through exchanges between civilizations, and seeks justice through governance. This demonstrates the sense of responsibility of a major country that integrates knowledge and action.

The GGI stands at the forefront of the era, serving as another significant public good that China has contributed to the world. It offers fresh momentum for building a community with a shared future for humanity and serves as a compass to help the great ship of history chart its course through turbulent waters.

China stands ready to work hand in hand with all other countries to implement the initiative, to push forward the great cause of reforming and improving global governance, and to build a better future.

Japan’s revived military-industrial complex poses growing threat to peace

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Recent data disclosed by the Japanese government reveals a substantial increase in military procurement. Driven by its defense buildup policy, the Ministry of Defense’s procurement orders for machinery and equipment in fiscal 2025 reached nearly 2.69 trillion yen (about $168 billion), roughly three times the level of five years ago and accounting for almost half of all government procurement in that year.

Orders for weapons systems such as surface-to-air missiles and aircraft have risen particularly sharply. This suggests that Japan’s military-industrial complex is once again expanding. It is the inevitable result of right-wing forces systematically and step by step undermining the postwar peace framework and channeling support into the defense industry. This trend calls for heightened vigilance from peace advocates around the world, including the Japanese public.

The lessons of history remain relevant. Before World War II, Japan’s military-industrial complex, an entrenched nexus of the military, monopoly conglomerates, and defense industries, was deeply embedded in the national economy, captured policymaking, and drove the war machine.

Industrial conglomerates such as Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, and Kawasaki promoted military expansion through political lobbying, the exploitation of colonial resources and forced labor, and capital accumulation built upon immense human suffering. History proves that, when institutional constraints are weakened, Japan’s military-linked capital has tended toward expansionism, profit-seeking, and the fomentation of war.

Consequently, the international communitymandated, through legally binding documents such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, that Japan be fully disarmed and prohibited from maintaining industries capable of waging war.

Japan’s post-war Constitution further codified these limitations, imposing strict constraints on military force and the right to make war and establishing an “exclusively defense-oriented policy.” This institutional framework was vital for severing the war machine from military capital, forming a cornerstone of prolonged peace in Northeast Asia and representing Japan’s binding commitment to pacifism.

However, recent years have seen Japanese right-wing actors progressively dismantle these constraints. Through increased defense budgets, policy support, and relaxed arms export regulations, the government has actively bolstered the defense industry. Senior officials have even promoted overseas arms sales, portraying the defense sector as a potential driver of economic growth. As a result, public resources that could have been directed toward improving livelihoods are increasingly flowing into military procurement, while production lines once used for home appliances are now manufacturing lethal weapons. This one-way flow of public resources into military capital exposes a serious distortion of public policy.

The growing collaboration between right-wing politicians and defense corporations is pushing Japanese security policy in a more assertive direction. Political figures, including Sanae Takaichi and other conservatives, frequently underscore external threats to justify bolstered military capabilities and posture.

Driven by the pursuits of high profits, Japan’s defense contractors have been steadily pushing the authorities to break through postwar institutional constraints. From promoting the revision of the Constitution and the three security documents, to accelerating the deployment of medium- and long-range missiles, and further to easing restrictions on the export of lethal weapons and establishing a national intelligence council, a series of increasingly assertive measures has steadily crossed established red lines.

Japan’s defense budget for fiscal 2026 has exceeded 9 trillion yen(about $558 billion), hitting record high for 14 consecutive years. Defense spending has surged to 2 percent of GDP, and may rise further. From an exclusively defense-oriented policy to the purusit of sustained combat capabilities, from extending its operational reach overseas to expanding military activities into space, Japan appears to be moving further away from its postwar commitment to peace and moving down a dangerous path of neo-militarism.

