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Shanghai boosts payment convenience for elderly, foreign residents

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SHANGHAI, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from english.shanghai.gov.cn:

Shanghai has significantly improved payment convenience for both elderly and foreign residents, as highlighted by Chen Yong, deputy inspector at Shanghai Head Office of the People’s Bank of China, during the bank’s 2024 third-quarter press conference on July 10.

Chen outlined several initiatives aimed at improving payment services across the city, including a comprehensive action plan issued on April 18. The plan targets six major areas with 15 specific goals and involves 20 city departments to ensure coordinated implementation.

Key actions include improving foreign card acceptance, enhancing cash withdrawal convenience, and optimizing mobile payment applications. As of June 30, over 50,000 merchants and 70,000 terminals in Shanghai had supported foreign card payments. Foreign card transactions exceeded 1.9 million in the first half of 2024, totaling 3.5 billion yuan ($481.05 million).

The Shanghai government has implemented a subsidy policy for point of sale (POS) machine deployment, which has significantly boosted foreign card acceptance. Additionally, the city focused on critical scenarios such as metro stations and railway stations, equipping them with card acceptance terminals to resolve payment issues.

To improve cash services, Shanghai has expanded the availability of small-denomination cash withdrawals at ATMs in strategic locations and opened 222 foreign currency exchange points.

The Shanghai branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), for instance, has increased its cash reserves and installed 63 ATMs capable of dispensing 10-yuan notes. “We have set up over 450 small-denomination cash exchange channels to facilitate easy access to change,” said Mi Liang, vice-president of the Shanghai branch of ICBC.

The Shanghai branch of the Bank of China has doubled the number of merchants and terminals that accept foreign card payments, resulting in a two-fold increase in transaction volume. “We have ensured comprehensive coverage of foreign card acceptance in major commercial zones and collaborated with major hotel chains and international coffee brands,” said Zhang Xinyuan, vice-president of Shanghai branch of the Bank of China.

Alipay, one of the most popular mobile payment platforms in China, has been instrumental in promoting mobile payment solutions for foreign residents. “By June 30, Alipay’s foreign card binding’ service had supported more than 400,000 foreign users,” said Wang Lijuan, general manager of Alipay. The company has also launched marketing campaigns and expanded service coverage in major commercial areas and transportation hubs.

China UnionPay has contributed to enhancing payment convenience through its “Jinxiu Action 2024” campaign. “We have provided substantial subsidies and support to acquiring institutions to lower the cost of upgrading payment terminals,” said Gong Zhongrui, general manager of the Shanghai branch of China UnionPay. The company has also promoted the use of UnionPay cards and mobile wallets among foreign residents, ensuring widespread acceptance in key commercial areas and tourist attractions.

The establishment of comprehensive service centers at Shanghai’s international airports has increased convenience for international travelers. These centers provide 24-hour services, including payment, telecommunications, cultural and tourism information, and transportation assistance. On June 29, the first such center began trial operations at Shanghai Pudong International Airport’s T2 terminal.

Meanwhile, Shanghai has optimized payment convenience for the elderly, with over 90 percent of bank branches in the city having completed elderly-friendly renovations. More than 6,000 self-service machines now support passbook printing, and 656 elderly service stations have been established. Additionally, major payment service providers have enhanced mobile banking apps with large-font versions and upgraded transfer risk control measures to better serve the elderly population.

Looking ahead, Chen noted that the Shanghai Head Office of the People’s Bank of China will continue to enhance payment convenience in collaboration with various departments. The goal is to establish a safer, more convenient, efficient, and inclusive payment environment in Shanghai, contributing to the city’s development as a benchmark for payment convenience and supporting the construction of the city’s “Five Centers” initiative.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shanghai-boosts-payment-convenience-for-elderly-foreign-residents-302200548.html

SOURCE english.shanghai.gov.cn

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BitradeX BXC First Two Subscription Rounds Sell Out, Total Subscriptions Exceed 14M USDT

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LONDON, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BitradeX Capital’s ecosystem equity token, BXC, has completed its first and second subscription rounds, selling a total of 50 million BXC with subscriptions exceeding 14 million USDT. The first round sold out in 90 seconds, while the second closed within 48 hours.

While the fundraising size is not unusually large by crypto standards, the structure of the sale has attracted market attention. The first two rounds were not open to the public, but limited to high-tier BitradeX users. The first round was available only to V5 users and above, while the second round expanded access to V3 users and above.

According to BitradeX’s tier system, V3+ users typically have higher recurring investment activity through AiBot, longer platform usage history, and stronger ecosystem participation. This means the early BXC allocation was absorbed mainly by the platform’s internal high-value user base, rather than short-term speculative participants.

This approach differs from many token fundraising campaigns that prioritize broad public participation and market hype. BitradeX instead adopted a more selective, staged model, gradually lowering the participation threshold while keeping the sale within its active ecosystem community.

BXC is positioned as more than a standard platform token. Its value framework is linked to BitradeX Capital’s broader ecosystem, including its exchange business, AiBot quantitative strategies, BTX Card payments, and Labs incubation platform. Public information indicates that BXC holders may receive staking rewards, benefit from ecosystem buybacks and burns, and gain priority access to Launchpad projects and governance participation.

The third subscription round is launched on April 30 at $0.35 USDT per BXC, with a total supply of 100 million BXC. It is now open to users participating in AiBot recurring investment. The fourth round price is expected to rise to $0.45 USDT.

