Technology

CGTN: China’s economy shows vitality with innovative growth, booming market

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2024

BEIJING, Feb. 25, 2024 /CNW/ — China’s provincial-level regions have set their economic growth targets for 2024, with figures ranging from 4.5 to 8 percent. Among them, over 20 regions are aiming to exceed 5 percent GDP growth.

Notably, these provinces share key priorities such as “new productive forces,” “boosting consumption” and “improving the business environment”.

The concept of “new productive forces” refers to a new form of productive forces, derived from continuous science and technology breakthroughs and innovation, that propel strategic emerging industries and future industries in an increasingly intelligent and information era.

Provinces have identified specific sectors to anchor new productive forces, including bio-manufacturing, the low-altitude economy, and emerging areas such as quantum technology and life sciences.

Efforts to integrate data with practical applications are also being made to bolster the digital economy. Zhejiang Province, for instance, is targeting a 9 percent increase in the added value of its core digital industries, and is seeking to ensure that 85 percent of major enterprises undergo digital transformation.

Likewise, several western inland provinces are looking to capitalize on their advantages in computing power to further industry digitization. For example, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region aims to intelligently upgrade traditional industries and empower small- and medium-sized enterprises digitally, aspiring for the digital economy to comprise over 36 percent of its regional GDP.

Additionally, fostering the development of the private sector has become a key focus. Several provinces plan to leverage financial policies to support private enterprises in major tech innovations, encourage their participation in key scientific projects, and direct private investment towards infrastructure.

This year, Jiangsu plans to roll out specialized policies to stimulate private investment, while Guangxi is set to guide financial institutions to enhance support for first-time credit loans to private businesses. Also, Hainan will create a fund pool to assist companies with good credit but temporary financial difficulties.

Meanwhile, provinces and municipalities like Jiangxi, Liaoning, Chongqing and Shanxi are improving their regulatory frameworks to protect investment rights. They aim to eliminate indirect barriers to market entry, ensuring a level playing field for businesses of all types.

Drawn by the improving and welcoming business environment, along with the vast consumer market, foreign-funded enterprises are confident in their long-term investment prospects in China.

Major multinational corporations from various sectors, including KFC and Standard Chartered, have recently boosted their investments in China. The country continues to be a prime investment destination due to offering promising innovation opportunities, comprehensive industrial support and creating a conducive business environment.

In 2023, German direct investment in China increased by 4.3 percent, reaching a record high of 11.9 billion euros ($12.7 billion), according to official Bundesbank data analyzed by the IW institute. Additionally, China’s share of Germany’s total overseas investments climbed to 10.3 percent last year, marking the highest level since 2014.

Booming consumer market

Since 2023, China’s consumer market has shown a robust recovery. Last year, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 47.15 trillion yuan (about 6.63 trillion U.S. dollars), up 7.2 percent from the previous year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Online retail sales saw an 11 percent increase, with physical goods’ online sales constituting 27.6 percent of the total retail sales.

The rise of new consumer models, such as e-commerce, has expanded the range of sales channels available in the consumer market, offering users a more varied experience, observed Pan Helin, a researcher at Zhejiang University.

The revitalization of the consumer market has also been reflected in the travel sector. During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, there was a high level of enthusiasm for travel. Data shows that the number of visitors to major cultural and tourism sites nationwide reached 123 million, marking a 22.8 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023.

The increased travel and cultural activities during the Spring Festival also fueled an uptick in entertainment spending, especially in the film industry. As of 1:15 p.m. Friday, box office revenue in China from the Spring Festival holiday (including pre-sale) has surpassed 7 billion yuan (approximately $983.3 million), according to Dengta Pro, the data analysis arm of China’s leading film-ticketing platform Taopiaopiao.

Pan noted that the increasing consumer demand for a higher quality of life and richer experiences signifies a shift in consumption patterns. This trend, coupled with a growing enthusiasm for shopping and leisure activities, indicates a steady recovery in China’s consumer market.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-02-16/China-s-economy-shows-vitality-with-innovative-growth-booming-market-1rfaQqARiCI/p.html

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SOURCE CGTN

Technology

Hexagon Composites ASA: Eirik Løhre appointed permanent CFO

Published

22 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

OSLO, Norway, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement dated 11 November 2025, where Eirik Løhre was appointed interim CFO in Hexagon Composites.

The Company is pleased to inform that Eirik Løhre has been appointed permanently to the role of CFO in Hexagon Composites, effective today.

Eirik Løhre has been with the Company since 2021 and prior to his role as interim CFO, he served as EVP Corporate Development on the Executive Team.

“Eirik has demonstrated strong financial leadership and execution, and he has been instrumental in strengthening our financial performance. I look forward to continuing our work together to develop and position Hexagon in this next phase of growth,” said Philipp Schramm, CEO, Hexagon Composites.

For more information:
Berit-Cathrin Høyvik, Senior Director, Communications, Hexagon Composites
Tel: +47 988 92 161, berit-cathrin.hoyvik@hexagongroup.com

About Hexagon Composites ASA
Hexagon delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. Our solutions enable storage, transportation and conversion to clean energy in a wide range of mobility and industrial applications. Learn more at www.hexagongroup.com and follow @HexagonASA on LinkedIn.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/hexagon-composites-asa/r/hexagon-composites-asa–eirik-lohre-appointed-permanent-cfo,c4344308

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Technology

LONGPORT Whale Enters Malaysian Market with Next Generation Trading Infrastructure for Local Brokerages

Published

22 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

LONGPORT Whale, with proven track record across 100+ institutional clients in Asia, makes its Malaysia debut at Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LONGPORT Whale, a provider of AI-Ready securities trading infrastructure, is making its entry into the Malaysian market at the Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026. The move comes as Malaysia’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030 (CMP4) continues to hone in on local brokerages to modernise core systems, balancing investor experience, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience simultaneously.

