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CGTN: Hainan’s Message to the World: CGTN’s Exclusive Interview with Governor Liu Xiaoming

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BEIJING, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A Historic Milestone for Hainan

 

The Hainan Free Trade Port (Hainan FTP) is approaching a historic milestone with the implementation of independent customs operations, a key objective outlined in the Master Plan for Building the Hainan Free Trade Port. This achievement marks a fundamental and symbolic step in Hainan’s ongoing development, as the initiative has been written into the provincial government work report for seven consecutive years. Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of this initiative, stressing the need for a smooth, orderly, and risk-free transition.

In an exclusive interview with CGTN’s Liu Xin, Mr. Liu Xiaoming, Governor of the Hainan Province, confirmed that preparations are well underway to ensure a smooth and successful transition before the end of the year.

Contrary to misconceptions about isolation, the customs framework follows a “front line open, second line controlled, and free movement within” model. This structure facilitates international trade while maintaining necessary regulatory oversight between Hainan and the mainland.

“Progress has been smooth, with five major systems – policy, infrastructure, risk control, industry, and organizational support – gradually taking shape,” said Mr. Liu. “We are ready.”

A Business Environment Open to the World

Beyond customs operations, Hainan is committed to enhancing its business environment, recognizing it as a “golden ticket” to success. Efforts have been made to develop a market-oriented, law-based, and globalized business environment. Hainan has taken a national lead in streamlining government services, introducing a one-stop enterprise service platform with smart policy matching, credit repair, and regulatory support. Foreign enterprises registered in Hainan enjoy equal access to these services.

Addressing concerns about foreign investors’ experiences in Hainan, Liu Xiaoming emphasized the importance of improving internet access and payment convenience. Policies have been implemented to facilitate smoother transactions and daily life for foreign businesses and residents.

Strategic Industries Driving Growth

The province has focused on four key industries: tourism, modern services, high-tech industries, and tropical agriculture. The combined share of these sectors in Hainan’s economy has increased from 52.4% in 2018 to 67% in 2023. Additionally, Hainan has embraced five strategic directions: agriculture, maritime, aerospace, green development, and the digital economy.

Maritime development, in particular, stands out as a priority. “Harnessing the power of the ocean” is a key initiative for Hainan, which oversees about 2 million square kilometers of ocean, mostly deep sea. With nearly 1,000 enterprises and research institutions already engaged in deep-sea technology and marine industries, Hainan’s maritime economy has maintained double-digit growth, contributing to over one-third of the province’s GDP. Plans are underway to further expand deep-sea energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, offshore aquaculture, marine biomedicine, and maritime tourism. “Our goal is to create a ‘new Hainan on the sea’ within the next decade,” Liu Xiaoming stated.

Leading the Way in Green Development

In addition to economic development, environmental sustainability remains a top priority. Hainan is recognized as having the best ecological environment in China.

A prime example of Hainan’s green initiatives is the Bo’ao near-zero carbon demonstration zone. Through energy-efficient building renovations, renewable energy replacements, and agro-photovoltaic systems, carbon emissions on Dongyu Island, a permanent site for the Bo’ao Forum for Asia, have been reduced by 96.2%. The German Energy Agency has certified this as China’s first regional near-zero carbon demonstration zone.

With independent customs operations on the horizon, ever-improving business environment, strategic industrial development, and firm ecological commitments, Hainan is poised to become a global leader in trade, innovation, and sustainability. The Free Trade Port’s future promises dynamic growth and increased international engagement, ensuring that its development aligns with both national goals and global economic trends.

SOURCE CGTN

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Melody Party Offers Over 20,000 Songs and Adds More Than a Thousand New Tracks Monthly, Enhancing Its Online Karaoke Experience

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Melody Party is a music social app featuring a variety of activities, including Mic Grab, Artist Mafia, and Singing Battle. Through its online karaoke feature, SING A SONG, the app brings the traditional karaoke experience online, removing time and location constraints and offering a music experience that combines real-time singing with social interaction.

SING A SONG features an extensive library of more than 20,000 songs, with over a thousand new songs added every month. Its diverse selection includes popular K-pop tracks, classic Korean songs, and karaoke favorites. The feature offers a free-use model, allowing users to start singing their chosen songs without paying a separate fee. This helps reduce the time and cost associated with visiting traditional coin-operated karaoke venues, making it easier to enjoy singing as part of everyday life.

In terms of functionality, SING A SONG supports pitch adjustment and independent volume controls for vocals and accompaniment, allowing users to customize their singing experience according to their preferences. Users can also create online karaoke rooms, invite friends to sing together in real time, and enjoy voice chat and social interaction.

