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Tri-Country Freight Train to Run through Malaysia, Thailand and Laos

Malaysian Ministry of Transport, Mr. Wee Ka Siong, flagging off the train's first dry run.

The new tri-country freight train, or ASEAN express, between Malaysia, Thailand and Laos will begin operating in October of this year.

Four HKTDC August fairs and ICMCM close on a High Note

Food Expo and concurrent events attract more than 430,000 visitors

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach15 August 2022 – The HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Home Delights Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo and HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), have all drawn to a successful close, along with the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions. The four public fairs saw participation from more than 1,000 exhibitors and attracted over 430,000 visitors.

The Food Expo, Home Delights Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Hong Kong International Tea Fair drew to a close today, attracting more than 430,000 visitors

The Food Expo, Home Delights Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Hong Kong International Tea Fair drew to a close today, attracting more than 430,000 visitors

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The bustling fairground, despite restrictions such as no sampling for food and drinks, show that people have a strong appetite for shopping. The timing of the second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme certainly boosted spending. Meanwhile, our first-ever KOL livestreaming sessions at the fairground further stimulated visitors’ enthusiasm, allowing exhibitors to drive their promotions to a wider audience and expand their customer base. We were equally encouraged to see several group pavilions and exhibitors participating in the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the International Tea Fair through their local representatives to explore business opportunities.”

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The Gourmet Zone at the Food Expo showcased the finest international cuisines. Star chefs were invited to perform cooking demonstrations to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

90% of exhibitors support consumption voucher payment to encourage spending

The second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme was disbursed just days before the fairs. According to a survey, at the fairs, 90% of interviewed exhibitors accepted at least one form of consumption voucher payment, the convenience of which motivated spending. The HKTDC also interviewed around 980 visitors during the fairs through random sampling. 48% of respondents spent HK$1,000 or more at the fairs, with the average per capita spending reaching HK$1,400. The survey also showed that nearly 75% of visitors made purchases at the fairs using electronic payment methods, while more than 78% of them used consumption vouchers. The strong results demonstrated how the added convenience of e-payment can drive consumption at fairs.

Exhibitors’ strategic promotions lead to improved sales performance

Oriental Products Supplies Ltd has been supporting the Food Expo since the company’s founding in 1998. “The Food Expo has always been the perfect place to reach more customers and we have strengthened our brand through the exhibition over the years,” said Mok Wa-yan, Director of the company. “This year, we are showing a diversity of food items including fresh jellyfish and partridge. The response has been very strong and we have had to replenish stocks again and again to meet demand. The latest batch of consumption vouchers that were distributed just before the expo also fuelled the public’s buying sentiment. Our total sales will exceed HK$1 million this year – a very encouraging result.”

Another exhibitor, Star Chefs Creation Limited, saw robust sales boosted by KOL livestreaming sessions during the Food Expo, with more than 200 products of spicy duck blood, butterfly crisp, abalone noodles and creamy custard mooncakes sold via the livestreaming platform LOOPLIVE. Betty Chan, General Sales Manager of the company, said the KOL-led livestreaming sessions opened a new promotional channel for the company’s products.

The concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo showcased a wide range of beauty and fitness products. Exhibitor Sandi Poon, Business Development Director at Phoelia (Far East) Company Limited, Hong Kong, featured her company’s French facial and wellness equipment during the fair and was impressed with the interest shown by visitors. “The expo gave visitors a chance to try our products and see the benefits. Each set of equipment sells for nearly HK$1 million and we had already sold seven sets to two beauty salons and one rehabilitation centre on the first two days of the expo.”

Local homeware product Sam!ly Group Company Ltd has participated in the Home Delights Expo for many years. With more visitors coming to the event this year, Sales and Marketing Director Lydia Lai said the company expected to see sales revenue exceeding HK$200,000 during the fair.

Success of fairs highlights Hong Kong’s importance in global trade

Numerous group pavilions participated at this year’s Food Expo through local representatives. From Mainland China, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing Municipality presented local specialities and shared their unique culinary cultures, along with the Aomori Prefecture of Japan, the Japan External Trade Organization and Indonesia. The HKTDC and the Aomori Prefectural Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to carry out economic exchange programmes in the future. Besides expanding bilateral trade and investment, the MoU will also strengthen the economic partnership between the two places to create new business opportunities.

