By He Yin, People’s Daily

Recently, several multinational automakers have renewed long-term partnerships with their Chinese partners, signaling sustained confidence in the country’s market.

General Motors and Shanghai-based SAIC Motor announced an extension of their joint venture cooperation for another 20 years, through 2047. Earlier, Honda and GAC Group, headquartered in south China’s Guangdong province, as well as Volkswagen and SAIC Motor, had also signed agreements to extend their joint ventures. 

These decision by multinational automakers to renew their “long-term” commitments send a clear message: they remain firmly invested in the Chinese market. 

More importantly, they point to a broader trend: automotive cooperation between China and other countries is evolving beyond traditional models into a new phase characterized by joint innovation, collaborative research and development (R&D) and shared capability building.

This trend reflects a rational assessment by multinational companies of China’s long-term market value. 

China is the world’s largest automobile market, with annual passenger vehicle sales consistently exceeding 20 million units. 

The enormous potential of this market continues to be unleashed. A complete industrial ecosystem, a dynamic environment for technological innovation, and a wealth of real-world application scenarios together give China a combination of advantages that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. 

At the same time, China’s steady expansion of institutional opening up and continued efforts to improve its business environment provide a stable and predictable foundation for businesses of all kinds to operate and grow in the country. 

For many executives of multinational auto companies, China is not only a vast consumer market but also an important platform for enhancing product and technological competitiveness.

As German automotive economist Ferdinand Dudenhoffer has put it, leaving China would mean not only giving up the world’s largest single automobile market but also severing ties with one of the world’s most advanced industrial ecosystems.

The deepening of Chinese-foreign cooperation is also reflected in a profound evolution in the underlying logic of such partnerships. In the early decades of cooperation, technology imports were at the core. Today, multinational giants are increasingly focused on joint innovation, joint R&D, and capability building in China. The country is transforming from a technology importer into a global R&D hub for multinational automakers.

As the global auto industry accelerates its shift toward electrification and intelligent technologies, China’s auto industry has stepped up its transformation and upgrading, bringing profound changes to the competitive landscape. These changes are driving Chinese-foreign automotive cooperation toward deeper and higher-level engagement. 

The Wall Street Journal has observed that an increasing number of Western automakers are actively exploring new forms of cooperation with Chinese partners. 

Ford and China’s Geely, for example, have agreed to establish a joint venture in Spain and share production capacity to develop new energy vehicle products for the European market. Mercedes-Benz has introduced “China-specific solutions,” with several models featuring voice assistants developed by its Chinese teams. 

Besides, an increasing number of multinational automakers are also entrusting their Chinese teams with product definition, technology roadmap decisions, and even leadership of the development of certain global models. 

The opportunities offered by China are becoming increasingly diverse, driving a broad-based upgrading of Chinese-foreign automotive cooperation.

Nothing speaks more convincingly than market choices. In recent years, unilateralism and protectionism have gained momentum, while calls for decoupling, severing industrial and supply chains, and relocating manufacturing have resurfaced from time to time. The choices made by multinational automakers serve as a powerful response to this countercurrent.

The automotive industry is one of the most globalized industries in the world. A single vehicle involves tens of thousands of components, requiring extensive coordination and close interdependence across the industrial and supply chains. This is an objective reality shaped by decades of industry development. 

Forcibly disrupting industrial and supply chains would only drive up production costs, slow the pace of technological upgrading and ultimately harm the interests of all market participants. Facts have repeatedly shown that openness, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes remain the right path in line with the trend of the times.

For multinational automakers, putting down long-term roots in China is, at its core, a choice of broader market opportunities, a more dynamic innovation ecosystem and a more certain future for growth. 

By staying true to the original commitment to cooperation, learning from each other and moving forward together, China’s auto industry and its global partners can not only create greater value and opportunities for both sides, but also inject a steady source of momentum into the transformation of the global automotive industry and set an example of mutually beneficial international industrial cooperation in the new era.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Japan’s Ministry of Defense recently released its 2026 defense white paper. As the first such white paper issued under the Sanae Takaichi administration, the 598-page document repeatedly hypes up so-called security threats in Japan’s neighborhood. 

What comes through between the lines is no longer the postwar principle of “exclusively defense-oriented policy” that Japan has long claimed to uphold, but an ambition deeply tainted by the lingering legacy of militarism.

Using exaggerated external threats to pave the way for military expansion has long been a tactic employed by Japan as it adjusts its security policies. The new white paper claims that the regional security environment is in the most severe and complex situation in the postwar period and invokes a so-called “new era of crisis.” 

In essence, it seeks to mislead public opinion by stoking a sense of insecurity and to manipulate public sentiment in order to provide a seemingly legitimate pretext for expanding Japan’s military capabilities. The document is riddled with false narratives and is, in substance, a dangerous attempt by Japan’s right-wing forces to mobilize society for full-scale remilitarization.