The danger of Japan’s military-industrial complex lies not only in producing weapons, but also in creating demand for them, and not only in supporting military expansion, but also in actively driving it. Once such a self-reinforcing cycle of interests takes shape, it will push Japan further down an accelerating path of remilitarization. What is being undermined is the postwar peace order built on immense sacrifice, and ultimately, it is destined to lead Japan itself toward catastrophe. The international community must remain highly vigilant, firmly contain Japan’s neo-militarism, and work together to safeguard regional peace, stability, and international fairness and justice.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

Rising inbound tourism reflects more open, connected China

By Jin Shan

A recent inbound tourism promotion event held along the Lijiang River in Guilin, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, highlighted the significant trends reshaping China’s inbound travel sector.

The event featured Jacky Chan, designated an inbound tourism ambassador by China’s leading online travel platform, Ctrip. He joined nearly 2,000 international travel professionals at a gathering that beautifully intertwined scenic landscapes with cultural elements. A mesmerizing drone light show creatively linked motifs from classic Chinese cinema with national landmarks like the Lijiang River, Huangshan Mountain, and Xi’an’s Bell Tower. Experiencing traditional Zhuang brocade weaving, a Swiss tourism executive noted: “Travel remains the most effective tool for breaking down cultural barriers and fostering mutual understanding.”

Immersive travel experiences are now a core offering in China’s inbound tourism market. In Zhangjiajie, central China’s Hunan province, overseas families hike through dramatic landscapes guided by customized travel planners. 

In the streets of Chongqing ‌municipality‌ in southwest China, foreign content creators are drawn to street food stalls to experience the city’s vibrant everyday life. 

In Tunxi Old Street in Huangshan, east China’s Anhui province, Russian visitors explore distinctive Huizhou-style architecture and try their hand at traditional ink-making. 

China’s inbound tourism destinations are becoming increasingly diverse, while travel scenarios are growing richer and more varied.

According to statistics, China’s travel services exports reached 147.15 billion yuan ($21.74 billion) in the first four months of this year, up 30.4 percent year on year. In the first quarter alone, over 8.31 million foreign visitors entered China under visa-free policies, an increase of 29.3 percent. 

This evolution reflects a shift from fleeting sightseeing tours to deeper experiences of local life and culture, mirroring the full potential of China’s growing services trade and acting as a prime example of the nation’s deepening commitments to high-standard opening up.

The expanding “China travel” phenomenon illustrates the practical nature of China’s openness. Significant measures, including the expansion of visa-free policies and optimized tax refund systems for departing travelers, are steadily improving convenience. Simultaneously, services are becoming more internationalized. Over 150,000 domestic travel providers have linked with Ctrip’s multilingual global platform, substantially boosting inbound tourism capacity and service quality. Guilin exemplifies this approach, employing multilingual ticketing kiosks, AI tour guides, digital hotel information, and specialized consultants for tailored itineraries. Collectively, multilingual online platforms, robust foreign currency payment options, and standardized service frameworks are strengthening the industry’s foundation.

Booming inbound travel unveils the profound cultural heritage of an open China. 

Visitors can feel the heartbeat of modernity amid streamlined, well-organized airports, a far-reaching high-speed rail network and cutting-edge digital infrastructure. 

They linger over exhibits at the National Museum of Chinese Writing to delve into how oracle bone script was created and trace the full evolution of Chinese characters. 

A trip to Zhaohua Ancient City in southwest China’s Sichuan province lets travelers witness the enduring cultural lineage along the ancient Shu Roads and fully immerse themselves in the timeless allure of the Three Kingdoms culture.

China, both ancient and dynamic, is attracting growing interest from around the world. As Kevin Rotich, editor at Kenya’s Capital FM website, observed, “Ancient civilization and modern innovation are perfectly integrated here. Every firsthand experience fills me with genuine admiration.”

Inbound tourism mirrors the global opportunities brought by an open China.

An action plan for standardization in trade in services for the 2026-2030 period was released recently. It identifies priorities to speed up the formulation of standards covering tourism services and inbound consumption, and align China’s service standards with leading international norms.