Largely targeting industry and trade buyers, the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair were also open to public ticketholders this year. In addition to inviting and organising local buying missions, the HKTDC also arranged more than 700 virtual business matching meetings. Exhibitors and buyers can continue to schedule and conduct more online meetings through Click2Match within seven days after the physical exhibitions. The brand-new exhibition model EXHIBITION+ enables global food buyers to conduct business through the physical exhibitions and an online platform at the same time. Traders were able to stay connected more easily, helping them to forge new deals.

Frozen seafood supplier Garmine Marine Products regularly joins the Food Expo to seek out new suppliers. General Manager Cameron KH Choy said: “Through the Click2Match platform, I’ve established contact with three mainland companies from Zhoushan City in Zhejiang Province for the supply of frozen seafood. Click2Match is very user-friendly, enabling smooth and effective exchanges with overseas suppliers. At the fairground, I found two other seafood suppliers from Zhoushan City at the Zhejiang Province pavilion. The hybrid EXHIBITION+ model is very useful in connecting suppliers online and offline for business expansion.”

The HKTDC arranged a series of exciting activities for visitors during the four fairs, including the Star Chef Session, Road to Brewers Cup and Sharing, and numerous talks with different topics, including “Health Supplements Essential for COVID Period”, “Innovative Hard Coating for Food Appliances”, “Probiotics” and “The New Normal for Skin Care”. The Buy-more-get-more Lucky Draw and Smart Bidding sessions were also held and met with great reception from visitors.

For more comments from exhibitors and buyers, please visit:
HKTDC Food Expo: https://bit.ly/3w4deSn
HKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://bit.ly/3C3720E
HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://bit.ly/3dvJXJP
HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://bit.ly/3AouJPU

Photo download: https://bit.ly/3PqBXXA

Websites:

HKTDC Food Expo

hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com/en

HKTDC Home Delights Expo

homedelights.hktdc.com/en

HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo

hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com/en

HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair

hkteafair.hktdc.com/en

The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM)

icmcm.hktdc.com/en

August Happy Buy website

ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/

Hygiene measures and health tips

https://bit.ly/3S2wokS

Hashtag: #HKTDC #FoodExpo

About HKTDC

The is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises, and to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via and . For more information, please visit: . Follow us on @hktdc and

Nasal-spraying LiveSpo NAVAX: Probiotics of the next generation for respiratory infections

HANOI, VIETNAM Media OutReach15 August 2022 – On July 20nd, the Scientific Reports journal (the Nature) officially annouced a break-through research on using LiveSpo NAVAX probiotic spores in nasal spray form to support the treatment of acute respiratory infections in children infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) [1]

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs) in young children.

The World Health Organization estimates that 48,000-74,000 children younger than five years old die yearly due to RSV infection. Up to now, there is no available vaccine and specific treatment for RSV-infected children.

Researchers at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital conducted the first clinical trial in infected children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). They demonstrated the safety and beneficial effects of a nasal-spraying liquid suspension of Bacillus spore probiotics (LiveSpo® NAVAX) in the supportive treatment of ARTIs.

The research team published results showing that the nasal-spraying LiveSpo NAVAX) reduced the load of RSV and influenza virus by 300-fold and 1000-fold, and was 50- to 70-fold more effective than physiological saline after 2-3 days of treatment.

Semi-quantitative real-time PCR results of co-infection bacteria on day three of treatment show that patients in the NAVAX) group (spraying probiotics spores) were negative while patients in the control group (not using probiotic spores) only had a slight decrease in bacterial co-infection concentration.

The team also assessed that the nasal-spraying Bacillus spores could rapidly and effectively relieve symptoms of RSV-induced ARTIs while exhibiting a strong effect in reducing viral load and inflammation.

Nasal-spraying probiotics may provide the basis for simple, low-cost, and effective symptomatic adjuvant treatment against viral infections.

