Connect with us

Technology

China.org.cn:Foreign Ambassadors’ Views on China’s Economy in 2025

Published

on

BEIJING, March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In today’s world, with the sluggish global economic recovery and the rising trend of trade protectionism,we are faced with many challenges. As the top contributor of global economic growth, China’s economy has always been the focus of the world’s attention. During this year’s two sessions, China Talk of China.org.cn has interviewed ambassadors and counselors from various countries to share their views on China’s economy in 2025 and the cooperation between China and their countries.

Peter Lizak, Ambassador of Slovakia to China: China has been developing in tremendous ways over the last 40 years, and let me congratulate to the results you have achieved. Over the years, Chinese people have achieved good results and that is really the situation. You are now turning from the extensive development to intensive development, from quantity to quality. As Chinese President formulated, rejuvenation of the country. So you are focusing on the most prominent, more modern part of the economy. And I think these will be discussed during these days.

China is one of the most important players in the world, and global partners expect from China a stable and reliable approach for solutions to world questions and challenges.  

John Busuttil, Ambassador of Malta to China: The global economy is in a very difficult situation right now. Europe is also faced with challenges. But China’s economy, we hope that the situation improves and that the plans made during two sessions will help. Because if China’s economy improves, the global economy will also improve. And also we hope that relations and trade between the European Union and China will continue to grow, because more trade we have, more prosperity there will be for the people. Malta, as a member of the European Union, as I mentioned, we hope that trade relations will be increased and the relationship between both global players (China and EU) will get better and better. We have our foreign Minister coming in July to China, and we hope that the discussions between China and Malta will continue. We have very long diplomatic relations with China since 1972, and the relations are very strong. Malta is a neutral country. We hope that peace and prosperity of the the two nations will continue to improve for the best benefit of the whole global economy and the global situation.

Fernando Lugris, Ambassador of Uruguay to China:I think it’s very important for the international community, and especially for countries like Uruguay, that have such a close trade and economic relationship with China, to hear the indications that the government is going to provide to the public during the two sessions.

We hope to hear good news. We hope to hear that China will continue to be the engine of the world economy as it has been in the last decades. We have a new government in Uruguay, and the new authorities are hoping to be able to elevate our comprehensive strategic partnership (with China) to a new level. We have a very close relation with China, and especially China is our number one trading partner. So we are hoping to be able to increase and diversify the goods that we export to China, to be also able to export more services and to negotiate new frameworks for more investments to come.

So we are having a lot of conversations and hoping to have a lot of high-level meetings and visits from both sides in order to make this comprehensive strategic partnership into a new beginning with this new Uruguayan administration.

Alfredo Ortuno Victory, Ambassador of Costa Rica to China: We are very happy to be here to hear the perspective of China for 2025. I hope everything is good for the Chinese people and for the people of my country. I expect China’s economy to be more or less the same as 2024, around 5% of GDP increase. My country Costa Rica is looking forward very pleasantly to major cooperation with China in terms of trade and in terms of more profound cooperation. We have a very interesting matrix of products. We send to China more than 800 different products. And we import a lot from China as well.

Miguel Humberto Lecaro Barcenas, Ambassador of Panama to China: If you were in China many years ago, you can see the difference. You can be a witness of the big development of the economy of China. We have a good relationship in this moment between Panama and China and to develop the commerce and trade with all the world. The main importance of Panama is the geographical position. It’s in the middle of the Americas. And then we play an important role in the trade and commerce of China in the American continent.

Allan Joseph Chintedza, Ambassador of Malawi to China:We always expect the Chinese economy to be stronger because the stronger economy (of China) serves us well because of the Belt and Road Initiative and the relationship that we have under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. You may remember last year in September, we had heads of states from the African continent. And what we have said is that the relationship between China and Africa is quite crucial. Because when you combine the two populations, we can create a huge market, which is win-win for both China and Africa.

Now, specifically for Malawi, Malawi is an agricultural country and having a close relationship with China in terms of the modernization of agricultural sector, which is again a win-win (cooperation). Because we expect exporting raw materials, products like soybeans, chilies, groundnuts and macadamia. So all these China will be able to use. And for us in return, we hope we can be able to import mechanization, tractors, drones, which indeed does bring in mechanization and modernization to our agricultural sector.

Kenneth Rabale, Ambassador of Lesotho to China: The economy of China seems to be kind of balancing. And the cooperation between Lesotho and China seems to be very good for a long time. More than 40 years ago, we have started the relationship with China and everything seems to be smooth, especially with regard to the partnership that exists between the two countries in terms of trade, bilateral relations, etc. I think China seems to be kind of improving technologically. China is the best country in terms of technological development. So we are learning from it. We are actually cooperating closely with China in many aspects.