By breaking down bottlenecks concerning rules, regulations, management and standards, China steadily advances institutional opening up, which will serve as a vital driving force for fostering an open global economy.

From the establishment of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, to the full implementation of zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China, and to the rapid growth of China-Europe freight train services — exceeding 3,000 trips on the eastern corridor and 2,000 on the central corridor this year — the country’s multi-tiered and wide-ranging opening up framework is steadily taking shape. The philosophy and practice of using openness to promote cooperation and mutual benefit continue to take root and deliver tangible results.

An American travel influencer shared his reflections after touring Guilin: cultural and travel experiences constitute barrier-free dialogue. Only when setting foot in China in person can people witness its authentic self. 

Culture and tourism act as a bond to advance people-to-people connectivity. As China opens its doors wider and wider, exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations will keep expanding.

Recycling process: transforming black mass into battery materials

By Wu Jun, People’s Daily

Industry projections indicate that China generated nearly 400,000 tons of end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) power batteries in 2025, with that volume expected to surpass 1 million tons by 2030. 

What happens to these batteries once they reach end-of-life? A recent visit by People’s Daily reporters offers a closer look.

Trucks laden with retired EV batteries arrive daily at an integrated circular economy industrial park managed by Brunp Recycling, a holding subsidiary of Chinese battery giant CATL. Located in the Yichang Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in Yichang, central China’s Hubei province, this is where these batteries begin a new journey through the recycling chain.

“Upon arrival, retired batteries are sorted and stored according to their models, conditions, and sources,” said Chen Zhaozhe, production manager at Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. The company recycles more than 150,000 tons of power batteries annually.

Inside the storage area, rows of battery packs were neatly stacked. “All these power batteries have degraded to less than 80 percent health,” Chen noted. “They suffer slower charging speeds, reduced driving range, diminished power output, and elevated risks of thermal runaway.”

Historically, gaps in battery management sometimes allowed end-of-life batteries to re-enter the market. Others ended up in unauthorized workshops with inadequate facilities and recycling technologies, posing significant safety and environmental risks.

To address these issues, China launched a national traceability information platform for new energy vehicle power batteries on March 31 this year. Every battery is now required to have its digital identification number recorded throughout its entire lifecycle from manufacturing and vehicle installation to operation, maintenance, retirement, and recycling.

“This not only helps ensure that we follow standardized procedures, but also allows vehicle owners to track where their batteries ultimately go,” Chen said. “That increases their willingness to sell retired batteries to authorized recyclers.”

The company has established a comprehensive traceability system that tracks every stage of the recycling process, from incoming materials and production procedures to final product shipments.

Once a battery’s digital identity is verified, the retired pack moves to an automated dismantling line. Robotic arms skillfully remove the outer casing, revealing densely packed, brick-sized battery cells inside.

These cells, still potentially unstable, undergo a complete discharge process first to reduce their voltage to safe levels.

Following discharge, the cells are processed in crushing equipment, breaking them into uniformly sized fragments. The resulting mixture enters a nitrogen-protected furnace for high-temperature pyrolysis. Subsequent procedures, including dispersion, screening, and sorting, separate constituent materials such as casings, copper, and aluminum.

“Some of these separated materials can be reused directly,” said Wang Hao, technical director at Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. “What remains is a high-purity black powder known as black mass.”

This “black mass” is the most valuable material recovered from the cell, containing concentrated quantities of high-value elements such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese — the critical raw materials for future batteries.

In the hydrometallurgical workshop, the black mass is fed into enormous reaction tanks and mixed with specially formulated acidic solutions. Under carefully controlled conditions, an intense chemical reaction takes place. The solid black mass dissolves completely, and its metal elements enter the solution in ionic form, creating a complex “metal soup.”

For years, a major challenge in the industry was efficiently and accurately separating and purifying individual metals from this intricate mixture. 

“Traditional recycling methods often suffered from low recovery rates, poor product purity, high energy consumption, and the generation of large amounts of difficult-to-treat waste residue,” Wang said.

