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HKBU launches Turing AI Orchestra as next milestone in human-AI art co-creation

By
Laotian Times
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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 August 2022 – Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has announced the launch of the world’s first “Turing AI Orchestra” today (9 August) as the next milestone in its visionary plan to broaden the scope and explore potential opportunities in art co-creation by humans and artificial intelligence (AI).

(From left) Professor Johnny M Poon, Ms Rosanna Choi, Professor James Tang Tuck-kong, Professor Alexander Wai, Professor Sun Dong, Dr Clement Chen, Professor Guo Yike, Ms Zhu Yihua, Mr Mohamed Butt and Ms Christine Chow.

The Turing AI Orchestra is the world’s first AI ensemble. By applying state-of-the-art AI technology, the Orchestra aims to achieve a new form of symbiotic artistic creation and performance between humans and AI systems.

The announcement of the launch of the Orchestra was made at the “Human, Machine, Art, Creativity: International Symposium” co-organised by HKBU and the Hong Kong Productivity Council, at which world-renowned researchers and artists from academia and industry gathered to discuss the development of human-AI symbiotic art creativity.

Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Xu Jie, Deputy Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China; Dr Zhang Zhihua, Director-General, Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, graced the occasion and gave video addresses. Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government also gave an opening address in person.

Other officiating guests of the opening ceremony included Professor James Tang Tuck-kong, Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee; Ms Zhu Yihua, Deputy Director-General, New Territories Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Mohamed Butt, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Productivity Council; Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU; Ms Rosanna Choi, Treasurer of the Council and the Court of HKBU; Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Professor Guo Yike, Vice-President (Research and Development) of HKBU; Ms Christine Chow, Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary of HKBU; and Professor Johnny M Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) of HKBU.

In his address, Chief Executive Mr John Lee Ka-chiu said: “Hong Kong Baptist University, with its commitment in discovering and nurturing new technologies and big ideas, is a leading force in comprehensive research and development for arts technology. The pioneering and innovative project Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong is funded by the Research Grants Council. It is one of China’s biggest artificial intelligence technology research projects. It seeks to radically advance human and AI interaction and contribute to the sustainability of our arts ecosystem.”

In his welcoming speech, Dr Clement Chen said: “With the emerging trend of applying technology to art creation, our scholars at HKBU are also pushing the frontiers of art-tech to transform the creation of art and culture. We are also impressed and encouraged by the increased amount of support offered by the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the HKSAR Government’s drive to promote and develop art-tech. Against such a backdrop, our important initiatives will definitely support and spearhead the development of art-tech in Hong Kong and enable the SAR to assume a leading position in art-tech on the global stage.”

In his address, Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government said: “Leveraging the advanced development in the AI technologies, art creations can be transformed and propelled to the next level, bringing new experiences to audiences and significant socio-economic benefits to the city. I must say, the Hong Kong Baptist University has best demonstrated how AI can be a creative force in performing music, cross-media art and dance at its Symphony Orchestra Annual Gala Concert held last month. It truly marks a milestone in the history of arts tech, showing the harmonious collaboration between human and machine.”

Outlining the concept of the Turing AI Orchestra (TAIO), Professor Guo Yike said that it offers an open platform for artists and scientists from around the world to collaborate within a dynamic and innovative environment, and it will produce groundbreaking AI research that will disrupt the world of art.

“The Turing AI Orchestra also echoes one of the project tasks stated in the project proposal – building a Digital Art and Policy Network, for symbiotic creativity collaboration and related policy innovation. It is envisaged that TAIO, as a vibrant and sustainable development base, can help us put our vision, philosophy and technology into practice via creative performances in the context of active international collaboration. By using Blockchain technologies, TAIO will realise the world’s first Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO) ecosystem for art creation through collaboration between scientists and artists.

TAIO will promote transdisciplinary whole-person education to the next generation in Hong Kong. It will propel strategic policymaking by the Government to guide Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries development going forward, thus contributing toward building Hong Kong to be an international cultural exchange and Intellectual Property trading hub,” said Professor Guo.