Arlindo do Rosário, Ambassador of Cape Verde to China:China makes the same target as 2024, 5%, which is a challenge because the global situation is not good, but I think it’s possible. China is a great country, great economy, with very good qualification. So I think if the government sets its target as 5%, I think it will be possible. I think the economy will grow. Maybe with more difficulty, but I think it is possible (for China) to do it. I hope that the cooperation between China and Cape Verde will continue to grow. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the relationship between Cape Verde and China. And so I have a great hope that this cooperation can go to a higher level.

Antonio Monsuy Esono, Counselor of the Equatorial Guinean Embassy in China: China’s economy is developing very fast and China offers a great help to Africa. The relationship between Equatorial Guinea and China goes well in all aspects, I am very happy to work in China to do something for the relationship between the two countries. Equatorial Guinea and China have established diplomatic relations for 55 years, and the cooperation between the two countries in all aspects is very good. I feel that China’s political system is very good. Chinese government works for their people.

Abdullah Almantheri, Counselor of the Embassy of Oman in China: I think the Chinese economy is heading upwards, it might face some challenges, global challenges, and that’s very natural. And the Chinese economy is progressing very confidently. It’s moving on. It’s focusing on high-tech, artificial intelligence, etc. I think it will just keep going on and keep improving. And this is my wish as well, because I’m in love with this country. Most of the things I use are China-made.

Thanks to the long history of cooperation between the two countries, not only commercially, but also politically, the level of cooperation and the economy between China and Oman is improving. It’s going to be even better in the coming days because Oman is now focusing a lot on opening up with the Chinese economy. I think in 2025, we’re going to see a leap in the economic cooperation between the two countries.

Foreign Ambassadors’ Views on China’s Economy in 2025
http://fangtan.china.com.cn/2025-03/09/content_117755787.htm

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinaorgcn-foreign-ambassadors-views-on-chinas-economy-in-2025-302397833.html

SOURCE China.org.cn

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Global AI Leader and Enterprise Transformation Visionary Zeya Ottomone Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Integrow

Published

on

By

Author of Empowered to Execute in the Agentic Era to Lead Next Generation of AI-Powered Enterprise Innovation

ATLANTA, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Integrow announced the appointment of Zeya Ottomone as Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution as it accelerates its vision to become a global leader in Agentic AI-powered enterprise software and business transformation.

Integrow announced the appointment of Zeya Ottomone as Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution as it accelerates its vision to become a global leader in Agentic AI-powered enterprise software and business transformation.

With more than three decades of executive leadership spanning Fortune 500 enterprises, global technology organizations, and enterprise software innovation, Ottomone joins Integrow at a defining moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence.

Widely recognized for helping organizations modernize operations, simplify complex business ecosystems, and deliver measurable transformation outcomes, Ottomone has led some of the industry’s largest enterprise modernization initiatives across ERP, CRM, workforce management, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and intelligent automation. His appointment signals Integrow’s commitment to redefining how enterprises execute strategy in the era of autonomous AI.

“Artificial Intelligence is no longer about automation alone, it’s about empowering organizations to execute faster, make smarter decisions, and fundamentally rethink how work gets done,” said Zeya Ottomone, Chief Executive Officer of Integrow. “We’re entering the Agentic Era, where intelligent AI agents become trusted digital teammates capable of planning, reasoning, collaborating and executing alongside people. At Integrow, we’re building the enterprise platform that makes that future practical, secure and measurable for every organization.”

Ottomone is internationally recognized as a leader in enterprise technology, SaaS transformation, digital modernization and AI-enabled business strategy. Throughout his career he has held executive leadership and C-level positions with ABB, Honeywell, AmerisourceBergen, Cable & Wireless, Chicago Tribune and Rimini Street, leading global organizations through large-scale transformation initiatives across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. His expertise spans enterprise applications, Salesforce ecosystems, ServiceNow, ERP modernization, customer experience, intelligent operations, data strategy, and the emerging field of Agentic AI.

Before joining Integrow, Ottomone led global SaaS Centers of Excellence focused on enterprise transformation, helping organizations modernize critical business operations while reducing technology complexity and accelerating innovation. A certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and recognized executive advisor, Ottomone has consistently delivered operational excellence by combining strategic leadership with emerging technologies to create sustainable business value.

His appointment also coincides with the upcoming publication of his new book, Empowered to Execute in the Agentic Era, which explores how organizations can bridge the gap between strategy and execution by leveraging AI, empowering people, and building intelligent enterprises capable of continuous innovation. The book reflects many of the same principles that will guide Integrow’s next phase of growth: human-centered AI, intelligent automation, operational excellence, and measurable business outcomes.