Malaysian brokerages are increasingly confronted by a challenge that goes beyond front-end upgrades. Legacy architectures struggle to keep pace with digital-native investor expectations, rising cybersecurity standards, and the demand for multi-market expansion simultaneously. For many such brokerages, the question is no longer whether to modernize, but how to do so without adding complexity or disrupting the business continuity that clients depend on.

Zhong Hua, CEO, LONGPORT Whale, said, “Core trading infrastructure must support continuous evolution — in investor experience, compliance, and AI readiness — without adding unnecessary complexity. The brokerages that lead the next decade won’t be the ones with the best system today; they’ll be the ones whose systems are designed to keep getting better. LONGPORT Whale aims to bring its Asia-proven experience to help Malaysian brokers strike that balance.”

Built on a cloud-native microservices architecture and trusted by more than 100 institutional clients in Asia, Whale’s platform is engineered by industry professionals and refined through years of first-hand operational experience. For the Malaysian market, it addresses four priorities: a best-in-class trading experience validated across competitive, highly regulated markets in Asia; system resilience and performance built for institutional scale, with high system performance and output, real time risk management, and low system latency; global market connectivity spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, US, and Japan without requiring system rebuilds; and an API-first, data-unified architecture that gives brokerages a practical foundation for AI adoption.

Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, where Whale serves online brokers, traditional banking firms, banks and wealth management institutes in a stringent regulatory environment, serve as the primary reference market for its Malaysia expansion. The company said it aims to work with local industry participants as both an infrastructure partner and a contributor to broader conversation on responsible modernization under CMP4.

About LONGPORT Whale

LONGPORT Whale provides integrated securities trading infrastructure to brokers, banks, fund houses, wealth managers, and family offices across Asia. Its cloud-native platform supports multi-market, multi-asset trading across front-, middle-, and back-office workflows, with a deployment model designed for regulatory alignment and long-term scalability. Website: www.longportwhale.com

Media Contact
LONGPORT Whale PR Team
Email: media@longportwhale.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/longport-whale-enters-malaysian-market-with-next-generation-trading-infrastructure-for-local-brokerages-302761411.html

SOURCE LONGPORT Whale

Technology

Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania Unite to Power Cross-Border M-Pesa Payments Across China and Uganda

Published

22 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Collaboration revolutionises trade & financial convenience for Tanzanian merchants and consumers

SINGAPORE, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, has joined forces with Vodacom Tanzania, the country’s leading telco company, to transform cross-border trade and digital financial inclusion with Vodacom’s new M-Pesa Global Payment solution. Thanks to the collaboration, Vodacom customers in Tanzania can now seamlessly pay merchants in Uganda and China directly from their mobile phones.

This milestone solution responds to growing demand from Tanzanian traders who engage in commerce with Ugandan and Chinese markets but often face challenges with costly, slow, and insecure payment methods. With this innovation, leveraging the Thunes Direct Global Network, Vodacom aims to bridge those gaps, offering secure, real-time digital payments across borders and reinforcing its leadership in mobile money innovation in Africa.

The solution supports trade with two key markets for Tanzania. For eight consecutive years, China has been Tanzania’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting $8.8 billion in 2024. In the same year, bilateral trade between Tanzania and Uganda reached approximately $2.23 billion, an increase of 64% on the previous year.

Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania said: “This is more than just a payment feature, it is a catalyst for economic empowerment and a gateway for small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs in Tanzania to compete and thrive in regional and global markets. Through Thunes’ expansive and trusted Network we are enabling seamless, secure, and affordable cross-border payments that empower people, fuel trade and place M-Pesa at the center of Africa’s digital commerce future.”

Through Thunes’ Direct Global Network, customers can now send payments to merchants in Uganda using MTN MoMo and to Chinese merchants through the Alipay network, all through the M-Pesa USSD menu or the M-Pesa Super App. The process is secure, user-friendly, and eliminates the burden of traditional banking barriers for everyday traders and businesses.

Dawei Wang, SVP Network at Thunes, added: “Vodacom Tanzania joining the Thunes Direct Global Network to digitise cross-border payments is a game changer for local businesses. By combining Vodacom’s technology with Thunes’ trusted and proprietary Network, Tanzanian customers can pay partners in China and Uganda in real time. This innovation accelerates interoperability along with international trade and business growth and supports our vision of connecting the next billion end users to the global economy.”

This initiative stands as a strategic enabler for consumers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who need reliable and quick financial tools such as mobile money. A 2025 GeoPoll survey on Tanzania Financial Services and Usage found that 94% of the survey’s respondents use mobile money.

The Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania alliance is set to transform the lives of millions of consumers by dismantling cross-border barriers. By hyper-connecting Tanzania to global powerhouses like China and streamlining intra-African trade, the collaboration is helping to build an inclusive economy and grow Tanzania’s role as a force in the global market.

About Vodacom Tanzania

For more information, visit: https://www.vodacom.co.tz/

About Thunes

For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thunes-and-vodacom-tanzania-unite-to-power-cross-border-m-pesa-payments-across-china-and-uganda-302760085.html