Apart from launching the TAIO and introducing ongoing HKBU initiatives in human-AI symbiotic art creativity, today’s Symposium also covered topics including the enabling technologies of symbiotic art creation and manifestation, the aesthetics and cognitive values of symbiotic art creativity, the new trend of the art economy with the ecosystem of Metaverse, new issues raised by the new forms of art in society, and the impact on art community stakeholders, among others.

Following the first human-AI collaborative performance of its kind in the world at the Annual Gala Concert of the HKBU Symphony Orchestra on 14 July, today’s Symposium is another key deliverable of the “Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong” research project supported by HK$52.84 million in funding from the Theme-based Research Scheme under the Research Grants Council.

Hashtag: #HKBU

China Tower Forging ahead “One Core and Two Wings” strategy to capture market opportunities

By
Laotian Times
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Profit attributable to owners of the Company up 22.2%

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 August 2022 – The world’s largest telecommunications infrastructure service provider China Tower Corporation Limited (“China Tower”, or the “Company”) (Stock Code: 0788.HK) is pleased to announce its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022.

Performance Highlights

RMB Million

For the six months ended 30 June
2022 2021 Change
Operating revenue 45,479 42,673 +6.6%
EBITDA 31,958 31,184 +2.5%
Profit attributable to owners of the Company 4,224 3,457 +22.2%
Basic earnings per share (RMB yuan) 0.0242 0.0198 +22.2%
Key operating data
Number of tower sites (thousand) 2,049 2,035 +0.7%
Number of tower tenants (thousand) 3,521 3,423 +2.9%
Tower tenancy ratio (tower tenants / tower sites) 1.72 1.68 +2.4%


Our revenue maintained healthy growth while profitability continued to improve in the first half of 2022, with operating revenue reaching RMB45,479 million, up by 6.6% year-on-year. Our EBITDA1 amounted to RMB31,958 million, an increase of 2.5% over the same period last year, with an EBITDA margin2 of 70.3%. Profit attributable to owners of the Company totaled RMB4,224 million, up by 22.2% year-on-year, with a net profit margin of 9.3%.

Our cash flow remained strong. In the first half of 2022, net cash generated from operating activities amounted to RMB31,306 million, an increase of 29.2% year-on-year. Capital expenditures were RMB9,085 million, a reduction of 12.3 year-on-year. As a result, our free cash flow3 reached RMB22,221 million, up by 60.1% year-on-year. Our financial position remained stable and healthy, with the Company’s total assets reaching RMB313,523 million as of 30 June 2022. Our interest-bearing liabilities stood at RMB92,428 million with a gearing ratio4 of 31.1%, 5.9 percentage points lower than the same period last year.

In the first half of 2021, despite the adverse impact of the pandemic re-emerging in various regions in China, we orchestrated our Covid-19 containment measures and operating activities under the guidance of established strategy, strengthening our capabilities in resource coordination and sharing. Building on the stable development of our telecommunication service provider (“TSP”) business, our Smart Tower business and Energy business continued to experience rapid growth.

Dual growth engines of “5G + DAS” enabled stable growth in TSP business

Given the increasing coverage and penetration of 5G network in China, we maintained our focus on the latest market trends and evolving customer demands over the first half of the year and furthered resource coordination and sharing. As a result, we were able to build large-scale 5G networks in a cost- effective and highly efficient manner through offering innovative service and construction models. The Company undertook 318,000 5G base-station demand in the first half of 2022, with the cumulative number reaching 1.544 million as of 30 June 2022, of which 97% were fulfilled by sharing existing resources. Additionally, increasing DAS construction demand promoted even greater growth of DAS business. Given this, “5G + DAS” have emerged as dual growth engines, which secured stable growth of TSP business and cemented our leadership in the construction and operation of telecommunications infrastructure in China.

As of 30 June 2022, the Company was managing a total of 2.049 million tower sites, representing a net increase of 11,000 sites compared to the end of 2021. During the same period, we gained 42,000 new TSP tenants, bringing the total number to 3.302 million. Our TSP tenancy ratio also grew from 1.60 as at the end of 2021 to 1.62. With regard to our DAS business, we had covered buildings with a cumulative area of 5,970 million square meters, up by 35.4% from the same period last year, while the high-speed railway tunnels and subway coverage totaled a cumulative length of 18,276 kilometers, an increase of 26.6% over the same period last year.

