LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mixue, a brand under MIXUE Group (02097.HK), opened its first store in Los Angeles on December 19, marking its debut in the Americas and another step in the group’s global expansion strategy.

Located at 6922 Hollywood Blvd Suite 107, the store features Mixue‘s core menu of ice cream, pure tea, fruit tea, milk tea, and freshly brewed coffee, with customizable sugar levels and toppings. The menu pricing lists the brand’s signature ice cream at $1.19, iced lemonade at $1.99, lattes at $2.99, and bubble tea starting at $3.99, with most items priced between $1.19 and $4.99. To mark the opening, Mixue hosted a series of launch activities, including street pop-ups featuring its Snow King mascot, themed photo experiences, and promotional giveaways, attracting strong interest and excitement from local consumers.

Mixue has expanded internationally over several years. The brand opened its first overseas store in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2018, marking its initial step toward global expansion. Today, Mixue operates approximately 4,700 stores outside China across 13 countries, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. The opening of its first store in the United States further extends the brand’s global footprint.

MIXUE Group now operates over 53,000 stores worldwide, making it one of the largest freshly made beverage chains by store count. Its rapid expansion and value-focused model have positioned the group ahead of many established global brands in terms of physical footprint. Reflecting its growing international influence, MIXUE Group was included this year in Time magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential Companies in the World,” where it was the only restaurant chain recognized. The listing highlights the increasing presence of Chinese consumer brands on the global stage and MIXUE’s expanding role in the international food and beverage market.

“Mixue is actively advancing its global strategy. Given the substantial market potential in the United States, the first store serves as a starting point. Moving forward, the company will steadily expand its store footprint, allowing more local consumers to enjoy high-quality, affordable drinks,” the head of Mixue U.S. commented at the opening.

By combining applied product research with foundational ingredient and process development, the Company continuously upgrades its core beverage components while introducing freshly made drinks designed to balance quality and affordability. The brand’s supply chain is managed through a digital system that supports end-to-end quality control, from ingredient sourcing and production to warehousing and distribution. This “farm-to-table” approach applies consistent standards at each stage. 

Looking ahead, Mixue plans to further expand its presence across the Americas, introducing its value-focused menu to a wider range of consumers. Stores across New York will also begin opening in the coming days. The Company will continue to strengthen its supply chain by expanding sourcing capabilities, improving logistics efficiency, and investing in production capacity and research and development. These efforts are aimed at supporting sustainable growth while maintaining consistent product quality and affordability as Mixue scales in international markets.

For more information about Mixue US, please visit https://www.instagram.com/mixue_global.

About MIXUE Group

Founded in China, MIXUE Group is the world’s leading global freshly-made drinks company. Operating the freshly-made tea drinks brand Mixue and freshly-made coffee brand Lucky Cup, Mixue has built a comprehensive end-to-end supply chain at the largest scale in China’s freshly-made drinks industry, encompassing essential aspects covering procurement, production, logistics, R&D and quality control. The company is committed to delivering high-quality, affordable fresh beverages to consumers worldwide through its extreme-efficiency global supply chain and franchise model.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mixue, a brand under MIXUE Group (02097.HK), opened its first store in Los Angeles on December 19, marking its debut in the Americas and another step in the group’s global expansion strategy.

Located at 6922 Hollywood Blvd Suite 107, the store features Mixue‘s core menu of ice cream, pure tea, fruit tea, milk tea, and freshly brewed coffee, with customizable sugar levels and toppings. The menu pricing lists the brand’s signature ice cream at $1.19, iced lemonade at $1.99, lattes at $2.99, and bubble tea starting at $3.99, with most items priced between $1.19 and $4.99. To mark the opening, Mixue hosted a series of launch activities, including street pop-ups featuring its Snow King mascot, themed photo experiences, and promotional giveaways, attracting strong interest and excitement from local consumers.

Mixue has expanded internationally over several years. The brand opened its first overseas store in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2018, marking its initial step toward global expansion. Today, Mixue operates approximately 4,700 stores outside China across 13 countries, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. The opening of its first store in the United States further extends the brand’s global footprint.

MIXUE Group now operates over 53,000 stores worldwide, making it one of the largest freshly made beverage chains by store count. Its rapid expansion and value-focused model have positioned the group ahead of many established global brands in terms of physical footprint. Reflecting its growing international influence, MIXUE Group was included this year in Time magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential Companies in the World,” where it was the only restaurant chain recognized. The listing highlights the increasing presence of Chinese consumer brands on the global stage and MIXUE’s expanding role in the international food and beverage market.

“Mixue is actively advancing its global strategy. Given the substantial market potential in the United States, the first store serves as a starting point. Moving forward, the company will steadily expand its store footprint, allowing more local consumers to enjoy high-quality, affordable drinks,” the head of Mixue U.S. commented at the opening.