To overcome these limitations, the company developed a direct recycling technology. Using this process, the combined recovery rate for nickel, cobalt, and manganese reaches 99.6 percent, while lithium recovery reaches 96.5 percent.

After passing through multiple processing stages, the dissolved black mass is ultimately transformed into high-purity lithium carbonate and iron phosphate. These newly regenerated raw materials can then be transported directly via pipelines or short-distance logistics to nearby downstream battery manufacturing facilities located just across the road.

“The iron phosphate and lithium carbonate supplied by Brunp Recycling are precisely blended and processed to manufacture new high high-performance lithium iron phosphate cathode materials,” said Shi Jiang, head of the cathode materials division at another company under Brunp Recycling.

Compared with battery materials produced from newly mined ores, the next-generation lithium iron phosphate batteries made with recycled materials deliver outstanding performance.

“EVs equipped with these batteries offer faster charging speeds and longer driving ranges,” Shi said. “They are better able to meet market demand for fast charging, extended range, and greener, lower-carbon transportation.”

The full regeneration cycle from discarded battery pack to new raw cathode materials takes just a week.

In recent years, the industrial park has also established a closed-loop system of reverse product design. Lessons learned from the recycling process are fed back to battery manufacturers, helping them design batteries that are easier to recycle.

“For example, we recommend optimizing battery pack structures so they can be dismantled more easily through automated processes after retirement,” Chen explained. “We also suggest adjusting the composition of certain metal materials so they can be separated and purified more efficiently during future recycling.”

5G revolutionizes travel experience on key China sea route

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

Historically, cellular connectivity was lost during maritime travel. However, passengers journeying between Northeast China’s Liaoning province and Eastern China’s Shandong province across the Bohai Sea now enjoy seamless 5G connectivity throughout their voyage. 

This is thanks to China launching its first large-scale, continuous maritime 5G network covering the vital shipping corridor connecting Dalian to Yantai in June 2024. This achievement means stable, high-speed internet is available along the entire 150-kilometer route, transforming the travel experience.

Passengers embarking on the six-hour journey can now do far more than simply place calls; uninterrupted video chats and high-bandwidth online activities are readily possible aboard major ferries.

Two years after its initial deployment, what impacts has this network generated? Recently, a People’s Daily reporter boarded a vessel to find out.

Mid-morning was bustling at Dalian Bay’s integrated transportation hub in Liaoning province as summer travel approached. Vehicles streamed onto the lower deck of the Jilongdao, a large roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel operated by COSCO Shipping Ferry, while passengers boarded via gangways. Forty minutes later, the 208-meter-long ship departed for Yantai Port. Capable of carrying over 1,300 passengers and more than 500 vehicles, the Jilongdao is among the fastest ferries operating in Chinese waters.

Following the guidance of Hu Xiaofeng, general manager of COSCO Shipping Ferry, the reporter noticed a sign above a bedside table in one of the cabins that read “Passenger Wi-Fi.” After connecting, messaging, photo sharing, and other online activities worked smoothly.

The upgrade has greatly enriched the passenger travel experience.

“Before maritime 5G coverage, taking the ferry basically meant going offline for hours,” said Xu Hongwei, who has traveled regularly between the two regions for nearly a decade. “I usually chose overnight sailings so I could sleep through the trip.”

Since 5G coverage became available, she has increasingly opted for daytime crossings. “Now I can browse on my phone, stay connected, and enjoy the sea views along the way,” she said. “I’ve actually come to enjoy the journey.”

Beyond enhancing passenger comfort, connectivity has significantly improved operational efficiency for crews and management. Previously, maintaining real-time communication with shore support was challenging. Today, crews can instantly access vital information on port conditions, navigation updates, cargo status, and weather, enabling better route planning and docking schedules. Medical emergencies benefit too, as shore-based medical assistance can be coordinated much faster.