In the first half of 2022, our TSP business revenue reached RMB41,345 million, up by 3.9% year-on- year, among which tower business revenue accounted for RMB38,592 million while DAS business represented RMB2,753 million, a year-on-year growth of 2.3% and 32.0% respectively.

Strengthening advantages in resources and capabilities, Two Wings business maintained the momentum of growth


The development of the digital economy and the national “dual carbon” goals have presented ample opportunities to our business. We leveraged our resources and strengths to scale up and explore new possibilities of sharing, enabling the advancement of digitalization and adoption of new energy applications in society. As a result, our Two Wings business continued to experience rapid growth. Over the first half of the year, Two Wings business recorded revenue of RMB4,010 million, a year-on- year increase of 46.5%, accounting for 8.8% of our overall operating revenue and contributing 45.4% of the incremental operating revenue.

Smart Tower business expanded industry applications and sharpened competitive edge. We seized new opportunities flowing from the rapid development of the digital economy and sped up the upgrading of “telecommunication tower” to “digital tower” by utilizing our existing site resources, localized operations and maintenance, and centralized digital platform. For Tower Monitoring service, we increased investment on research and development, launching differentiated products to meet customer needs while enhancing our digital services, with a focus on key sectors including environmental protection, forestry, agriculture and land. In the first half of 2022, Smart Tower business

recorded revenue of RMB2,584 million, representing a growth of 39.4% year-on-year. Of this, Tower Monitoring business revenue reached RMB1,584 million, accounting for 61.3% of Smart Tower business revenue.

Energy business focused on core segments and continued to scale up. We further strengthened our core business segments of battery exchange and power backup to enhance the economies of scale in Energy business as well as the quality of delicate management approach. We have deepened our penetration of the delivery and courier markets and consolidated our leadership in the battery exchange market for light electric vehicle. In addition, we offered four-in-one comprehensive solutions covering power backup, generation, monitoring and maintenance, to key industries including telecommunications, finance, healthcare and education. As of 30 June 2022, we had attained a cumulative 782,000 battery exchange users, an increase of 170,000 since the end of 2021. Energy business recorded revenue of RMB1,426 million in the first half of 2022, representing an increase of 61.3% year-on-year, among which, revenue from battery exchange business accounted for RMB802 million, or 56.2%.

Mr. Zhang Zhiyong, Chairman of China Tower said, “To capture growth opportunities in the second half of 2022, we will set a clear focus on realizing our goal of becoming a ‘world-class integrated information and communications infrastructure service provider and a highly competitive information and new energy applications provider’. This positioning will drive the development of the Company centering around sharing, service, innovation, technology and value creation, and build upon an operating system that is professional, intensive, delicate, efficient and digitalized. We will strive to sustain stable revenue growth and generate higher value for our shareholders, customers and society as a whole.”

Note 1: EBITDA is calculated by operating profit plus depreciation and amortization.
Note 2: EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by operating revenue, and multiplying the resulting value by 100%.
Note 3: Free cash flow is the net cash generated from operating activities minus the capital expenditures.
Note 4: Gearing ratio is calculated as net debt divided by the sum of total equity and net debt, then multiplied by 100%. Net debt is calculated as the amount of interest-bearing liabilities minus the amount of cash and cash equivalents.
Hashtag: #ChinaTower

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About China Tower

Since its incorporation on 15 July 2014, China Tower Corporation Limited (“China Tower”) has developed into the world’s largest telecommunications tower infrastructure service provider with compelling market advantage under the national strategy of Cyberpower. The Company implements the strategy of “One Core and Two Wings”. “One core” refers to the traditional tower business and indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) business, which provide services to the TSPs based on site resources; while “Two Wings” refers to the Smart Tower business which mainly provides tower site resources and information services to different industries, as well as Energy business to satisfy the growing demands on innovative energy services in the society, such as battery exchange, power backup and charging. China Tower adheres to the “sharing” philosophy for business development. It promotes site co-location and provides a wide range of services to fulfill the specific needs of its customers. As of the end of June 2022, the Company’s total assets amounted to RMB313,523 million. China Tower operated and managed 2.049 million tower sites across 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the PRC, and served over 3.521 million tenants with the tenancy ratio of 1.72.

Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited announces interim results for six months ended June 30, 2022

By
Laotian Times
-
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 August 2022 –

2022 Interim Results – Financial Highlights

(Figures for the corresponding period in 2021 are shown in brackets)

  • Consolidated revenue: HK$ 271 million (HK$ 212 million)
  • Consolidated operating loss: HK$ 108 million (HK$ 209 million)
  • Consolidated net loss attributable to equity holders of the Company: HK$ 336 million (HK$ 417 million)
  • Basic loss per share: 16.49 HK cents (22.55 HK cents)
  • No interim dividend (No interim dividend)

Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited (“PCPD”, SEHK: 00432) announced its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2022.

The consolidated revenue of PCPD and its subsidiaries (together, the “Group”) amounted to HK$ 271 million, compared to HK$ 212 million for the corresponding period of 2021.

The Group’s consolidated loss attributable to equity holders of the Company for the first six months of 2022 totalled HK$336 million, compared to a net loss of HK$417 million for the corresponding period last year. Basic loss per share for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was 16.49 Hong Kong cents, compared to a loss per share of 22.55 Hong Kong cents for the corresponding period of 2021.

The Board of Directors did not declare an interim dividend for the first half of 2022.

The first half of 2022 saw travel restrictions lifted progressively in some countries. However, certain pandemic related restrictions remained in place in Japan, where we operate business. The occupancy rate of Park Hyatt Niseko, Hanazono remained low, impacted by the restriction on international travelers under COVID-19, whereas its performance has improved year-on-year. We have been cautious and reinforced efforts in managing costs at the operational level while keeping the utmost service standard.

In South East Asia, Pacific Century Place, Jakarta, our premium commercial property located in Indonesia, has maintained a stable performance and continued to be a revenue driver of the Group. As at June 30, 2022, the office space occupancy was at 80 per cent. In Phang Nga, Thailand, though the golf clubhouse and the 18-hole golf course commenced operations in August 2021, the number of visitors and golf rounds remained low given the reduced international visitor numbers as a result of COVID-19 in the first half of 2022. The handover of completed villas and inspection with owners have progressed well since December last year.

In respect of our property development project at 3-6 Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong, foundation works are in progress.

Mr. Benjamin Lam, PCPD’s Deputy Chairman and Group Managing Director, said: “Amid the growing concerns of high inflation, interest rate hikes, geo-political conflict and potential global recession, the global economic outlook for 2022 is uncertain. Despite the uncertainties ahead, we remain cautiously optimistic on the long-term future of the real estate segment in Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. We will continue to adopt a prudent approach to optimize our resources and business strategies.”

Hashtag: #PacificCenturyPremiumDevelopments #PCPD

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About PCPD

Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited (“PCPD” or the “Group”, SEHK: 00432) is principally engaged in the development and management of premium-grade property and infrastructure projects as well as premium-grade property investments. PCCW Limited (“PCCW”, SEHK: 00008) is the single largest shareholder of the Group.

OPPO to launch all-new ColorOS 13 based on Android 13 on Aug 18th

By
Laotian Times
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SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach – 9 August 2022 – OPPO unveiled the date of the online launch event for its latest mobile operating system, ColorOS 13 today. It will be one of the first OEM operating systems based on Android 13 to be launched.

Caption
ColorOS 13 – Among one of the firsts of OEM operating system based on Android 13

OPPO has been working closely with Android to deliver the best possible operating system experience on ColorOS. Back at Google I/O in May, OPPO announced that the OPPO Find N and OPPO Find X5 Pro would be among the first smartphones worldwide to receive the Android 13 beta update. ColorOS 13 integrates with Android 13’s underlying safety and privacy features, and provides customization features similar to Google’s Material You.

Caption
ColorOS 13 Global Launch Event-Aug 18, 2022 7:00 PM GMT+8

ColorOS 13 includes a range of new smart features developed by OPPO that are tailored to deliver the best experience with large displays, provide seamless interconnectivity between multiple devices, and enhance productivity and efficiency. A brand-new design will also be introduced on the OS to deliver a concise, comfortable, and smooth Android experience.