By combining applied product research with foundational ingredient and process development, the Company continuously upgrades its core beverage components while introducing freshly made drinks designed to balance quality and affordability. The brand’s supply chain is managed through a digital system that supports end-to-end quality control, from ingredient sourcing and production to warehousing and distribution. This “farm-to-table” approach applies consistent standards at each stage. 

Looking ahead, Mixue plans to further expand its presence across the Americas, introducing its value-focused menu to a wider range of consumers. Stores across New York will also begin opening in the coming days. The Company will continue to strengthen its supply chain by expanding sourcing capabilities, improving logistics efficiency, and investing in production capacity and research and development. These efforts are aimed at supporting sustainable growth while maintaining consistent product quality and affordability as Mixue scales in international markets.

For more information about Mixue US, please visit https://www.instagram.com/mixue_global.

About MIXUE Group

Founded in China, MIXUE Group is the world’s leading global freshly-made drinks company. Operating the freshly-made tea drinks brand Mixue and freshly-made coffee brand Lucky Cup, Mixue has built a comprehensive end-to-end supply chain at the largest scale in China’s freshly-made drinks industry, encompassing essential aspects covering procurement, production, logistics, R&D and quality control. The company is committed to delivering high-quality, affordable fresh beverages to consumers worldwide through its extreme-efficiency global supply chain and franchise model.

Landmark Project Across Four Governorates to Boost Power Plant Output by 50%, Easing Chronic Electricity Shortages

SHANGHAI, Dec. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shanghai Electric has broken ground on the Euphrates Combined Cycle Expansion Project in Iraq. As the project’s contractor, Shanghai Electric is upgrading power plants across four Iraqi governorates by transforming simple-cycle units into combined-cycle systems. The expansion will add a total capacity of 625 megawatts (MW) and is designed to boost overall plant efficiency by approximately 50%, generating an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hprojours (kWh) of electricity annually without increasing fuel consumption. This initiative is poised to significantly alleviate the country’s persistent electricity shortages.

“The pressing need for energy security and development in Iraq is clear. We are honored that our efficient combined-cycle technology is recognized as instrumental in modernizing this critical infrastructure,” said a spokesperson for Shanghai Electric. “This project exemplifies our commitment to supporting the energy security and green development of Belt and Road countries through technological innovation.”

Iraq, a major Middle Eastern oil producer, has faced severe power shortages for over three decades. Most of its power plants rely on natural gas, yet domestic gas development lags, creating a heavy dependence on imports. This power deficit has become a persistent challenge to people’s livelihoods and a bottleneck for national reconstruction and economic growth.

The Shanghai Electric-contracted expansion project along the Euphrates River broke ground early this year and covers the Iraqi governorates of Najaf, Karbala, Babylon, and Al-Qadisiyyah, with all upgrades centered on advanced combined-cycle technology. Core equipment has now arrived on site, and construction is advancing through the collaboration of Chinese and Iraqi teams. Since its commencement, the project has drawn considerable attention from the Iraqi government and public.

Iraqi Minister of Electricity Ziad Ali Fadel has praised the project’s strategic importance, stating, “This initiative is highly significant for improving Iraq’s power supply and optimizing its electricity infrastructure. Once operational, it will effectively reduce Iraq’s reliance on imported natural gas and lower its fuel costs for power generation.”

At the power plant in Najaf, the upgrade utilizes high-temperature exhaust from existing gas turbines as a heat source. The exhaust is directed through heat recovery steam generators to produce high-pressure steam, which then drives a new steam turbine to create additional electricity. This combined-cycle process increases output and efficiency without extra fuel and reduces the thermal pollution from the original units.

Naseem Ayad, the Iraqi project manager at the Najaf site, said, “Chinese equipment and power technology help us reuse high-temperature exhaust, boosting generation capacity while reducing thermal pollution. This project sets a benchmark for power plant upgrades in Iraq and reflects local hopes for more reliable electricity and better living conditions.”

At the Karbala site, core equipment such as heat recovery steam generators and direct air-cooled condensers have been delivered. This project phase marks one of Iraq’s first combined-cycle expansions to fully utilize Chinese equipment and standards, with core systems designed and manufactured in China. This will effectively drive the overseas deployment of Chinese equipment and enhance the recognition of Chinese standards in Iraq.

Upon completion, the project is expected to improve local livelihoods, support post-war reconstruction, and lay a robust energy foundation for Iraq’s industrial recovery and economic growth.

Shanghai Electric remains dedicated to supporting sustainable development in Belt and Road regions and worldwide through advanced, efficient, and eco-friendly energy technologies.

For more information, please visit https://www.shanghai-electric.com/group_en/.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Gene Solutions, a pioneering genetic testing company, announced key achievements at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress 2025—held in Singapore on December 5–7. Highlights included a full-house symposium, seven scientific abstracts with two earning Best Poster designations, and meaningful engagement with thousands of oncologists from across the Asia-Pacific region at the company’s exhibition booth.

