HOHHOT, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2024 – Under the warm autumn sun, hundreds of farmers are racing to seize the remaining chance before winter to plant trees along the banks of Ulan Suhai Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Yellow River basin.

A key battlefield in China’s ecological project, known as the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the lake located on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Yellow River is on the edge of the Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

The autumn afforestation campaign this year is expected to add 28 hectares of artificial forest in the northwestern bank of the lake, said Zhao Guochen, director of the forest and grass bureau of Urad Front Banner in the city of Bayannur, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

He said that in recent years thanks to improvements in the sand-control planting technique, tree saplings planted between Oct. 1 and the end of November have had a high survival rate, despite the seasonal drop in temperatures.

“Compared with traditional planting time in spring and summer, the evaporation in autumn is smaller and the incidence of plant diseases and pests is lower, so newly-planted seedlings can absorb sufficient water and nutrients from the soil to sprout new roots,” Zhao said.

In addition, in autumn, farmers have more spare time to take part in the ecological campaign after they reap their own harvest, he added.

The afforestation is a part of integrated ecological conservation efforts that span mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand in the area, aimed at creating a wildlife haven and erecting a green ecological barrier to besiege desertification.

Liu Wenbin, 53, is the captain of the lake’s patrol team. Looking up at flocks of migratory birds flying over the lake, he said the lake’s 293 square kilometers of water area is like his home. “It’s all too familiar to me.”

The local veteran conservationist believes the number of wild birds is an important indicator of the lake’s ecology.

“There are now more than 260 varieties of birds migrating and breeding in the lake area. In May this year, we discovered greater flamingos; the first sighting of the species in the lake,” he said.

However, over two decades ago, yellow algae often blanketed the lake in summer, resulting in the deaths of large numbers of fish and driving away birds. The large algae blooms were the result of pollutants, in the form of industrial and agricultural wastewater and domestic sewage, discharged into the lake, said Liu.

Bao Wei, director of the lake’s ecological protection center, said that since 2018, the local authority has carried out comprehensive conservation of mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand in the river basin.

The afforestation efforts have been combined with dredging to smooth out river-lake connectivity, pollution treatment, biodiversity protection and the lake water protection and management, said Bao.

Similar to Ulan Suhai Lake, many places in China’s western region is ecologically fragile, suffering problems such as vegetation destruction, soil erosion, rocky desertification, desertification, soil salinization and biodiversity reduction.

For example, there are the high-altitude headwaters of the Yellow River in west China’s Gansu Province, which are primarily composed of grassland and wetlands, and the karst landscape in south China’s Guizhou Province that renders rocky desertification challenges.

The Chinese government has embarked on a raft of measures to carry out comprehensive and integrated conservation and restoration of the mountain, water, forest, farmland, lake, and grassland in these ecologically fragile places.

In 2021, the General Office of the State Council issued a guideline on scientific measures to fundamentally improve the country’s natural environment, urging efforts to grow trees and grass following the inherent rules of the ecosystem to improve the stability of the ecosystem and its capacity for self-repair, while coordinating the protection, restoration and controlling of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand.

The guideline underscores the principle of considering local conditions, land situations and the capacity of water resources in vegetation selection, in order to build a healthy and stable ecosystem, as well as carrying out land greening frugally and pragmatically across the country.

“In October, some 50,000 to 60,000 ruddy shelducks perched around Ulan Suhai Lake, attracting a swarm of tourists during the week-long National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7,” said Liu.

In 2023, the lake area received 412,400 tourists and achieved direct tourism income of 38.2 million yuan (about 5.4 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 806.37 percent and 780.78 percent, respectively, which further proved the feasibility of China’s development concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”
Hashtag: #China #Mongolia

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Through VinFast and Vingroup, Vietnam’s wealthiest individual has demonstrated a commitment to building a sustainable future by prioritizing long-term success over short-term gains. This visionary approach allows the companies to take a long view, addressing the challenges inherent in the electric vehicle industry and contributing to a greener tomorrow. By focusing on sustainability, VinFast is positioning itself as a global warrior in the fight for a cleaner environment.

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2024 – Vietnam’s economic growth is mirrored in the success of domestic conglomerates like Vingroup. This diversified giant, the parent company of VinFast, contributes an estimated 1.6 percent of Vietnam’s 2023 GDP. Operating across technology-industry, trade & services, and social enterprise, Vingroup has seen its real estate and electric vehicle divisions emerge as key revenue drivers.

