YIWU, China, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A vibrant blend of red-carpet formality and approachable humor set the stage as practical business insight met authentic personal storytelling. On January 15, 2026, the “Digital Trade Citizens, Yiwu All-Star SHOW” — the Chinagoods Annual Talk Show Gala — officially opened in Yiwu, marking a large-scale industry gathering focused on trade, people, and shared exchange.

An all-star group of 500 merchant representatives participated in the red-carpet program, with 100 outstanding individuals formally recognized through annual awards. Among them, 13 appeared on the stand-up comedy stage to share candid accounts of their entrepreneurial paths, engaging international buyers, media representatives, and industry professionals in attendance. This integrated format — combining red-carpet presentation, awards, and live performance — was frequently referenced by attendees as the “Oscars” of the commerce and trade sector.

Red Carpet and Awards: Recognizing Meaningful Contributions and Strengthening a Collaborative Ecosystem

The gala opened with female entrepreneurs from Yiwu leading the procession on the runway. Each participant walking the red carpet represented a distinct phase in Yiwu’s ongoing commercial development.

The awards were designed to recognize tangible contributions to market vitality. In addition to categories such as “Outstanding Businesswomen” and “Next-Generation Digital Trade Pioneers,” which acknowledge leadership in market transformation, brand development, and international expansion, special recognition was also given to partners who have contributed over time to the development of Yiwu’s broader commercial ecosystem.

Multifaceted Impact: Engagement, Shared Recognition, and Brand Visibility

The gala encouraged discussion and reflection among its broad range of participants.

Jia Yuan, Chairwoman of the Women’s Federation of Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, noted, “Each speaker acts as a representative example of Yiwu’s digital transformation. Their stories show that digital trade is not an abstract idea, but a practical tool already being applied by merchants in their daily operations.”

Business owner Yang Jiaoping of Jiahao Cultural Creativity said, “Listening to each other’s stories helped us identify shared challenges and transferable insights. That exchange fostered a sense of momentum and reinforced our confidence moving forward.”

Russian buyer Ilya shared an international perspective, stating, “The event showed me a different side of my Chinese partners — open, humorous, and resilient. Their long-term focus on quality and brand building strengthened my confidence in continued cooperation.”

The Talk Show Stage: Translating Yiwu’s Business Thinking into Everyday Stories

When business insight moved beyond formal presentation and was expressed through stand-up comedy, the connection with the audience became more direct and relatable.

In her set “The Best Price, My Friend!”, Lou Dan used a lighthearted story about negotiating with a client from Dubai to illustrate a broader shift from price-driven competition toward value-based engagement. Gong Hongying, in “From Village Girl to Webbing Queen,” adopted a self-aware and accessible persona to explain how emotional resonance and authenticity can support the development of new market opportunities.

The comedy topics ranged from generational transition within family businesses and everyday cross-cultural misunderstandings to the growing role of artificial intelligence in foreign trade. Through self-reflective humor and grounded storytelling, the performers translated complex business realities into accessible narratives, earning sustained audience engagement and positive feedback.

Built on Confidence: Articulating a Shared Vision for Yiwu’s “Sixth-Generation Market”

This annual gala served as a shared platform reflecting common priorities, celebrating the achievements of the trading community while supporting innovation, technology adoption, and creative expression.

Yiwu’s businesswomen represent the market’s depth and continuity, while the next-generation digital trade pioneers signal its future direction. By establishing this high-visibility platform, China Commodities City Group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurial initiative, with the aim of strengthening the business environment, enabling sustainable growth, and enhancing overall market competitiveness.

These merchants — skilled in navigating languages, technology, and communication — represent Yiwu’s core commercial strength as it advances toward a sixth-generation marketplace model. Their collective energy, insight, and sense of responsibility contribute to Yiwu’s continued participation in global trade. The gala marked the start of a new year of collaboration and development for the Yiwu trading community.

• Having secured the fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025, the partners have launched fully autonomous ride-hailing service via the AutoGo app.
• Initial operations cover Yas Island, with phased expansion planned for Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands.
• The launch marks a critical step toward the partners’ goal of deploying hundreds of vehicles by 2026 and building Abu Dhabi’s largest fully driverless fleet.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.

The collaboration between Baidu’s Apollo Go and K2’s AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi’s largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate’s largest fully driverless fleet.

“Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone,” said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. “This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies.”

“AutoGo’s transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi’s autonomous mobility journey,” said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. “Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment—delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use.”

The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.

Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.

Apollo Go’s rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go’s weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi’s smart city vision.

About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

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HONG KONG, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GS1 Hong Kong (‘GS1 HK’), as a member of the Port Community System (‘PCS’) Industry Expert Liaison Group, expresses strong support for the official launch of the PCS, a pivotal digital logistics platform established by the Hong Kong SAR Government that provides round-the-clock, real-time cargo tracking, designed to transform Hong Kong’s maritime and logistics ecosystem. With over 2,300 companies already registered, the PCS marks a significant leap towards a fully integrated, transparent, and efficient digital logistics community.