For the ferry companies, it revolutionizes management. “Tasks previously requiring manual forms or radios can now be handled through online systems,” Hu explained, “dramatically improving our digital capability.” Stable mobile payment services also facilitate a wider range of onboard retail offerings.

Perhaps most critically, the 5G network bolsters maritime emergency response. When vessels encounter difficulty, real-time distress information can be immediately relayed via the 5G network to rescue coordination centers. This enables rapid dispatch of drones, unmanned surface vessels, and other smart equipment, forming what officials describe as an integrated “smart safety net” for maritime operations.

“Over the past two years, this 5G network, covering more than 20,000 square kilometers of sea area, has undergone continuous optimization and upgrading,” said Li Wei, deputy director of the communications and information division of the Maritime Safety Administration’s Northern Navigation Service Center. “It has truly achieved seamless capabilities for observation, communication, and data transmission.”

The numbers tell the story. Following dozens of equipment upgrades, 5G coverage along the Liaoning-Shandong route has expanded by 30 percent, while signal reception strength has improved by 5 percent. Individual base stations now serve more than 2,500 users on peak days, and average daily data traffic exceeds 3 terabytes. 

Stable high-bandwidth services, including messaging, voice communications, and video streaming, can be transmitted smoothly, serving more than 5 million passenger trips each year.

Building on this successful pilot, the Northern Navigation Service Center is working with maritime authorities in Tianjin, Liaoning, Hebei, and Shandong, as well as wireless carrier China Mobile, to expand maritime 5G coverage across the Bohai Sea.

“By making full use of existing maritime infrastructure and navigation support resources, while also leveraging offshore oil platforms, wind farms, and other facilities, we plan to build 48 additional 5G base stations across the Bohai Sea by the end of this year,” Li said.

The ongoing expansion aims to deliver full, continuous 5G coverage over major Bohai Sea shipping routes, bringing reliable connectivity to even more vessels and passengers navigating China’s northern waters.

Physical AI accelerates toward real-world applications

By Yu Sinan, People’s Daily

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve remarkably — from image recognition and text generation to video creation — demonstrating increasingly sophisticated capabilities.

As these digital capabilities mature, the technology sector is shifting focus toward integrating AI into physical environments. This emerging concept, known as physical AI, is gaining significant traction within the industry.

Physical AI represents intelligent agents capable of perceiving physical environments and performing human-like actions beyond digital interfaces.

Ma Xiaojian, head of the joint laboratory between the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence and Delta Intelligence, noted that physical AI has three defining features: its capabilities are built on real-world physical interaction data, it incorporates an understanding of the physical world, and it can be deployed in real-world physical entities.

Where generative AI excels in content creation and data analysis, physical AI specializes in environmental interaction and motion control tasks. “While representing different AI dimensions, these domains demonstrate growing convergence,” Ma noted. Generative AI’s capabilities — including language interpretation, scenario modeling, and automated coding — enhance physical AI’s task execution and environmental navigation.

Over the past few years, the tech industry has advanced physical AI from core algorithms to ontology engineering through multiple approaches.

Ma said that there are three main technical pathways currently used to implement physical AI.

The first is the “pre-training and post-training” approach, in which models undergo large-scale pre-training on internet videos, first-person videos, and cross-robot manipulation data before being further refined through teleoperation data, reinforcement learning, or real-world fine-tuning.

The second is the “real-simulation-real” approach, which reconstructs real-world geometry, materials, and dynamics into high-fidelity simulation environments, enabling robots to learn through extensive trial and error in digital twins before deployment in physical systems. The third is a large model programming approach, where language models generate robot control programs that integrate perception, planning, execution and other functions.

Each approach has its own strengths and limitations. “Overall, the three routes are unlikely to replace one another. Instead, they will gradually converge in data, simulation, and model reasoning,” Ma said.

Industry experts are optimistic about the commercialization prospects of physical AI. On one hand, physical AI follows the same development trajectory as large AI models, leveraging larger datasets, more capable models, systematic evaluation, and continuous iteration to steadily improve performance. On the other hand, commercialization does not depend on the arrival of fully general-purpose robots. In specialized domains, demonstrating strong generalization across similar tasks is already a major step toward real-world adoption.