Under Ottomone’s leadership, Integrow will accelerate investment across:

Agentic AIEnterprise AI PlatformsIntelligent ERPAI-powered CRMHuman Capital ManagementIT Service ManagementPredictive AnalyticsAutonomous WorkflowsEnterprise CopilotsIndustry-specific AI Solutions

The company’s vision is to deliver a unified enterprise platform where AI is embedded into every business process, enabling organizations to eliminate operational silos, automate decision-making, increase productivity, and create competitive advantage through intelligent execution. “Zeya represents exactly the type of visionary leader required for the next generation of enterprise software,” said Harvey Nicholson, Chair of Corporate Governance and Member of Integrow’s Board of Directors. “His global experience, deep understanding of enterprise technology, and forward-looking vision for Agentic AI position Integrow to become one of the industry’s most innovative AI-powered enterprise software companies.”

Wayne Gadson, Chair of Growth Strategy, added: “The future belongs to organizations that can execute strategy with intelligence, speed and confidence. Zeya has spent his career helping enterprises achieve exactly that. His appointment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Integrow, our customers and our partners worldwide.” As enterprises face mounting pressure to modernize operations, reduce costs, improve workforce productivity and harness the power of artificial intelligence, Integrow is uniquely positioned to help organizations transform through a single AI-powered enterprise platform that unifies finance, operations, customer engagement, workforce management, projects and service delivery.

“Our mission is simple,” Ottomone concluded. “We don’t believe AI should replace people. We believe AI should elevate people. The organizations that will define the next decade won’t simply adopt AI—they’ll empower every employee to execute better decisions every day. That’s the future Integrow is building.”

About Integrow

Integrow is a global enterprise software company delivering next-generation AI-powered business applications built on Salesforce. The platform unifies ERP, CRM, Human Capital Management, IT Service Management, Project Management, Field Service, Finance and Operations into a single intelligent ecosystem enhanced by Agentic AI.

By embedding artificial intelligence into every workflow, Integrow enables organizations to modernize operations, accelerate innovation, improve decision-making and execute strategy with confidence.

For more information, visit www.integrow.com.

Media Contact

Media Team, Integrow, Inc., 1 855-333-4769, info@integrow.com, www.integrow.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/global-ai-leader-and-enterprise-transformation-visionary-zeya-ottomone-appointed-chief-executive-officer-of-integrow-302833033.html

SOURCE Integrow, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Lufax Announces Board and Management Changes

Published

on

By

SHANGHAI, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lufax Holding Ltd (“Lufax” or the “Company”) (NYSE: LU and HKEX: 6623), a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China, today announced changes to its board of directors and senior management, effective July 25, 2026.

Ms. Fangfang Cai (“Ms. Cai”), Mr. Shibang Guo (“Mr. Guo”) and Mr. Peifeng Li (“Mr. Li”) have resigned as non-executive directors of the Company and from their respective positions on the Board’s committees. Mr. Tongzhuan Xi (“Mr. Xi”) has resigned as an executive director, the chief financial officer and the authorised representative of the Company (“Authorised Representative”) under Rule 3.05 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“Hong Kong Listing Rules”), with effect from July 25, 2026. Each of the four directors cited personal work arrangements as the reason for their resignation and confirmed there is no disagreement with the Board and no matter relating to their departure that needs to be brought to shareholders’ attention.

The Company has begun a search for a new chief financial officer. During the transition, the CFO’s duties will be temporarily assumed by the Company’s internal team to ensure continuity of the Company’s financial functions. Mr. Xiang Ji, an executive director and the Company’s chief executive officer, has been appointed as the Authorised Representative, the Company’s designated liaison with the Stock Exchange under the Hong Kong Listing Rules, in place of Mr. Xi, with effect from July 25, 2026.

The Board has appointed Mr. Wai Kin Chim (“Mr. Chim”) as an independent non-executive director for an initial three-year term commencing July 25, 2026.

Mr. Chim, aged 65, has over 40 years of experience in international banking and extensive board experience in Asia Pacific, having worked in Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing. He specializes in risk management and internal control, with a strong emphasis on corporate governance, credit risk, market risk and capital management.

Mr. Chim served as a loan officer at Standard Chartered Bank, Hong Kong Branch, from October 1985 to August 1988. He was then employed by Bankers Trust Company, Hong Kong Branch, as a vice president of the Asia Credit Department from September 1988 to October 1996. He subsequently served as the managing director and the chief credit officer for Deutsche Bank AG, a company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ticker symbol DBK, for Asia Pacific (non-Japan Asia), from October 1996 to November 2006. He joined Bank of China Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange under stock code 3988, as the chief credit officer from March 2007 to March 2015.

