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UNIVERSAL MUSIC GREATER CHINA ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT WITH iQIYI’S FLAGSHIP SHOW “THE RAP OF CHINA 2024”

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UMG to Exclusively Distribute all Future Release of the Massive Hit Show’s Signed Contestants and Will host the Top Three contestants on a Global Tour of UMG’s Iconic Music Labels

BEIJING, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Universal Music Greater China (UMGC), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a strategic agreement with iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, under which UMGC will exclusively distribute new releases from the signed contestants of ‘The Rap of China 2024′ worldwide, while providing them with an integrated support network. Additionally, the top three finalists will be invited to visit UMG’s global music labels and iconic studios, to expand their artistic horizons and foster international collaborations.

Produced by iQIYI, “The Rap of China” series is the first Chinese reality program to adopt a narrative-driven episodic format, focusing on young Chinese rap talent. Since its debut in 2018, the show has become a cultural phenomenon in China, sparking a nationwide rap craze. As one of China’s most successful youth culture brands in recent years, “The Rap of China” series has successfully launched the careers of numerous outstanding rap artists. The latest season, which aired from early May until late July, featured standout contestants such as A A., A Three, ALAMEI, C2C, DANNY K, ErWan, FuLai, God Øne, HuiZi, JarStick, KITO, LilWine, Oliver Jiang, SHarK, SwuckBrothers, JinJiBeWater_隼, Wuliannanhulu, XinXiu, Double Dirty, ZhaoSan, Jessie. All upcoming songs from these artists will be distributed globally under the UMG banner.

To ensure the success of this groundbreaking partnership, UMGC has assembled a dedicated team to provide all-encompassing support across A&R, artist management, marketing, and merchandise development. The top three finalists from ‘The Rap Of China 2024’ will be invited by UMG to visit leading global record labels. This exclusive tour will include visits to iconic recording studios and meetings with international artists and producers, designed to broaden their artistic perspectives and foster cross-cultural collaborations.

In making the announcement, Timothy Xu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Greater China, said, “We are excited to announce our strategic alliance with ‘The Rap of China 2024,’ a brand that has profoundly defines rap music scene in China. This collaboration not only reaffirms our commitment to nurturing Chinese rap talent but also extends their global reach, bridging cultural gaps and enriching the international music landscape with the dynamic culture of Chinese rap. We eagerly anticipate this partnership will facilitate collaborations between Chinese rap artists and top international talents, creating groundbreaking musical works that carry their  unique cultural signatures and expressions.”

Zuo Jin, Chief Director of “The Rap of China 2024,” said, “This season of ‘The Rap of China‘ has showcased a remarkable array of talent and creativity. Our partnership with UMG is a powerful testament to the show’s impact and reach. Embracing an international vision from the start, we set up global auditions that attracted over 500 young artists from around the world. With UMG’s deep local expertise and expansive global infrastructure, I am confident that this collaboration will further enhance our international presence and deliver fruitful outcomes.”

Ming Lu, Vice President of Artist Management and Entertainment Development, Universal Music Greater China, said, “Our strategic approach to artist management guarantees that the unique talents discovered on ‘The Rap of China‘ will receive comprehensive support to advance their careers. We are thrilled to work with over 20 breakthrough rap acts, equipping them with the resources and expertise needed to fully develop their potential and make a significant imprint on the global music scene.”

JinJiBeWater_隼, the top winner of “The Rap of China 2024,” said, “Like a lot of rappers in the show, I started from the ground up, grinding out every step of the way on my own. Winning ‘The Rap of China‘ really threw me onto a bigger stage, giving me the opportunity to work with a world-leading music label like UMG. I look forward to sparking fresh ideas and inspiration with fellow artists, and I hope my journey can open up more possibilities for the Chinese rap.”

Notes to Editors
Click here to download hi-res images.

About iQIYI, Inc.
iQIYI, Inc. is a leading provider of online entertainment video services in China. It combines creative talent with technology to foster an environment for continuous innovation and the production of blockbuster content. It produces, aggregates and distributes a wide variety of professionally produced content, as well as a broad spectrum of other video content in a variety of formats. iQIYI distinguishes itself in the online entertainment industry by its leading technology platform powered by advanced AI, big data analytics and other core proprietary technologies. Over time, iQIYI has built a massive user base and developed a diversified monetization model including membership services, online advertising services, content distribution, online games, IP licensing, talent agency, online literature, etc.

About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group (EURONEXT: UMG), we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information on Universal Music Group N.V. visit www.universalmusic.com.

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SOURCE Universal Music Greater China

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From China Mobile’s Call Upgrade to the Commercial Launch of “Calling + AI” by Leading Operators: AI Is Reshaping the Value of Native Calling

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July 25, 2026

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BEIJING, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 15, 2026, China Mobile announced a comprehensive upgrade to its traditional calling services, ushering in a next-generation calling experience defined by HD, intelligence, and security. This milestone not only marks a major leap in telecommunication innovation but also reflects a global, inevitable shift: the transformation of basic communication into intelligent, inclusive services.

Breaking Experience Barriers and Redefining the Paradigm of Basic Calling

Overcoming the limitations of traditional, voice-only interactions, China Mobile has leveraged its mature VoLTE/VoNR network foundation to deeply integrate AI models with HD audio and video capabilities. Without requiring users to change their phones or SIM cards, seven core AI functions are now seamlessly embedded into the native dialer interface.

These upgrades include Live Captions bridge communication gaps for the elderly and hearing-impaired; HD video calls and AI noise reduction create a crystal-clear, immersive calling experience; AI anti-fraud intercepts high-risk calls in real time to safeguard users’ assets. Furthermore, the introduction of Data Channel (DC) technology and visual call menus transforms standard calls into agile, interactive service windows, enabling multi-party collaboration and seamless business transactions directly within the call. Through this initiative, China Mobile has successfully evolved traditional calls from a mere voice pipeline into a secure, integrated information hub.