By continuously expanding its song library and offering diverse music-based interactive experiences, Melody Party continues to strengthen its music ecosystem. Through SING A SONG, the platform aims to create an accessible, highly interactive online music social space.

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SOURCE Melody Party

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Drawing new strength from 20-year legacy, IAACA calls on global counterparts to join annual conference to fortify integrity

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MARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), an independent and non-political anti-corruption organisation with over 190 member anti-corruption authorities (ACAs) worldwide, will co-host IAACA Annual Conference 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco next month together with the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong, China (ICAC) and the National Authority for Probity, Prevention and Fight Against Corruption of Morocco (INPPLC) to chart a path for the global graft fight and explore cutting-edge approaches to tackle emerging corruption challenges.

Themed “Building on 20 Years of Legacy: Drawing Strength from the Past, Guarding Global Integrity for the Future”, the international event will not only mark the 20th anniversary of the IAACA, but also provide a dynamic forum for IAACA members to exchange insights and enhance co-operation.

Calling on international counterparts to participate in the conference scheduled for November 25, IAACA President Mr Woo Ying-ming, who also serves as ICAC Commissioner, said that “As the IAACA marks its 20th anniversary, the conference will bring together global anti-corruption community at a pivotal moment for collective action. I anticipate that the valuable insights and new approaches generated through the international synergy will chart a resilient strategic path for us to navigate integrity risks and draw strength from our shared legacy to guard global integrity for generations to come.”

During the conference, renowned international experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Basel Institute on Governance, the International Anti-Corruption Academy, and global anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies and institutions will shed light on harnessing artificial intelligence in the fight against corruption, safeguarding integrity within global climate and biodiversity frameworks and analysing global corruption measurement and systemic effectiveness.

Following the conference, the ICAC, the INPPLC, the IAACA and the UNODC will co-organise a training seminar on leveraging AI in combating corruption.

While the ICAC and INPPLC will share how AI and new technology can reshape the future of anti-graft enforcement and corruption prevention, the UNODC will provide a global perspective on using AI models in financial crime investigations and addressing the operational relevance, legal robustness and adaptability across jurisdictions.

For details of the conference and training, please visit:
https://www.icac.org.hk/icac/iaaca-morocco-2026/index.html

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SOURCE International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA)

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Viettel moves 100 million subscribers to home-grown cloud-native charging in three months – with zero downtime

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HANOI, Vietnam, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation (Viettel High Tech), part of Viettel Group, has migrated more than 100 million subscribers and some 5,000 tariff plans at Viettel, Vietnam’s largest mobile operator, to vOCS 4.0, its in-house cloud-native charging system. The three-month cutover ran on a live national network with no service disruption.

Replacing a charging system is one of the riskiest projects an operator can undertake, which is why many stick with legacy platforms. Viettel High Tech reduced the risk through real-time data synchronization, parallel running and a phased cutover, with instant rollback at every stage.

The project won the Telecom Review Excellence Awards 2026 prize for Best Technology Deployment in Asia, a first for a Vietnamese company.

What it means for operators:

Scale: more than 300,000 transactions per second at latency below 5 milliseconds, across 2G–5G and fixed services on one platformLower cost: up to 50% less hardware investment than the previous generation, by sharing infrastructure with the networkAgility: new tariff plans in hours instead of days, new features three times faster and deployments about 30% fasterResilience: two active data centers about 2,000 km apart and automatic recovery in under two minutes

Viettel High Tech developed every core layer in-house, from a telecom-grade cloud-native platform and NFV-MANO orchestration to real-time charging, subscriber and balance management.

“Passing rigorous tests of real-time self-diagnosis and self-recovery is what allows an operator to keep its promise of 24/7 service to customers,” said Luu Manh Ha, CEO of Viettel Networks, which operates the system on Viettel’s network in Vietnam. “Above all, owning the charging system means an operator is not dependent on foreign vendors – it safeguards digital sovereignty and preserves business flexibility.”

“The charging system is where an operator’s business strategy turns into revenue in real time,” said Nguyen Minh Quang, CEO of Viettel High Tech. “We believe vOCS 4.0 is ready to help operators worldwide capture the value of 5G and digital services.”

In 2017, vOCS 4.0’s predecessor, vOCS 3.0, replaced a foreign vendor’s platform for 90 million Viettel subscribers. Across both generations, vOCS serves more than 220 million subscribers in 11 countries. Viettel High Tech now offers vOCS 4.0 to operators worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/viettel-moves-100-million-subscribers-to-home-grown-cloud-native-charging-in-three-months–with-zero-downtime-302920106.html

SOURCE Viettel Group

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