Vietnam’s manufacturing sector has flourished, attracting global companies seeking to diversify their supply chains. Low labor costs, a skilled workforce, and an open investment climate have fueled this growth. However, Vietnam has long harbored ambitions of developing its own independent automotive industry, including a domestic supply chain.

Beyond Profits: VinFast’s Commitment to Sustainability

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Pham Nhat Vuong, the CEO of VinFast and Chairman of Vingroup, offered a surprising response when questioned about his company’s long-term financial commitment.

“Until I run out of money,” Mr. Vuong declared, speaking from Vingroup’s Hanoi headquarters. His statement marked a stark departure from the short-term profit focus often associated with business leaders. Instead, it revealed a deep-seated dedication to VinFast’s long-term vision, positioning the company to potentially withstand the challenges currently facing the electric vehicle industry.

Mr. Vuong’s vision for VinFast extends beyond mere business considerations. As Bloomberg reported, he described the project as a “devotion project,” emphasizing his personal commitment.

His inclusion in the list of the world’s 50 most powerful automotive figures underscores VinFast’s growing influence in the global automotive sector. The company’s global expansion plans have the potential to further amplify its impact as the electric vehicle industry continues to evolve.

Diverse Products and Smart Sales Strategies

VinFast’s global ambitions extend beyond market share. The Vietnamese carmaker, under its founder’s leadership, is playing a key role in pushing the electric vehicle revolution forward on a global scale, overcoming various headwinds and uncertainties.

Rising interest rates, a weakening global economy, and potential declines in consumer confidence pose challenges to the electric vehicle market.

VinFast, however, offers a comprehensive electric mobility ecosystem, encompassing eight smart electric car models, one electric bus model, nine electric motorcycle models, and one electric bicycle model.

Its passenger car lineup caters to diverse consumer needs and budgets, ranging from mini e-SUVs to full-sized electric SUVs. At CES 2024, the company unveiled its innovative midsize pickup truck concept.

To ensure supply autonomy and gain a competitive edge in international markets, VinFast is constructing electric vehicle plants in the United States, India, and Indonesia.

In addition to manufacturing, VinFast is aiming to become a comprehensive mobility solutions provider, offering battery subscription options. This mechanism brings the upfront price of VinFast vehicles and the monthly running cost down in line with or even more competitive than many gas-powered vehicles on the market today.

In May 2024, VinFast achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Vietnamese company to be ranked among the Top 100 most influential companies globally by TIME magazine.

As the world transitions to sustainable transportation, VinFast’s multi-market, multi-product strategy positions it to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of the global automotive landscape./.

Hashtag: #VinFast #Vingroup #EV

https://me.vinfast.com/

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2024 – Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu issued the “Policy Address”, announcing a reduction in liquors tax: the custom duty for liquors with import prices over HK$200 will be reduced from 100% to 10%, and the portion HK$200 and below remains unchanged. ZJLD Group Inc. (“ZJLD” or the “Company”, SEHK stock code: 06979. HK) expressed high appreciation for this new tax reduction policy. It not only benefits the entire liquors industry in Hong Kong but also has the potential to stimulate the local Food and Beverage, Tourism, and other high-value-added industries, thereby benefiting the local economy as a whole.

Chief Executive John Lee said that the adjustment of the liquors tax is a measure to “consolidate and enhance” Hong Kong’s position as an international trade center. The Chief Executive has also referenced the successful experience of abolishing the wine tax in 2008 to boost the wine trade and added that such a measure would promote the trade in the liquor business and drive the development of high-value-added industries such as Logistics and Warehousing, Tourism, and Premium F&B Business.

Data shows that compared to 2008, wine’s import and re-export value increased by 375% in 2023. In 2009, the number of wine trade-related companies in Hong Kong increased by 350, creating 1,000 new jobs. The industry’s revenue increased by 35% over two years after implementing the duty-free policy. Wine import volumes have also maintained steady growth, with the number of companies engaged in the wholesale of alcoholic beverages increasing from 310 in 2008 to 800 in 2023, according to government statistics. Meanwhile, the number of retail stores selling alcoholic drinks has increased from 140 in 2008 to 520 in 2023. Hong Kong ranks as the world’s third-largest wine auction center.