In reality, Japan, which constantly talks up so-called threats, is itself a major driver of rising security risks in the region. For some time, Japan has repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan, frequently played up regional security issues, accelerated the militarization of its southwestern islands under the pretext of “responding to crises,” and continued to expand its military buildup and war preparations. It has thus become a major source of instability undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

The new white paper once again groundlessly smears and accuses China, hypes up the so-called “China threat,” makes irresponsible comments on Taiwan question, and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs. 

China is committed to peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people themselves and brooks no interference from Japan. The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands have always been an inherent part of China’s territory. No matter what Japan says or does, it cannot change this fact.

The most dangerous aspect of the new white paper is its attempt to cross the red line of “exclusively defense-oriented policy” and transform Japan’s Self-Defense Forces into an offensive military force. 

For the first time, the white paper has devoted a separate chapter to “emerging modes of warfare,” advocating the application of unmanned aerial systems and artificial intelligence technologies in defense operations while emphasizing sustained combat capabilities. It openly extends Japan’s military capability building into new domains including space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum, in an apparent bid to build a cross-domain integrated combat system.

In March this year, Japan deployed Type 25 land-based anti-ship missiles boasting a range of roughly 1,000 kilometers, well beyond Japan’s territorial boundaries. It has also enacted legislation to restructure the Air Self-Defense Force into the “Air and Space Self-Defense Force”, bringing space within the realm of military operations. In addition to these moves, Tokyo is speeding up the fielding of long-range offensive missiles, in a substantive bid to acquire enemy base strike capabilities.

Step by step, Japan is dismantling the safeguards of its “exclusively defense-oriented policy” and transforming the Self-Defense Forces from a defensive force into an offensive military force capable of launching preemptive strikes and projecting forward deterrence.

The new white paper greatly expands its discussion of “strengthening the defense production and technological capabilities.” Under the pretexts of “driving economic growth” and promoting “dual-use technologies,” it portrays the defense industry as a new engine of economic growth, seeking to justify the relaxation of arms export controls, expanded international joint research and development, and the blurring of the boundary between military and civilian technologies.

In April this year, Japan formally revised its Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, significantly easing restrictions on exports of lethal weapons. From joint development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft to policies providing substantial subsidies to defense companies, Japan is shifting its defense industry from one primarily oriented toward meeting domestic needs to one geared toward overseas expansion. By increasingly tying the interests of the defense industry to military expansion, Japan is creating a dangerous cycle in which the two reinforce each other.

Respect for the pacifist constitution and pursuit of peaceful development were once important foundations of Japan’s postwar development and played a positive role in maintaining peace and stability in East Asia. Yet Japan’s right-wing forces have repeatedly crossed the red line of the “exclusively defense-oriented policy,” hollowed out the substance of the pacifist constitution, and accelerated efforts of military expansion and sought the status of a major military power.

The new white paper represents the latest step in this expansionist trajectory. It seeks to pave the way for Japan to break free from the constraints of the postwar order on multiple fronts, including public perceptions, military capabilities, and industrial support. 

Such moves seriously undermine the postwar international order, poison the regional security environment and steadily erode strategic trust among countries in the region. They have not only sparked grave concern among Asian neighbors and the international community, but also met with strong opposition from peace-loving forces within Japan.

A poll conducted by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun showed that more than 60 percent of Japanese respondents oppose revising Article 9 of the pacifist constitution. Around the time the new white paper was released, large numbers of Japanese people gathered around the National Diet to protest the military buildup, arguing that increased military spending would place an additional burden on people’s livelihoods and put the country at greater risk of being dragged into conflict.

Peaceful development is an irreversible trend of history. Any attempt to pursue military expansion by abandoning commitments to peace and going against the tide of the times is bound to fail. 

Japan should face up to history, follow the trend of the times, strictly uphold the postwar international order, stop hyping up security threats and pursuing military expansion and war preparations, and return in earnest to the right path of peaceful development. That is the fundamental path for Japan to secure its future.

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

By Chen Shangwen, Gu Yekai, People’s Daily

A recent commentary in The New York Times compared the development of advanced AI models to two distinct paths: “nuclear weapons” and “nuclear energy.” The former emphasizes destructive potential and calls for strict control, while the latter highlights manageable risks and advocates openness and sharing. These contrasting approaches reflect a fundamental question: Is AI a strategic tool for monopoly and competition, or a public good that benefits all of humanity?

China’s answer is clear and firm: AI should be people-centered and used for the benefit of all.

At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts to build a just and equitable system for global AI governance. The proposal reflects a profound understanding of technological and historical trends, embodies the wisdom of governing AI for the common good,  and points toward the long-term goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

China adheres to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation, boosting innovation-driven development, and enabling AI to benefit all sectors and businesses.