Dr. Nguyen Hoa Anh – Director of Sporebiotics Research Center said: “The interaction mechanism between LiveSpo NAVAX) ‘s Bacillus spores and the virus and the nasal mucosal immune system is based on nonspecific binding suggesting that LiveSpo Navax may be helpful against viral variants that cause respiratory diseases or other rapidly emerging respiratory viruses such as influenza virus or coronavirus.

The research is a breakthrough scientific achievement, contributing to enhancing the image of Vietnam in the field of science in the international arena and making a great contribution to public health care, especially for children.

[1] Scientific Report (July 20th, 2022). “Nasal‑spraying Bacillus spores as an efective symptomatic treatment for children with acute respiratory syncytial virus infection” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16136-z.pdf

Hashtag: #LiveSpo

About LiveSpo

LiveSpo® NAVAX containing more than 5-billion spores of beneficial bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus clausii, and 0.9% physiological saline up to 5mL.

The product supports to help clean ears, nose, throat; and prevent, reduce the risk of ear, nose, throat infections, and increase beneficial bacteria, protect and the nasal mucosa.

Company Website

BruHealth’s #BNontheMove – Campaign for a healthier lifestyle to reach 1 billion steps

  • BruHealth’s Billion Steps Together is a campaign that kicked off with a walkathon at Taman Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, to encourage the nation towards living a healthier lifestyle
  • Over 12,000 registrations received within 3 days for Billion Steps Together and BN on the Move, a health management plan in BruHealth that went live last Monday, August 8
  • Apart from tracking daily steps, BN on the Move lets users add friends via QR code and links through various social media platforms to encourage and challenge each other
  • Campaign showcases the changing function of BruHealth from pandemic management to health management
  • Physical activity can lead to weight loss, improved glucose tolerance and reduced blood pressure

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI – Media OutReach15 August 2022 – The Ministry of Health (MOH), Brunei and EVYD Technology are pleased to launch their latest joint initiative yesterday – Billion Steps Together. The three-month-long campaign aims to get Bruneians and residents out and about to collectively chalk up at least a billion steps and get healthier together. This is first of many joint health promotion activities planned by the Ministry of Health and EVYD Technology as the country marches towards Wawasan Brunei 2035, a national vision which includes promoting a healthier lifestyle for its people that contributes to a high quality of life.

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar, Minister of Health (fourth from right at ribbon) and other Ministers cutting the ribbon to officially launch BN on the Move.

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar, Minister of Health (fourth from right at ribbon) and other Ministers cutting the ribbon to officially launch BN on the Move.

The campaign kicked off with the official launch of BN on the Move, a health promotion plan in the BruHealth app, at a 6 km walkathon at Taman Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien yesterday morning. The launch was attended by Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs; Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar, Minister of Health; Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy; Dato Seri Setia Hj Ahmaddin Hj Abd Rahman, Minister of Home Affairs; Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf Haji Metussin, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism; Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd Juanda Haji Abdul Rashid, Minister of Development; Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, Minister of Education; Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunication; Dato Seri Setia Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohammad, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports; MOH and EVYD Technology staff and members of the public as they walked 6 km from Taman Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien to the waterfront and back, to contribute to the Billion Steps Together campaign.

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar, Minister of Health, said: “With the launch of one of the health management features in the BruHealth app, the BN on the Move feature will hopefully encourage the public to lead a healthier lifestyle by exercising or conducting activities together. Activity trackers provide data which enable you to become aware of your physical activity levels, work towards a goal and monitor progress. Studies have shown walking and physical activities can lead to weight loss, improved glucose tolerance and reduced blood pressure. As part of the Ministry of Health’s plans to further develop the BruHealth app to become a Digital Health App that can personally tailor health plans for each individual, MOH and EVYD Technology have laid out plans to roll out in phases improvements to BruHealth to ensure the public can benefit using it, and to personalize BruHealth for individual person health management plans.”

Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology, said: “EVYD Technology is pleased to partner the Ministry of Health to launch Billion Steps Together, to get Bruneians and residents out and about and getting fitter and healthier together. This is part of our commitment to improving people’s health at the national, community and individual levels, and builds on our work with the ministry in optimizing the healthcare sector in Brunei.”