For more information about ColorOS 13, please join the ColorOS Official Launch Event on YouTube and Twitter at 7:00 PM GMT+8 on August 18th.

Hashtag: #OPPO

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find X and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.

About ColorOS
ColorOS is a highly customized, efficient, intelligent, and richly designed Android-based mobile OS from OPPO. With over 500 million global monthly active users, ColorOS supports 67 languages, including English, Hindi, Thai, and Indonesian.

Officials in Sekong Province Warn of Vietnamese Dam Release

By
Laotian Times
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Xe Khong bridge in 2019.

The residents of Sekong have been advised to prepare for changes in water levels in the Xe Khong River due to the release of a dam in Vietnam from 8 to 11 August .

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DYXnet Wins Taiwan Excellent Enterprise Quality Award

By
Laotian Times
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Another recognition for its outstanding performance

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 August 2022 – DYXnet, a leading carrier-neutral network service provider in Greater China, is honored to be named the winner of Taiwan Excellent Enterprise Quality Award in 2022 presented by Chinese Quality Enterprise Economic Development Association. With its outstanding service quality and performance, it was the second recognition DYXnet received in Taiwan this year, following “The 21st Golden Peak Award – Top 10 Outstanding Enterprise of the Year”.

DYX1.jpg

DYXnet is awarded Taiwan Excellent Enterprise Quality Award 2022

The Taiwan Excellent Enterprise Quality Award aims to enhance Taiwan’s enterprise brand image to fuel innovation and transformation, facilitate a high-level of competitiveness, and recognize outstanding companies. The award judging criteria is based on business philosophy, business performance, customer management, social responsibility and professional recognition. Receiving this award has signified DYXnet’s commitment to deliver unprecedented business values for its customers, and the effort to pursue innovations.

Over the past 2 decades, DYXnet strives to deliver excellence enterprise network services to its customers in Greater China, and has been recognized by numerous professional organizations and customers for its outstanding service quality. With the diverse network and cloud solutions, DYXnet helps customer to realize the value in cloud transformation, enabling them to improve business growth despite the boundaries created by the pandemics. By providing a wide range of high-quality services and solutions, DYXnet has become the solid foundation for enterprises to jumpstart their digital journey.

Hashtag: #DYXnet

About DYXnet

DYXnet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VNET Group (NASDAQ: VNET), is a leading carrier-neutral network service provider in Greater China with over 20 years of solid experience. As a NASDAQ-listed company and leading carrier-neutral Internet data center and hybrid cloud services provider in China, VNET has gone further by forming a new sub-brand “NEOLINK” in April 2021, which integrated DYXnet with its five product lines including Data Center, Network Products, Hybrid Cloud, Bare Metal and O&M Management Services in providing a suite of diverse solutions for customers in achieving full-cycle digital transformation. We work towards a common goal of delivering innovative solutions with the foresight to identify the evolving needs of our customers and communities.

DYXnet has empowered enterprises to drive business growth with ICT innovations and is committed to provide solutions for our customers through disruptive technologies and services including enterprise network solutions like MPLS and SD-WAN, cloud solutions and data centre services.

We strive to strengthen our dominant position in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region. Among the first ICT service providers in the region to have obtained ISO certifications including ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000 1, and ISO 9001, we are also one of the first official members of the China Cross border Data Telecommunications Industry Alliance and one of the first SD-WAN service standard drafting units.

For more information about DYXnet, please visit .

Passengers Confused by Laos-China Railway Stance on Standing Tickets

By
Laotian Times
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Passengers at Vientiane station waiting for the gate to open to purchase train tickets.

Laos-China Railway passengers are confused by a poll on social media regarding the potential sale of standing tickets, however, the railway has now responded by adding more routes and declining to sell the unpopular standing tickets.

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Lao Government Approves Tax Reduction on Diesel for Farmers

By
Laotian Times
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A farmer in Bolikhamxay Province plowing a rice paddy.

The Government of Laos has agreed to abolish the excise tax on diesel, which was previously levied at 15%, in an effort to reduce the retail price of fuel and lessen the impact of high energy prices on farmers.

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