2025 has marked a year of substantial progress for Gene Solutions, with expanded presence and partnerships across India, Turkey, Taiwan region, Hong Kong SAR, and Mainland China. The company advanced precision oncology through Asia’s first multicancer early detection (MCED) test in a large prospective study of 9,024 participants (published in BMC Medicine). In parallel, a real-world circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) molecular residual disease (MRD) study involving 623 patients (published in JCO Oncology Advances, ASCO Publications) demonstrated high accuracy for early relapse detection versus imaging, supporting more timely interventions.

Symposium Highlights: AI-Powered Liquid Biopsy & Multi-Omics Across the Cancer Care Continuum

Chaired by Prof. Herbert Ho Fung Loong (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR) and Prof. Nick Pavlakis (The University of Sydney, Australia), the symposium — “Ai-powered Liquid Biopsy And Multi-omics In Action: Bridging The Gap In Genomic Insights Across The Asia-pacific Region”— drew a full-house audience. It featured actionable clinical evidence spanning early detection, treatment selection, and post-treatment monitoring.

Faculty included Asst. Prof. Aaron Tan Chia-Ken (National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore), Dr. Le Son Tran and Dr. Dang L. Nguyen (Medical Genetics Institute, Vietnam), and Prof. Aya El Helali (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR). Key topics addressed:

• Early detection at scale (SPOT-MAS): A single 10 mL blood, multi-omics assay combining genetic, epigenetic, fragmentomic features through deep-targeted and shallow genome-wide sequencing.
  Trained on data from over 20,000 cancer patients and 25,000 healthy controls, it incorporates retrospective (K-DISCOVERY) and prospective (K-DETEK) cohorts of more than 11,000 asymptomatic individuals, with real-world deployment in over 30,000 people across six Asian countries.
• Real-world performance of SPOT-MAS in 10 cancers: In a large real-world study comprising 12,281 individuals (median age 43 years) with enrichment for familial cancer risk (24.5%), the assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 78.2%, specificity of 99.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 67%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.9%, and tumor-of-origin prediction accuracy of 80.3%. These results were comparable to previously reported in the K-DETEK prospective validation study (n = 9,024).
• Treatment selection & monitoring (K-TRACK ctDNA-MRD): Validated across colorectal, breast, lung, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and gastric cancers to enable risk stratification and earlier intervention. Real-world Asian data indicate ctDNA detection of progression up to 14 months ahead of imaging and identification of resistance mechanisms in metastatic settings.
• Advanced AI-driven Biomarkers (K-4CARE): The K-4CARE platform integrates DNA profiling (504 genes), transcriptomic profiling (19,435 genes), and longitudinal ctDNA-MRD monitoring—to support precision decision-making, including complex scenarios such as detecting tissue-of-origin with 87.7% prediction accuracy in cancer of unknown primary (CUP) and improving fusion detection by 20%.
• ESMO consensus: The recent ESMO consensus (EBAI), published in November 2025, provides basic requirements for AI-based biomarkers in oncology – including ground truth, performance, generalizability, fairness and evidence requirements to establish their robustness.

Selected faculty insights:

“The challenge is balancing multi-cancer early detection performance with affordability—we achieve this via robust feature engineering, supervised machine learning, and high-quality multi-omics training datasets” said Dr. Le Son Tran.

“In early-stage cancer, cancers may still recur in some patients despite adjuvant treatment, while some patients may already be cured and do not need additional adjuvant therapy. MRD testing has the potential to transform how we manage these patients by allowing clinicians to escalate or de-escalate treatment more appropriately” added Asst. Prof. Tan Chia-Ken Aaron.

“AI driven biomarkers won’t replace molecular testing; they will amplify it—especially when tissue is limited” commented Prof. Herbert Ho Fung Loong.

Scientific Recognition: Seven Abstracts and Two Best Posters

Gene Solutions presented seven posters spanning MCED, tumor profiling, MRD, immunotherapy, and population genetics. Two studies received Best Poster awards:

Best Poster (229P) – Integrated cfRNA + ctDNA Liquid Biopsy for Improved Early Colorectal Cancer Screening — Trang T. Tran
Best Poster (183P) – Scalable Platform to Produce Allogenic NonGenetically Modified NK Cells and Predict Cytotoxicity in Solid Tumors — Thu Dao

Additional abstracts:

• 913P: Multimodal cfDNA assay for early detection of lung cancer in patients with suspicious pulmonary nodules — Ho D. Vo
• 11P: BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variant spectrum in 14,529 Vietnamese women — Le Phuong Thuy
• 227P: Integrated genomic & immune profiling improves chemotherapy benefit prediction in resectable colorectal cancer — Tran B. Nguyen
• 791P: Harnessing multi-omics data from tumor and plasma ctDNA in advanced lung cancer — Phuc Nguyen
• 784P: Real-world performance of hybrid tumor informed & tumor agnostic ctDNA testing predicting recurrence/progression in Southeast Asia — Van Anh H. Nguyen