Looking ahead, frontier fields such as the low-altitude economy, new energy batteries, embodied intelligence, advanced chips, and aerospace, where complex simulation and optimization are required, are expected to become key application areas for physical AI. Ma believes the technology will first emerge in scenarios that are unsuitable for long-term human labor and difficult for traditional automation to fully address.

A real-world example exists in remote mountainous power grid inspections. Tiangong, a humanoid robot developed by Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, now performs complex tasks previously requiring human workers — including high-altitude inspections, substation operations, and grounding wire installation.

“Physical AI complements rather than replaces traditional automation,” Ma clarified. Conventional solutions remain more cost-effective when operating in structured environments with fixed workflows. Physical AI’s unique advantage lies in dynamic environments demanding real-time adaptation, flexible decision-making, and safe execution of hazardous tasks.

In industrial applications, training efficiency for physical AI models is also improving rapidly.

“Thanks to years of accumulation in AI infrastructure, we have increased training speed for vision-language-action models by 70 percent, and reduced inference latency for world models by 50 percent. Training cycles that once took weeks can now be reduced to hours,” said Shen Dou, executive vice president of Baidu.

The real-world application of physical AI depends on continuous iteration driven by feedback from real scenarios.


Industry experts noted that China’s rich application scenarios offer a unique advantage. “Only by applying technologies in frontline settings such as mines, factories, warehouses, and inspection sites can physical AI form a virtuous cycle of scenario-data-model-product,” Ma said.

SMILE satellite marks new chapter in China’s space science development

By Wu Yuehui, People’s Daily

The newly launched Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a collaborative satellite mission between China and Europe, has successfully entered its designated orbit. This mission marks a groundbreaking advance in solar-terrestrial exploration. Using innovative soft X-ray imaging — a global first — SMILE will achieve panoramic imaging of the Earth’s magnetosphere.

As the last mission of the strategic pioneer program on space science (Phase II) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, SMILE addresses a gap in China’s space exploration capabilities and marks a pivotal transformation — from isolated breakthroughs to a constellation of space science satellites.

Space science defines the frontier of deep-space exploration and serves as a key benchmark of national scientific and technological strength. For many years, China’s space science program operated from a relatively modest foundation, lacking self-developed high-end exploration satellites and independent data streams. Research largely depended on publicly available foreign datasets, creating major constraints on advanced, frontier scientific research.

A structured national program dedicated to space science satellites began in 2011. This launched a concerted effort over the subsequent decade. A series of dedicated science satellites were successfully developed and launched, including the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite, the world’s first quantum science satellite Micius, the X-ray astronomy satellite Insight-HXMT (Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope), and the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), the country’s first comprehensive solar observation satellite, achieving major breakthroughs across multiple fields.

DAMPE has detected high-energy cosmic particles all year round in its ongoing search for dark matter, generating critical data to help unravel the mysteries of the universe’s origins. Micius was the first to achieve space-to-ground quantum communication over distances of more than 1,000 kilometers, placing China at the forefront of space-based quantum applications. Insight-HXMT has monitored extreme astrophysical phenomena, precisely detecting burst signals from black holes and neutron stars and yielding a series of major original achievements.

Each of these missions pursued distinct scientific objectives with unique capabilities. Progress across multiple fields within space science has been remarkable, propelling China from a late entrant to a significant global contributor. This progression has steadily fortified the technological bedrock essential for future deep-space endeavors.

As deep-space exploration progresses, the inherent limitations of conducting observations using single, independent satellites have become increasingly clear. These include constrained observational scope, gaps in temporal continuity, and data primarily confined to a single dimension or measurement type. This makes it challenging to reconstruct complex dynamic processes that occur in space. Drawing on years of operational experience and research insights, China’s space science program is now embracing a new paradigm characterized by constellations of satellites working in concert and integrated networks combining space-based and ground-based observations.