Mr. Paul Ng, the Executive Director and Head of International Operations of ZJLD Group, expressed, “The Hong Kong Government’s decision to lower the import duty on liquors will undoubtedly be a major boost for the industry, especially for the local premium baijiu market and its international trade. As the largest listed baijiu company headquartered in Hong Kong, we are well-positioned to seize this opportunity. In addition to relying on Hong Kong as a financing platform, we also view Hong Kong as a gateway for our global development. Many of the Group’s high-end products will benefit from the relevant policies,” He further analyzed, “On the one hand, we will pass on the benefits of the tax cuts to the market, allowing those who love and want to try Zhenjiu products to enjoy value-for-money and high-quality baijiu, thereby further expanding our brand’s influence and enhancing the capital market’s valuation of our Group. On the other hand, as an international financial center and a major tourism destination, Hong Kong’s wine auction, premium F&B, and hotel industries are thriving, with strong demand for quality baijiu. The tax reduction policy will undoubtedly drive further development of the entire industry ecosystem, thereby benefiting the public.”

Hong Kong is the springboard for Chinese baijiu to go global, and the adjustment of its tariff policy directly affects the initiative for Chinese baijiu companies to showcase and market their products in Hong Kong, thereby driving the growth of Chinese baijiu exports. ZJLD believes that this reduction in liquors tax will inject new vitality into the local and national baijiu market, promote the export competitiveness of baijiu, and help Hong Kong further consolidate its strategic position in the global baijiu trade. Meanwhile, many outstanding baijiu brands can leverage Hong Kong’s internationalized platform to radiate across Southeast Asia and global markets, jointly promoting the Chinese baijiu culture to the world and comprehensively strengthening international recognition and influence.
Hashtag: #ZJLD

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About ZJLD Group Inc.

Zhen Jiu was established in 1975 in Zunyi, Guizhou, China’s primary production area of sauce-aroma baijiu. In 1988, it was honored with the National Quality Award at the 5th National Wine Appreciation Conference. It is one of the “Three Representative Sauce Flavor Brands in Guizhou”, along with Moutai and Xijiu. In the same year, it was announced by the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Communication Department of the Ministry of Economy and Trade, and the Great Hall of the People Management Bureau to become one of the two sauce-aroma baijiu served at state banquets.

ZJLD Group Inc. is a leading baijiu group in China that is devoted to offering baijiu products, including sauce-aroma, mixed-aroma, and strong-aroma, with sauce-aroma being its core. In terms of revenue in 2023, the Company was the third-largest private baijiu company in China, according to Frost & Sullivan statistics. The Company operates four baijiu brands in China, including Zhen Jiu, Li Du, and two leading regional names, Xiangjiao and Kaikouxiao. ZJLD prides itself on inheriting the time-honored baijiu-brewing techniques and reinvigorating them to develop iconic products. It strives to create a wide variety of aromatic and mellow baijiu products to meet the diverse preferences of consumers, seize broader market opportunities, and promote traditional Chinese baijiu culture.

Hashtag: #CentralDepartmentStore #CentralAnniversary2024

https://www.central.co.th/th
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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2024 – Aspire, a Singapore-headquartered all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses, today announced that it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) for the Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Aspire offers businesses a unified suite of financial services including international payments, corporate cards, and payable and receivable management – accessible via a single, user-friendly account. This milestone marks a significant step forward in Aspire’s mission to build the most user-centric finance stack for the modern global economy.

Andrea Baronchelli, CEO of Aspire, commented on the achievement: “Securing the In-Principle Approval for the MPI license from MAS is a significant validation of our commitment to building a robust and secure financial ecosystem for businesses globally. As a homegrown Singapore company, we are especially proud to receive this recognition from one of the world’s most respected regulators. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with MAS as we continue to drive innovation and growth for the SME and startup ecosystems in the region.”

Singapore’s strategic position as a leading international financial hub and gateway to Asia makes this approval even more crucial for Aspire. The company is uniquely positioned to leverage Singapore’s robust regulatory environment and dynamic market landscape to deploy localized solutions that cater to the specific needs of Singaporean businesses while also expanding its world-wide reach. Notably, Aspire also recently announced the acquisition of the Money Service Operator license in Hong Kong, a key milestone in its strategic expansion plans.

“As we continue to scale, our commitment to security and compliance remains at the core of everything we do,” says Andrea Baronchelli. “We’re not just building a finance platform; we’re building a future where financial institutions put their customers first, empowering businesses to thrive with confidence in their solutions.”

Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire has over 600+ employees across nine countries and is backed by global top-tier VCs, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y-Combinator, Tencent and Paypal. As a trusted partner to Asia’s fastest-growing SMBs and startups, Aspire counts AirAsia, Love Bonito, Endowus, Pizza Hut and Tech In Asia among its 50,000+ valued clients in the region. The company continues on a robust growth trajectory. After securing a $100 million USD Series C funding round and achieving profitability last year, the company opened its first Financial Technology Excellence Hub in Singapore and was named one of CB Insights’ top 100 global fintech companies.
Hashtag: #Aspire

http://www.aspireapp.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspireapp-global

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Aspire

Aspire is the all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses globally, helping over 50,000 companies save time and money with international payments, expense management, payable management, and receivable management solutions – accessible via a single, user-friendly account.

Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire has over 600+ employees across nine countries and is backed by global top tier VCs, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y-Combinator, Tencent and Paypal. In 2023, Aspire closed an oversubscribed US$100M Series C round and announced that it has achieved profitability.

As part of its ongoing commitment to AI innovation and academic collaboration, Appier established a dedicated AI research team in February 2024 to further enhance its technical capabilities. By presenting research at globally recognized academic forums, Appier continues to demonstrate its extensive expertise. As one of the few Asia-based companies to have all its submissions selected by NeurIPS and EMNLP this year, Appier’s excellence and leadership in AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are earning well-deserved international recognition.

These research findings will be integrated across Appier’s full product suite, including its advertising, personalization, and data cloud SaaS platforms. Examples of applications include creative generation and performance optimization in advertising, knowledge bots, real-time product advisors and e-commerce customer service, hyper-personalized marketing solutions, autonomous report generation for customer data platforms, and industry-specific model optimizations. These innovations align with Appier’s mission to transform AI into a measurable ROI for its clients, driving tangible business growth.

Chih-Han Yu, CEO and co-founder of Appier, said, “AI has always been at the heart of Appier’s DNA, driving us to explore groundbreaking research in AI and LLMs, and their limitless potential in new frontiers. The acceptance of all three of our papers is a tremendous validation of the hard work and talent of our AI research team. With our strong R&D foundation, we are committed to accelerating data utilization and model optimization to unlock new business value and opportunities, bringing AI to the forefront of business success.”

NeurIPS and EMNLP are among the most prestigious academic conferences in the fields of AI and NLP, attracting leading experts and scholars from around the world. NeurIPS, often referred to as the “Olympics of AI,” has been held annually since 1987 and covers a broad range of topics, including neural networks, deep learning, and statistics. In 2024, NeurIPS received 15,600 submissions, with an acceptance rate of around 25.3% for its Datasets and Benchmarks Track. EMNLP, established in 1996, is a key conference in the NLP domain, focusing on technical breakthroughs and empirical research. This year, it received over 6,105 submissions for its Main Track, with an acceptance rate of approximately 20.8%, while the Industry Track had an acceptance rate of 36.53%.

As Appier continues to lead in AI innovation, the company remains deeply invested in pioneering AI technologies and advancing LLM research. With AI constantly evolving, Appier is committed to collaborating with top academic experts and industry leaders to explore transformative technologies, delivering practical, cutting-edge applications that will transform digital advertising and marketing.

Appier is actively recruiting research scientists, engineers, and MarTech professionals to accelerate product innovation and development, addressing the growing business needs of our clients. We warmly invite talented candidates to join us in shaping the future of AI!

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Appendix: Introduction to Accepted Papers

The first paper, “StreamBench: Towards Benchmarking Continuous Improvement of Language Agents,” has been accepted by the prestigious NeurIPS conference for its Datasets and Benchmarks Track, often regarded as the “Olympics of AI”. This paper introduces StreamBench, a pioneering benchmark designed to evaluate the continuous improvement of LLM agents over an input-feedback sequence. While most benchmarks focus on innate LLM capabilities, StreamBench addresses ongoing improvement by simulating an online learning environment, enabling LLMs to receive feedback streams and optimize performance in real time. This research not only proposes a simple yet effective benchmarking method but also provides a comprehensive analysis of key factors for successfully implementing streaming strategies. The study proposes effective baselines and paves the way for more adaptive AI systems in dynamic, real-time scenarios.