Recently, China’s next-generation large model Kimi K3, was officially released as an open-source model. With 2.8 trillion parameters, it has become the largest open-source model in the world in terms of parameter scale. China has emerged as one of the most active and fastest-growing sources of open-source large models globally, with cumulative downloads exceeding 10 billion. As Chinese large models continue to evolve rapidly, they are not only stimulating domestic demand through diverse applications but also making advanced technologies more accessible through their competitive cost-performance ratios. These models are increasingly becoming productivity tools favored by users worldwide. 

Open source and openness are not just approaches to technological development; they also reflect a philosophy of collaboration and shared growth. China has proposed the AI+ International Cooperation Initiative and launched an action plan on AI cooperation and development, outlining actions in eight areas, including sharing open-source AI ecosystems and promoting the coordinated development of rules and standards. China also unveiled Fenghe, an open-source large language model.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said China’s leading role in open-source AI innovation, open platforms, and international scientific cooperation has created new development opportunities for countries worldwide.

China strengthens risk-awareness, ensuring that AI is secure, controllable, and a trusted tool for humanity.

As AI systems continue to grow exponentially in reasoning ability, scientific capability, and autonomy, policymakers around the world must follow the precautionary principle and prepare for possible scenarios and risks, Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio noted.

This view aligns with China’s belief that AI must always remain under human control. China has released the Global AI Governance Initiative, which includes proposals on risk assessment and classification, improving laws and regulations, and developing ethical guidelines. The initiative calls on all countries to jointly prevent risks and continuously enhance AI’s safety, reliability, controllability, and fairness.

China has also released versions 1.0 and 2.0 of its AI safety governance framework, integrating safety requirements throughout the processes of model development, deployment, and application. The country issued the Global AI Governance Action Plan, identifying safety and controllability as core principles. In addition, China released an action plan on international AI ethics governance, providing a framework that combines guiding principles with practical measures.

From setting directions to establishing pathways, China continues to provide international public goods, helping ensure that AI, like a powerful steed, can run both fast and steadily.

China encourages inclusiveness and promotes mutual learning among civilizations. It tends to the garden of civilizations with great care to ensure that the beauty of each civilization is appreciated and shared.

Unlike conventional dams that block and redirect water, the Dujiangyan irrigation system harnessed the natural flow of the Minjiang River through scientific diversion and adaptation, benefiting the Chengdu Plain for more than 2,000 years. The Chinese sage Confucius said, “The gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity.” Different civilizations and systems each have their own characteristics. What matters is mutual respect, coexistence, and shared progress. Danil Kerimi, vice chairman of the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization, drew on Eastern wisdom to shed light on China’s AI governance approach, which reflects a longstanding tradition of inclusiveness and mutual respect.

Today, this Eastern wisdom is being translated into concrete action. The “Cultural Interactions Engine” seeks to uncover deep connections among world cultural heritage sites and showcase the shared characteristics and diversity of human civilizations to users in more than 170 countries. At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the Qwen large language model became the first official AI model in Olympic history, creating a new intelligent experience for winter sports events.

Chinese and Malaysian companies have jointly set up an AI multilingual intelligent dubbing and translation center. The facility supports translation for over 130 languages and makes it possible to translate audiovisual content in just 30 minutes. Chinese AI technologies are now crossing borders, allowing civilizations to grow through inclusiveness and renew themselves through exchange.

China advocates solidarity, seeks to improve global governance, and works to prevent new historical injustice in the field of AI.

During the 2026 WAIC and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, the World AI Cooperation Organization was established, with 38 countries becoming founding members. As the world’s first intergovernmental international organization dedicated to AI, it promotes inclusive development for the benefit of all. It follows the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and remains open to all countries, charting a new course for global AI governance in the intelligent era.

In recent years, China has hosted AI capacity-building workshops, launched the Belt and Road Special Cooperation Program on AI Science, Technology and Innovation, and developed the “Digital South” brand project under the framework of the Global Development Project Pool. Over the next five years, China will provide 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries and establish international AI application cooperation centers with ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS countries. In addition, China will promote the application of the MAZU intelligent meteorological early warning solution in 30 countries. China has consistently believed and demonstrated that AI should become a symphony of global cooperation.

Looking back to the summer of 1956, when the concept of “artificial intelligence” was first introduced at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence in the U.S., the past 70 years have witnessed China’s technological journey from its early beginnings to steady progress. This journey has moved from following and catching up to competing alongside global leaders and gaining an edge in more fields.

Today, with high-level technological self-reliance laying a stronger foundation for innovation and “AI Plus” opening up global opportunities, China’s AI sector is entering a period of unprecedented development. This confidence stems from continuous breakthroughs in core technologies, a thriving innovation ecosystem, institutional safeguards that balance development and security, and a commitment to inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation as a responsible major country.

Standing at a new historical starting point, China is ready to work with all parties with greater openness, more practical actions, and a longer-term vision. Together, they can seize the opportunities and address the challenges in AI development, and jointly create a better future for humanity.