SMILE plays a pivotal role within this evolving structure of systematic exploration. It is designed to function synergistically with ASO-S and the Chinese Meridian Project (CMP), also known as the Ground-based Space Environment Monitoring Network. Together, this integrated space-ground system delivers comprehensive and precise monitoring of the solar-terrestrial space environment. This capability provides vital support for a range of activities, including spacecraft operations, communications, and navigation.

China has also established the world’s first three-satellite constellation on the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) in the Earth-moon region of space. The accomplishment has yielded variety of original scientific and technological breakthroughs, laying a solid foundation for future Earth-moon space utilization and and cutting-edge deep-space exploration.

Technological self-reliance underpins confidence in systematic space exploration. Today, every critical link in the chain — from satellite platforms and core payloads to precise on-orbit TT&C (telemetry, tracking and command) and raw data processing — relies entirely on domestically developed technologies. 

At the same time, China remains committed to an open and mutually beneficial approach to international space cooperation. Through collaborative programs such as the SMILE mission, China shares exploration data and co-develops research platforms, integrating into the global space exploration network on the basis of independent innovation while demonstrating the openness and responsibility of a major player in outer space.

Space technology enables space science exploration, while the goals of space science, in turn, drive breakthroughs in space technology. The national mid and long-term development program for space science (2024-2050) released in 2024, outlines a three-step strategic roadmap for China’s space science development. Its implementation is expected to elevate the country’s space science capabilities and provide stronger support for building China into a space power and a science and technology giant.

From pioneering single-satellite missions to developing satellite constellations and systematic exploration capabilities, the evolution of China’s science missions vividly reflects the country’s pursuit of greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology. As more science satellite constellations take shape and begin operating in coordination, the foundation for China’s self-reliant development in space science will grow ever more solid, driving deep-space exploration further into the unknown.

Why Chinese matcha is winning the global market 

By Yu Jingxian, Su Bin and Dou Hanyang, People’s Daily

China is the birthplace of tea and the cradle of tea culture. In recent years, the country’s matcha industry has expanded rapidly, with both production capacity and international competitiveness reaching new heights. 

According to a 2026 report on the development of China’s matcha industry, the country’s matcha output exceeded 12,000 tons in 2025, accounting for nearly 70 percent of global production. Over the past five years, the industry has posted a compound annual growth rate of 28.67 percent.

Wuyi county of Jinhua, east China’s Zhejiang province, is a time-honored tea-growing area. Zhou Xiaofen, director of the tea technical service station under the county’s bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, noted that evolving tea consumption patterns have driven a sharp rise in demand for deep-processed tea goods and diversified tea drinks. This presents great opportunities to revitalize local tea resources, expand the industrial chain and cater to the emerging consumer market.

Inside a matcha processing workshop of Zhejiang Xiangyu Tea Co., Ltd., freshly harvested tea leaves undergo 12 processing steps before being transformed into finely milled, aromatic matcha powder destined for markets around the world.

“We launched our matcha production line in 2019 and built a dedicated 15-member research and development team,” said company head Zhu Lingping. 

After over five years of trials and refinements, the team has mastered core processing techniques for matcha production. It has also tackled tough technical hurdles including maintaining the tea’s green hue and achieving precise fineness control. The company now holds distinct technological advantages, delivering premium matcha featuring vivid color, rich fragrance, pure freshness and an ultra-fine texture.

A pioneer in China’s matcha production, Zhejiang has emerged as an industrial powerhouse. In 2025, the province produced 8,851 tons of matcha with an output value of 1.1 billion yuan ($162.45 million). During the first quarter of this year, Zhejiang exported 1,241.97 tons of matcha worth 140 million yuan($20.66 million), representing a 7.3-fold increase year on year.