“Calling + AI” Becomes a Strategic Consensus Among Global Leading Operators

From a global perspective, China Mobile’s call upgrade is not an isolated milestone, but a microcosm of the global telecommunications industry’s broader transformation. Throughout 2026, major operators worldwide are accelerating the commercial deployment of “Calling + AI” solutions:

Deutsche Telekom launched Magenta AI, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance calling across all scenarios;T-Mobile US introduced a network-side, real-time translation service covering over 80 languages, effectively breaking down cross-border communication barriers;Saudi stc rolled out English-Arabic bilingual simultaneous interpretation, which has now entered large-scale commercial trials;South Korea’s LG U+ launched its ixi-O intelligent calling assistant, shifting the user experience from passive responses to proactive smart interactions and earning three prestigious GLOMO industry awards.

The synchronized efforts of these global leaders confirm that basic calling services have officially entered a new era of AI integration. Deeply empowered by artificial intelligence, “Calling + AI” has become the definitive blueprint for the intelligent transformation of the global telecommunications industry. As operators continue to refine these native capabilities, the traditional voice network is poised to reclaim its position as the most secure, ubiquitous, and valuable entry point in the AI era.

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SOURCE China Mobile

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Trip.com Group Sincerely Accepts Administrative Penalty Decision Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China

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5 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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SINGAPORE, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trip.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: TCOM; HKEX: 9961) today announced that it has received the administrative penalty decision issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China.

Trip.com Group sincerely accepts the decision and will adopt rectification measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to implement the decision’s requirements. The Company will strengthen its long-term governance mechanisms and strive to contribute to the sustainable development of the travel industry.

Trip.com Group’s management team will host a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on July 27, 2026 (or 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time on July 27, 2026).

The conference call will be available on Webcast live at: http://investors.trip.com.

All participants must pre-register to join this conference call using the participant registration link below:
https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIb78e08d8f18340c4882a7e4ab961906b.

Upon registration, each participant will receive details for this conference call, including dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. To join the conference, please dial the number provided, enter your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
Trip.com Group Limited
Email: iremail@trip.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tripcom-group-sincerely-accepts-administrative-penalty-decision-issued-by-the-state-administration-for-market-regulation-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-302834599.html

SOURCE Trip.com Group Limited

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NAVER Partners with Brookfield and NVIDIA to Expand Korea’s National AI Factory Infrastructure Buildout

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7 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER, Brookfield and NVIDIA announced an expansion of Korea’s sovereign AI factory infrastructure. New investments will increase the initial NVIDIA DSX™ AI factory deployment from 55 megawatts to 200 megawatts.

Announced during Korea President Jae Myung Lee’s AI Summit visit to San Francisco, the planned 200-megawatt expansion will be built with the NVIDIA DSX platform at NAVER’s GAK Sejong hyperscale data center in Sejong, South Korea. The expanded infrastructure will provide Korea- and U.S.- based AI innovators with access to production-scale AI compute for building next-generation models, agents and AI-powered services.

Under the terms of the agreements, Brookfield will fund up to $9 billion as the exclusive capital partner, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion and NAVER will fund the remaining amount to finance the $10 billion project.

This builds on NAVER’s June announcement to extend its GAK Sejong data center with NVIDIA DSX, with a long-term path to gigawatt-scale sovereign AI infrastructure serving Korea’s enterprises, industries, government organizations and global AI cloud customers. Combining Brookfield’s capital with NVIDIA’s computing platform, the investment supports NAVER’s AI factory deployment.

“NVIDIA’s strategic investment and our infrastructure supply agreement with Brookfield have propelled NAVER’s vision for the AI Factory business into a robust execution phase,” said Haejin Lee, Founder and Chairman of NAVER. “Leveraging the solid partnerships with our global partners, we will drive technological innovation, foster a sovereign AI ecosystem, and spearhead efforts to strengthen South Korea’s AI competitiveness.” 

AI Factory Expansion and Open Model Collaboration to Fuel AI Innovators

NAVER, as an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, provides deep expertise in operating hyperscale infrastructure powered by the full-stack NVIDIA AI platform. The 200-megawatt AI factory, featuring NVIDIA Vera Rubin and Blackwell platforms, will establish a dedicated resource pool for emerging AI companies, providing the compute, software and support needed to develop and deploy competitive AI models and applications at scale.

This expanded infrastructure also builds on NAVER and NVIDIA’s collaboration on open model development for agentic and physical AI. NAVER is advancing its HyperCLOVA X models to be based on NVIDIA Nemotron™ 3 Ultra open models with its proprietary data and training expertise. NAVER is also the first Korean company to join the NVIDIA Nemotron Coalition, contributing to open model development across pretraining, post-training and reinforcement learning.

NAVER plans to launch an AI agent platform in Korea in the second half of the year, powered by NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software including NVIDIA NemoClaw™ blueprints. NAVER is also developing a Seoul World Model using proprietary urban street-view and spatial modeling data, built on NVIDIA Cosmos™ world foundation models.

About NAVER

Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea’s largest Internet company and one of the world’s top tech companies. Leading cutting-edge technologies, NAVER operates the No.1 search engine in Korea and holds various business portfolios encompassing commerce, fintech, cloud, AI and robotics.

NAVER recorded sales of KRW 12.04 trillion (USD 8.18 billion) in 2025. TEAM NAVER continues to enhance its business portfolio and expand its global presence across Japan, North America, and Europe, while pursuing innovation through continuous research and development in future technologies.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naver-partners-with-brookfield-and-nvidia-to-expand-koreas-national-ai-factory-infrastructure-buildout-302834577.html

SOURCE NAVER

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