Mr. Chim was an independent non-executive director of Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited from October 2015 to October 2017. He served as an independent non-executive director of HDR Global Trading Limited, owner and operator of the BitMEX digital asset trading platform, from February 2021 to February 2022. Mr. Chim served as a non-executive director of China Chengtong Hong Kong Company Limited from July 2022 to June 2025. Mr. Chim is currently an independent non-executive director of OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, since November 2017; an independent non-executive director of Banco OCBC (Macau), S.A., since August 2023; an independent non-executive director of China Intellogis Technology Co., Ltd., since June 2024; and a director of Hong Kong Dance Company Limited since June 2026.

Mr. Chim obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1983 and an MBA degree from Indiana State University, USA, in 1985. He also graduated from the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University in 2000.

In connection with these changes, with effect from July 25, 2026, Ms. Cai will step down from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and Mr. Koon Wing Ernest Ip has been appointed as a member to that committee. The Company’s Special Committee will comprise Mr. Dicky Peter Yip, Mr. Koon Wing Ernest Ip and Mr. Siu Hong Cheng, continuing under the chairmanship of Mr. Dicky Peter Yip, with effect from July 25, 2026.

The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Cai, Mr. Guo, Mr. Li and Mr. Xi for their service during the tenure of their office and warmly welcome Mr. Chim to the Board.

About Lufax

Lufax is a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China. The Company offers financing products designed principally to address the needs of small business owners. In doing so, the Company has established relationships with 85 financial institutions in China as funding partners, many of which have worked with the Company for over three years.

Investor Relations Contact

Lufax Holding Ltd
Email: Investor_Relations@lu.com

ICR, LLC
Robin Yang
Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546
Email: lufax.ir@icrinc.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lufax-announces-board-and-management-changes-302834065.html

SOURCE Lufax Holding Ltd

Continue Reading

Technology

UMD Smith School Researchers Warn AI Security Lapses Highlight Urgent Need for Independent Oversight

Published

on

By

COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A series of recent AI security lapses—including the OpenAI–Hugging Face breach—raises a fundamental question, say a pair of researchers at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business: Can tech companies safely govern the powerful AI systems they build, or is stronger outside oversight now essential?

In its incident report, OpenAI confirmed that one of its experimental AI agents exploited a weakness in its testing environment while working on a routine benchmark task. The system wasn’t instructed to behave maliciously; instead, its persistence turned a small design flaw into a real escape. Earlier tests showed similar behavior, including agents that learned to bypass security checks by manipulating authentication tokens.

This pattern echoes findings from Dean’s Professor of Information Systems Siva Viswanathan at the Smith School, who studies how large technology platforms enforce rules. His research on mobile app privacy—published in Management Science—examined Google’s rollout of Android 6.0, which gave users more control over what data apps could collect. Developers were granted a flexible window to update their apps. Many used that flexibility to delay compliance for months, continuing to gather user data until Google imposed consequences such as lower search rankings and reduced visibility in its app store.

Viswanathan’s takeaway: when companies rely on voluntary compliance, self‑interested actors often exploit the slack. Real accountability requires pairing flexibility with firm, enforceable penalties.

That lesson now reverberates across the AI sector. As companies race to build increasingly capable systems, Viswanathan says oversight must treat these AI systems as strategic actors and must include strong safeguards that can pause or reverse a system before harm occurs.

He notes that a separate study from Anthropic underscores the stakes. In controlled tests, even an AI system designed to monitor another AI inherited the same flaws it was supposed to catch. In some cases, the “judge” model failed to flag clear sabotage because it agreed with the agent’s goals, allowing dangerous behavior to pass without human review.

Balaji Padmanabhan, Dean’s Professor of Decisions, Operations and Information Technologies and director of the Smith School’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business, extends Viswanathan’s governance argument into the realm of autonomous AI agents, warning that the same structural weaknesses now carry far higher stakes.

“The fact that this breach occurred organically without the AI agent being asked to be malicious is itself notable. Imagine what someone who actually intends to do harm can do. It’s also not terribly reassuring that the same firms we depend on for AI infrastructure, who are facing these issues, are the ones assuring enterprises that their systems with guardrails are perfectly safe,” says Padmanabhan. “We have to wake up to the fact that we’ve created capabilities that let software become as powerful as we want it to be—and then some. It’s time we seriously ask what’s needed to create an infrastructure to play defense well.”

Across the independent studies, the pattern is consistent, says Viswanathan: Voluntary compliance fails when the governed actor is more capable than the regulator. And AI systems cannot be governed by trust or good intentions alone. Oversight must be preventive, independent and capable of stopping harmful behavior before it spreads.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Contact: Greg Muraski, gmuraski@umd.edu

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/umd-smith-school-researchers-warn-ai-security-lapses-highlight-urgent-need-for-independent-oversight-302834112.html

SOURCE University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

Continue Reading

Trending