Tongren in southwest China’s Guizhou province is another key hub of the matcha industry. There, a unique ecological environment characterized by high elevation, low latitude, abundant cloud cover, and limited direct sunlight has provided favorable conditions for the differentiated development of its roughly 467,000 hectares of tea plantations.

Tongren’s matcha is primarily supplied to food-processing enterprises worldwide and the premium tea beverage industry. The city has established close partnerships with more than 300 leading new-style tea brands at home and abroad. 

In 2025, the city produced and sold 2,500 tons of matcha, including 1,300 tons for export, three times the previous year’s volume. Its export volume ranked first nationwide and second globally. In the first quarter alone, exports rose by more than 40 percent year on year, while the number of export destinations expanded to 54 countries and regions.

China’s matcha industry has entered a new stage marked by simultaneous growth in both quantity and quality. The number of enterprises, supporting industrial facilities, and export scale have all expanded significantly.

“Premium matcha requires a fineness of 800 to 1,000 mesh — less than 1/10 the size of milk powder particles,” said Meng Zude, chairman and general manager of GuiTea, a major matcha producer in Guizhou. “Traditional stone mills are no longer sufficient for large-scale production. Advanced equipment such as ultrafine pulverizers, low-temperature ball mills, and jet mills is essential.”

The company has expanded its intelligent grinding facilities by adding 10 production lines. Using low-temperature ball-milling technology, it consistently achieves a fineness of 1,200 to 1,300 mesh. A newly built digital and intelligent cold-storage facility with a capacity of 5,000 tons has also been put into operation, providing strong support for raw-material storage and quality assurance.

“We established a dedicated matcha research institute and have worked with research institutions such as the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Jiangnan University to tackle key technological challenges and build joint innovation platforms,” Meng said. 

The company has filed more than 40 patents while continuously improving tea cultivars and processing techniques. Today, Tongren’s matcha has passed more than 500 European Union pesticide-residue tests.

Beyond cutting-edge production, a comprehensive standards system has become another pillar of the industry’s success. In recent years, Zhejiang has introduced a series of technical standards covering tea plantation management, matcha processing, and product development.

At Zhejiang Gengxiang Organic Tea Development Co., Ltd. in Baimu township, Wuyi county, more than 74 hectares of organic tea gardens have been transformed into a “5G smart tea plantation.” Using Internet of Things technology, the plantation integrates solar-powered insect-trapping lamps, frost-prevention fans, weather-monitoring stations, and other intelligent management facilities. These systems enable functions ranging from growth monitoring and harvest forecasting to pest surveillance and farm-operation record keeping.

“Rigorous quality control has opened global markets for us. End-to-end organic and standardized production is the key to securing a place in the world’s high-end supply chains,” said Jin Guoqing, general manager of the company.

From admiring, sipping and buying tea to exploring tea culture, matcha serves as a wonderful link. All over China, tea and tourism integration continues to deepen, offering diverse immersive experiences for visitors worldwide.

Jingshan township in Yuhang district, Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, is renowned for its Jingshan tea tradition, which stretches back more than 1,280 years to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is widely recognized as the birthplace of the tea-whisking culture that flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and Japan’s matcha-making tradition can trace its origins to Jingshan. 

In 2022, the “traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China,” rooted in the Jingshan Tea Ceremony, were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

At Wufeng Tea Garden in Jingshan township, rolling green hills and the fragrance of tea create a picturesque setting. On weekends, primary and secondary school students often visit the plantation for matcha-themed study tours.

“We have turned tea plantations into open-air classrooms. By taking part in the full immersive journey from tea bushes to finished drinks, young people get to learn about and carry forward matcha culture,” said Ma Kuan, the tea garden’s manager.

Meanwhile, in Tongren, local authorities are tapping into historical and cultural resources, preserving the Song Dynasty tea-whisking tradition, and planning the construction of matcha-themed industrial parks, towns, and cultural attractions. 

During China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), Guizhou aims to integrate matcha into 10,000 consumption scenarios and expand the industry’s total output value to 10 billion yuan($1.48 billion).