Exhibition Engagement:

Live demonstrations and clinical discussions at Gene Solutions’ exhibition booth engaged thousands of oncologists and researchers from across Asia, underscoring the need for accessible, high precision genomic solutions to improve patient outcomes

“Our presence at ESMO Asia program highlighted regionally validated multi-omics solutions—from SPOT-MAS to K-TRACK and K-4CARE—alongside the recognition of our scientific contributions through two Best Poster awards” said Dr. Sinh Nguyen, Oncology Medical Director, Gene Solutions. ”Moving into 2026, we remain committed to enhancing access through costs optimization, and strategic partnerships, enabling broader patient benefit from earlier detection, informed treatment decisions, and real-time monitoring.”

About Gene Solutions

Gene Solutions is a global biotechnology company headquartered in Singapore with a mission to make advanced genomic solutions accessible and affordable. Leveraging multi-omics, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), and Artificial Intelligence, the company offers a comprehensive portfolio, including next-generation prenatal screening for fetal and maternal health (triSure), multi-cancer early detection (SPOT-MAS), and comprehensive tumor profiling and ctDNA monitoring (K-TRACK, K-4CARE).

Since 2017, Gene Solutions has performed over three million genetic tests worldwide through CAP-accredited laboratories across multiple markets. Through continuous innovation and strategic collaborations, the company is advancing earlier cancer detection, precision care and reproductive health globally.

For more information, visit www.genesolutions.com or contact pr@genesolutions.com

Important Disclaimer

Tests described may be offered as laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) in CAP-accredited laboratories; availability and regulatory status vary by country/jurisdiction. Results are for professional use only. Performance characteristics are study-specific and may vary by population, setting, or sample quality. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations regarding study outcomes, test performance, clinical utility, partnerships, and potential benefits. Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties, including regulatory, clinical, market, and competitive factors. Gene Solutions undertakes no obligation to update these statements.

Against a backdrop of unparalleled aviation connectivity, China will leverage the FITUR trade fair to elevate its tourism positioning.

MADRID, Dec. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 FITUR International Tourism Fair, taking place from 21 to 25 January 2026 at Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre, will further cement the deepening cooperation between China and Spain’s tourism sectors. According to data from the Spanish National Tourist Board’s Beijing office, Chinese tourist arrivals to Spain reached 163,856 in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 26.12% increase compared to the same period in 2019. Separate statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Madrid indicate approximately 157,000 Spanish travellers visited China in 2024.

The 2026 FITUR International Tourism Fair, taking place from 21 to 25 January 2026 at Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre, will further cement the deepening cooperation between China and Spain’s tourism sectors.

China will occupy a strategic position at FITUR 2026, with the China National Tourism Administration and the tourism authorities of the Macao and Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions participating in an official capacity. Airlines including Cathay Pacific, local tourism bureaus from Shanghai and Beijing, alongside leading tourism technology companies such as Shiji Group and Xiwang, will also join the event. China’s prominence at this year’s fair coincides with enhanced aviation connectivity: China Southern Airlines has recently launched a Madrid–Guangzhou route, with direct weekly flights projected to reach a record high of 61 during the 2025-2026 winter season.

A report from Spain’s National Tourism Secretariat indicates that by 2025, the country’s tourism sector will benefit from a strong tailwind from the Chinese market. Following a recovery in spending during 2024, China’s outbound travel demand continues to gain momentum. Meanwhile, Spain’s position as a tourism brand has been further consolidated, securing its place among the most popular travel destinations. Meanwhile, the latest data indicates that Chinese tourists’ expenditure in Spain will reach €1.417 billion in 2025, representing a 1.4% increase over 2024. This trend demonstrates Spain’s growing appeal to Chinese visitors, particularly among high-purchasing-power segments.

Regarding China’s overall tourism demand, the Spanish National Tourism Administration notes that both domestic and international source markets are experiencing sustained growth in travel expenditure. By 2026, driven by the lifting of travel restrictions, consumption recovery, and improved air connectivity, China’s domestic source market is projected to grow by 6%, while the international source market is expected to increase by 9% to 10%.

Media Contact: 
Helena Valera
International Press
Tel.: 629 64 42 08
evalera@ifema.es

Alejandra Elorza
Chief Press
Tel.: 629 64 49 68
aelorza@ifema.es 

A new edition of FITUR, the International Tourism Fair held at the IFEMA Madrid exhibition centre, which has established itself as one of the benchmarks for the tourism sector with the presence of 156 countries and an attendance of more than 250,000 people, including professionals and visitors.