The long-term value of BXC will ultimately depend on the growth of BitradeX’s underlying businesses, including exchange profitability, AiBot user expansion, and BTX Card adoption. However, the rapid sellout of the first two rounds suggests that BitradeX’s core user base has already shown strong confidence in the ecosystem’s future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitradex-bxc-first-two-subscription-rounds-sell-out-total-subscriptions-exceed-14m-usdt-302767467.html

SOURCE BitradeX Capital

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South and East Asia identified as hotspots of global warming related impacts on male fertility

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BEIJING, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A major new study has shown that South and East Asia dominate patterns of global warming related decline in male fertility with the strongest and most consistent evidence coming from India, Pakistan and the southern parts of China.

The effects of increased environmental temperatures on male reproductive health include declining sperm concentration and motility and increased sperm DNA fragmentation, or genetic damage that can hinder fertilisation and embryo development.

Male related factors account for around 50 per cent of infertility cases around the world and the impact of rising ambient heat on semen parameters raises serious implications across wide areas of Asia where total fertility rates are in serious decline.

Outcomes of the study undertaken by the Taiwan IVF Group and Ton Yen General Hospital, Taiwan (China) in collaboration with Stanford University (USA) are being presented at the 2026 Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE) in Beijing.

Research principal and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Dr Jack Yu Jen Huang, MD, PhD, FACOG said: “Given the temperature sensitivity of spermatogenesis, even modest increases in ambient temperature could have cumulative, population-level effects over time.

“As global warming accelerates, male reproductive health may represent an emerging climate sensitive public health concern.”

The testes function optimally at temperatures lower than the internal body heat level, and previous studies have shown elevated scrotal or ambient temperatures can impair sperm production.

The latest research explored global patterns to reveal comparative data across regions. It is based on a systematic review of international studies on temperature exposure and semen parameter trends between 2000 and 2024. Artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning tools were applied to extract key variables including geographic regions and semen outcomes.

Dr Huang said studies examining occupational heat exposure alone were excluded from the analysis as they reflected localised, job-specific conditions rather than broader climatic trends.

“Our findings therefore represent population level climate associated temperature effects including consistent seasonal variations showing poor semen quality parameters in warmer periods.”

The global patterns on temperature associated lower sperm concentration and motility show South and East Asia as major hot spots of concern followed by the Middle East, Europe and North America.

“South and East Asia are likely more affected due to a combination of factors including higher baseline ambient temperatures and rapid urbanisation that contribute to greater cumulative heat stress on spermatogenesis,” Dr Huang explained.

“With ongoing global warming, chronic heat exposure may increasingly impact male reproductive health.”

Dr Huang said potential approaches to address the issue include:

increasing public awareness of heat exposure and reproductive health;encouraging protective behaviours;expanding research integrating climate and reproductive health data; andexploring clinical and lifestyle interventions to mitigate heat-related effects.

The research team was assisted by research intern Jeffrey Zi Kang Huang from Taipei American School, particularly in the application of artificial intelligence in biomedical research including AI-assisted data analysis and pattern recognition across global datasets.

“Further longitudinal and mechanistic studies will be important to better define causality and guide interventions,” he added.

The ASPIRE Congress is being held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. More than 3,000 scientists, clinicians, nurses and counsellors in assisted reproduction from around the world are attending the Congress.

For further information, go to https://www.aspire2026.com

 

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SOURCE ASPIRE

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eclicktech Attends Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, Highlighting Four Key Trends Shaping AI-Driven Global Marketing

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SHENZHEN, China, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amazon Ads recently hosted its annual flagship event, Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, in Shenzhen, bringing together advertisers, agencies, and technology partners to explore the next phase of AI-powered marketing innovation. This year’s event focused on how AI is reshaping the advertising ecosystem through advancements in audience targeting, creative production, campaign management, and measurement capabilities.

Yeahmobi, the global marketing brand under eclicktech and an Amazon DSP validated partner, attended the event alongside industry leaders and ecosystem partners to discuss emerging opportunities for international brand growth in an increasingly AI-driven media environment.

During the conference, Amazon Ads introduced a series of product and solution updates across four major areas:

Advanced audience targeting powered by Amazon’s first-party data infrastructure to help brands reach high-intent consumers more effectively;AI-assisted creative production designed to improve content efficiency and support personalized advertising at scale;Intelligent campaign management tools aimed at simplifying cross-channel advertising workflows;Enhanced measurement and attribution capabilities to provide advertisers with clearer visibility into campaign performance and return on investment.

According to Yeahmobi, Amazon DSP is evolving beyond a standalone programmatic buying platform into a broader marketing infrastructure supporting the full customer journey, from brand awareness to conversion.

Since becoming an Amazon Ads partner, Yeahmobi has developed integrated advertising solutions spanning awareness, audience engagement, and conversion optimization. The company stated that it has supported brands across sectors including cross-border e-commerce, consumer electronics, AI applications, and financial services in scaling their global advertising efforts through Amazon DSP.

At the event, Yeahmobi also showcased its proprietary advertising management platform, Yeahgrowth, which integrates campaign management, data analytics, and performance optimization capabilities to support centralized multi-platform operations and improved campaign visibility.

“AI is fundamentally reshaping how brands approach global growth,” said William Liu, General Manager of Yeahmobi. “We see Amazon Ads as a strategically important part of the global marketing ecosystem. Our focus is not only on media execution, but also on building scalable growth infrastructure through deeper API integration, AI-driven optimization, and data collaboration.”

Yeahmobi stated that it will continue expanding its collaboration with Amazon Ads to support brands navigating increasingly complex global media environments.

About Yeahmobi
Yeahmobi is a global marketing brand focused on helping businesses achieve international growth through digital advertising, data-driven operations, and AI-powered marketing solutions.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eclicktech-attends-amazon-ads-unboxed-2026-highlighting-four-key-trends-shaping-ai-driven-global-marketing-302767470.html

SOURCE Yeahmobi

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