The second paper, “I Need Help! Evaluating LLM’s Ability to Ask for Users’ Support: A Case Study on Text-to-SQL Generation,” has been accepted by the renowned EMNLP conference for its Main Track. This research examines LLMs’ proactive ability to seek user support to enhance their performance, using text-to-SQL (structured query language) generation as a case study. The Appier AI research team aimed to understand the trade-off between improved LLM performance and the burden placed on users by asking additional questions. The study also explores whether LLMs can identify when they need user assistance and how different levels of available information affect their performance. Experimental results show that, without external feedback, many LLMs struggle to recognize when support is needed, underscoring the importance of external signals and providing valuable insights for future research on optimizing support-seeking strategies.

The third paper, “Let Me Speak Freely? A Study on the Impact of Format Restrictions on Performance of Large Language Models,” has also been accepted by the EMNLP 2024 conference for its Industry Track. This research investigates the effects of structured generation—where content creation is confined to standardized formats like JSON or XML—versus freeform generation, to assess how these constraints impact LLM performance^[3], particularly in reasoning and domain knowledge comprehension. Through extensive evaluations, the study reveals a surprising insight: strict format constraints significantly impair LLMs’ reasoning capabilities, highlighting the trade-offs between structured content and information extraction.

Hashtag: #appier #ai #neurips #emnlp

https://www.appier.com/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/appier/

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About Appier

Appier is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to power business decision-making. Founded in 2012 with a vision of democratizing AI, Appier’s mission is turning AI into ROI by making software intelligent. Appier now has 17 offices across APAC, Europe, and the U.S., and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Ticker number: 4180). Visit www.appier.com for more information.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 October 2024 – Yuno, the world’s leading payment orchestration platform, today announced the appointment of SheueChee Beh as its new Head of Partnerships for APAC. This move doubles down on the company’s commitment to scaling its presence in Asia-Pacific.

SheueChee has over two decades of payments experience and a proven track record working within Asia’s tech and financial services sector, including at JP Morgan, NTT Data, and CIMB, a leading ASEAN universal bank. Before joining Yuno, SheueChee was Director of Payments for APAC at Uber, where she helped to improve payment systems for customers, drivers, and merchants, as well as expanded the company’s financial services offering across the region. While at Uber, she also served as an advisory board member for the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) APAC, where she played a key role in driving positive change and innovation in the payments industry, supporting merchants’ interests.

With its young and digitally savvy population, APAC has emerged as the world’s leading digital payment market, accounting for over 50% of the global market share. This growth has fueled a diverse and rapidly evolving payments ecosystem, where alternative payment methods like e-wallets and QR codes are increasingly popular.

Yuno, which launched in key Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand earlier this year, helps local and global merchants navigate the complexities of this fragmented payments landscape and optimize their transactions across the region. Its platform streamlines access to over 300 different global payment methods, alongside cutting-edge features like one-click checkout and robust anti-fraud tools through a single, user-friendly interface.

Juan Pablo Ortega, Co-founder and CEO at Yuno, commented:

“We are thrilled to welcome SheueChee to the Yuno team at such an exciting time in our expansion across Asia-Pacific. Her extensive experience and deep knowledge of the region’s dynamic payments landscape make her the perfect fit to expand our partnerships and drive growth in this key market. With SheueChee at the helm, we are confident that Yuno will continue to deliver innovative solutions that empower businesses to solve their cross-border payments complexities, scale seamlessly, and thrive in this fast-evolving payments ecosystem.”

SheueChee Beh, Head of Partnerships APAC at Yuno, added:

“I am excited to join Yuno and contribute to its mission of transforming the payments landscape in APAC. This region is a hotbed of innovation, and by forging strong partnerships with local players, we will be able to offer truly tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of businesses here. Together with Yuno, I look forward to driving forward-thinking strategies that not only enhance payment experiences but also empower merchants to seize new opportunities in this rapidly evolving digital economy.”

Yuno earlier this year raised a $25 million Series A round from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, DST Global Partners, Kaszek Ventures, and Monashees, to fuel its ambitious expansion plans across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Hashtag: #Yuno

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About Yuno

Yuno has emerged as a dominant force in global payment orchestration, with a core mission to empower global commerce by enabling businesses of all sizes to accept and disburse payments anywhere in the world, fostering financial inclusion.

Yuno enables businesses to access over 300 payment methods worldwide as well as innovative features including one-click checkout and robust anti-fraud tools via a single unified, easy-to-use interface. Yuno serves a global customer base that includes McDonald’s, Avianca, inDrive, Rappi and other renowned brands across more than 80 countries.

Discover more about Yuno at http://www.y.uno.