GS1, as a global data standards organization, establishes the common business language— including unique product identifier – Global Trade Item Number (‘GTIN’, also known as ‘barcode’) that enables disparate systems to communicate seamlessly. Locally, GS1 HK is facilitating the incorporation of the GS1 Global Registry, specifically GTINs, into the PCS platform to enable better accuracy and efficiency for trade declaration and strengthen traceability that benefit Hong Kong’s logistics and port industries.

This also aims to enable seamless cross-border data exchange with China’s Single Window system, where their customs already required GTIN for imported goods declaration. Moving forward, we will also look into leveraging global standards for item-level traceability of goods and shipments, to ensure visibility and accountability across supply chain.

GS1 HK will continue to support Transport and Logistics Bureau’s ongoing collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s ‘Project CargoX’, which utilizes cargo data from PCS to help banks carry out credit assessment and SMEs secure credit funding more effectively.

Ms. Anna Lin, Chief Executive of GS1 Hong Kong, said, “Data is the fuel in shaping the economy. GS1 HK stands ready to support this PCS initiative, providing global standards-based data solutions to drive information flow, goods flow and cash flow, which directly enhances Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international trade, finance, and logistics hub.”

About GS1 Hong Kong

GS1 Hong Kong is the local chapter of GS1®, a global, not-for-profit data standards organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium and represented in over 120 economies. We help businesses identify, capture, and share trusted data across both physical and digital supply chains. Through global standards like GTIN (barcodes) and standard-based platforms, GS1 Hong Kong empowers companies to improve efficiency and enhance visibility.

In today’s AI-driven economy, data quality is essential. GS1 Hong Kong provides a foundation for data that is accurate, searchable, shareable, and traceable.

GS1 Hong Kong currently supports close to 8,000 corporate members from 20 sectors including retail & consumer goods, food & beverage and food services, healthcare, apparel & footwear, logistics & ICT. By working closely with industry stakeholders and government, we foster a collaborative ecosystem to “Go Digital • Go Green”.

Website: www.gs1hk.org

HANOI, Vietnam, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Viettel Group has officially broken ground on the construction of Vietnam’s first semiconductor chip fabrication plant. The project is implemented by Viettel as a mission assigned by the Ministry of National Defense, in accordance with a Government Resolution.

For the first time, Vietnam is developing domestic chip fabrication capability, laying a foundation for the goal of gradually mastering core technologies and developing a domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

The plant will be built in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park (Hanoi) on an area of 27 hectares, oriented to become national infrastructure serving research, design, testing, and semiconductor chip production.

Once operational, the plant will be able to serve national industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, IoT, automotive manufacturing, medical devices, and automation, among others.

A complete semiconductor chip product typically goes through six main stages: product definition, system design, detailed design, chip fabrication, packaging and testing, and integration and testing. In recent years, Vietnam has gradually participated in five of these stages; however, chip fabrication—the most complex and critical stage—has not yet been possible domestically. Building a semiconductor chip fabrication plant will help complete and close the entire semiconductor chip production process in Vietnam.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh emphasized: “The groundbreaking of Vietnam’s first high-tech semiconductor chip fabrication plant is an event of particularly important significance. This is a step toward realizing the national semiconductor industry development strategy, creating a foundation for Vietnam to gradually participate more deeply in the global value chain, based on science, technology, and innovation.”

According to the Prime Minister, the plant’s presence will contribute to completing the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, enabling chip design companies, technology start-ups, and research institutions to shorten testing cycles, quickly finalize products, and bring technology into practical applications.

The plant is also expected to become a hands-on training center for the semiconductor workforce, linking training with a real production environment. Through this, Vietnam aims to train 50,000 chip design engineers under the Semiconductor Industry Human Resources Development Program through 2030, toward a scale of more than 100,000 people in Vietnam’s semiconductor industry under the National Semiconductor Strategy through 2040.

For Viettel, being assigned to lead the implementation of the semiconductor chip fabrication plant continues the Group’s core technology development strategy, which it has persistently pursued for many years. Viettel has proactively prepared human resources through in-depth training, international cooperation, and technology transfer, while also accumulating experience from research, design, and the application of chips in technology systems and products.

Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, affirmed: “Immediately after today’s groundbreaking ceremony, the Group will begin implementing the project, with the set objective that by the end of 2027 we will complete the construction, receive technology transfer, and begin pilot production. The period from 2028 to 2030 will focus on finalizing and optimizing processes and improving line efficiency in accordance with industry standards, thereby serving as a basis for researching chip fabrication technology at more advanced process nodes.”

The project will be implemented during 2026–2030, with a roadmap from plant construction and technology transfer to process completion and improved operational efficiency. In the long term, the Hoa Lac plant is planned to be expandable in scale, providing a foundation for Vietnam to gradually access more advanced semiconductor technologies.

The groundbreaking of the high-tech semiconductor chip fabrication plant marks an important milestone in Vietnam’s journey to build technological capability, contributing to realizing the goal of “Technological self-reliance, Sustainable Future.”

GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, GAC Energy has released its 2025 Ecological Service Report, highlighting strong advances in ultra-fast charging technology, nationwide network deployment, and V2G innovation under the GAC Group’s “2⁶ Energy Action” strategy – the strategic plan launched by GAC Group to develop a comprehensive, vertically integrated new energy vehicle (NEV) industry chain and ecosystem. By the end of 2025, GAC Energy operated 23,274 self-operated charging piles across 31 provinces and 211 cities, including 17,577 DC piles. It had 1,956 charging stations serving 8.92 million users and delivering 1.43 billion kWh of electricity, leading the industry in 1000V high-voltage fast-charging piles.

In ultra-fast charging technology, GAC Energy continued to strengthen its technology and operations throughout the year. Ultra-fast charging piles were upgraded to 640 kW, with individual gun capability reaching 720 kW and 800 A. In May, an AI-powered smart management cloud platform was introduced, enabling real-time control and automated operation of charging facilities, raising equipment online availability to 99.2% and significantly enhancing service stability.

The charging network has entered a phase of accelerated expansion. By March 2025, GAC Energy’s charging services had surpassed 100 million cumulative sessions, with the user base exceeding 5 million and 24/7 service ensuring worry-free travel. In July, total charging volume exceeded 1 billion kWh. In September, the number of self-operated charging piles took the industry lead by surpassing 20,000. By November, the charging network covered China’s major cities and main travel corridors, with more than 1,800 self-operated charging stations deployed, ensuring that users in core urban areas can conveniently reach a station within 1 km.

In the V2G field, GAC Energy completed China’s first private car owner V2G discharge order in August 2025 and, in September, built the country’s largest V2G microgrid, with an average daily discharge of more than 11,000 kWh per station. By the end of 2025, GAC Energy’s national V2G discharge exceeded 1.35 million kWh, with power trading surpassing 130 million kWh and cumulative carbon reduction reaching 3.43 million tons, contributing to a low-carbon, sustainable energy ecosystem.

Entering 2026, GAC Energy is accelerating its momentum—driving the evolution of smarter, faster, and greener charging solutions, and building a secure, sustainable energy ecosystem that powers the future of mobility.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At CES 2026, Flowtica was not the loudest presence on the show floor. Over the course of the week, however, the Singapore-based AI company became one of the most closely watched, drawing sustained attention from media, investors, and industry observers.

That attention has now translated into availability. Following its appearance as a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree, Flowtica has officially opened sales of Flowtica Scribe, its AI recording pen that quietly stood out in a field dominated by phone-dependent and screen-heavy solutions.

Flowtica Scribe did not make its first public appearance at CES. The product launched on Kickstarter several months earlier, where it attracted thousands of users and established early validation. CES marked a different stage for the company. The focus shifted away from introduction and toward closer examination, with many observers asking whether the idea could hold up beyond early enthusiasm.

Throughout the exhibition, Flowtica’s booth at Eureka Park became a steady meeting point for investors and journalists. Conversations rarely centered on specifications or feature lists. Instead, discussions focused on a more fundamental question: whether AI recording tools are beginning to converge on forms that genuinely fit into professional life.

Flowtica’s answer was visible in its choice of form. By embedding AI into a pen, an object already accepted in boardrooms, consultations, investor meetings, and sales conversations, the company avoided many of the social and practical frictions that continue to limit phone-based recorders. The result was a device that felt less like a new category of gadget and more like a natural extension of existing behavior.

This restraint is deliberate. Flowtica Scribe is designed to remain unobtrusive, with no screen and no demand for user attention during conversations. Recording, organization, and interpretation take place quietly in the background, allowing users to remain focused on the discussion itself. Among on-site observers, this approach positioned Flowtica as one of the more pragmatic entrants in an increasingly crowded AI recording market.

Hardware, however, represents only part of Flowtica’s differentiation. The company places equal emphasis on what happens after recording ends. Its AI functions as a continuously evolving insight system that can operate autonomously while remaining responsive to clear user guidance when needed. Over time, it adapts to individual working rhythms and priorities, shifting the emphasis from capturing everything to identifying what truly matters.

Rather than simply storing conversations, Flowtica helps determine which moments should be retained, revisited, and translated into next actions. Key insights are designed to integrate naturally with existing productivity tools, including calendars and task systems, allowing them to fit into established workflows rather than compete with them.

As interest in Flowtica Scribe built during CES, one question surfaced repeatedly. When would the product be available beyond the show floor?

With sales now officially open through Flowtica’s website, the company moves from exhibition attention to real-world deployment. For Flowtica, this moment appears less like a conclusion and more like a transition, from being observed to being used.

As the AI recording market continues to mature, competition is shifting away from novelty and early adoption toward durability. The defining question is no longer whether a system can record conversations, but whether it can remain useful over time.

Flowtica enters this next phase with an approach that is measured and quietly confident, placing its bet not on spectacle, but on long-term relevance.