“We are pleased to have helped the ministry develop a COVID-19 pandemic management platform with BruHealth, and to now partner them to encompass population and individual health management with its evolution into a national health app. Today’s launch of Billion Steps Together is just our latest joint initiative to improve the health of Bruneians. We look forward to launching more initiatives in future to give them the best health outcomes possible.”

Participants in the Billion Steps Together campaign are able to view their personal rankings amongst their friends and within the country from a leaderboard in the app. They can also view the number of steps contributed to the campaign in order to reach 1 billion steps. The nation’s progress towards 1 billion steps can also be seen as a live update in the BruHealth app. Active participants who continually track their steps and invite their friends to join in the plan will be rewarded with prizes, which will be announced soon.
Hashtag: #EVYDTechnology

About EVYD Technology

EVYD Technology is a healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data company with the mission to transform healthcare using data intelligence. Its solutions enable value-based healthcare that is safer, better and more accessible for global communities. It offers solutions to policymakers to enhance public health monitoring, generate insights for policymaking and implement initiatives such as value-based healthcare and population health management. It also offers solutions to the research community to enhance the efficiency and quality of their research, from which insights generated could be leveraged to benefit the broader ecosystem. The company’s flagship EVYDENCE operating platform aggregates raw data that reside in disparate information systems and convert them into computable, structured and standardised data so that they could be further processed to derive deep insights and knowledge using natural language processing, machine learning and other AI technologies. EVYD Technology is a Brunei Investment Agency investee company.

For more information, visit

Samsung Laos Showcases Major Innovations

Minister of Technology and Communication, Prof. Dr. Borviengkham Vongdala (middle right) and Managing Director of Branch Thai Samsung Electronics to Cambodia and Laos, Mr. Hyung Geun Lee(middle left).

The “Unveiling the Next Galaxy” event will highlight the exciting new technology released at the “Samsung Global Unpacked 2022” event on 10 August, bringing the all-new Galaxy closer to stakeholders and giving consumers the chance to pre-order cutting edge offerings.

Third times the charm: OPPO wins again EISA’s ADVANCED SMARTPHONE 2022-2023 AWARD breaks new ground with the EISA IN-EAR HEADPHONES 2022-2023 AWARD

The Find X5 Pro wins coveted EISA award for ADVANCED SMARTPHONE of the Year
The Enco X2 wins EISA award for IN-EAR HEADPHONES of the Year

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach – 15 August 2022 – Today, OPPO, one of the leading manufacturers of smart devices in the world, receives two prestigious awards: the “EISA ADVANCED SMARTPHONE 2022-2023” award for the flagship handset, the OPPO Find X5 Pro, and the “EISA IN-EAR HEADPHONES 2022-2023” award for the Enco X2 earbuds. The accolades were presented by the Expert Image and Sound Association (EISA), a coalition of 59 of the most reputable consumer electronics publications in the world.

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Bingo Liu, President of OPPO Western Europe revealed:

“We are overjoyed to receive the EISA award for the innovation of the Find X5 Pro.” Winning the advanced smartphone award for third year in a row demonstrates our dedication to creating devices that exceed consumer expectations and provide premium out-of-this-world experiences. The Find X5 Pro raises the bar for smartphone imaging and premium design by incorporating industry-leading features that allow consumers to be their true selves and inspire their expression of individuality on their own terms. It’s an honour to be recognised for our efforts in upleveling the smartphone market but to also receive recognition for our latest IoT device is thrilling. Building on the momentum of the previous generation, Enco X, the Enco X2 redefines the audio experience while also serving as a fashion statement with its class-leading acoustic performance and elegant design.”

Paul Miller, President of EISA shared:
“Incorporating a superior camera system with advanced stabilisation technology, amazing battery capacity and a premium build, the impressive OPPO Find X5 Pro is a smartphone whose features define the current state-of-the-art. Inside the glass-fronted chassis (finished in white or black ceramic) resides a 4nm octa-core Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and up to 512GB storage and 12GB RAM. Combined with its 170mm LTPO 2.0 AMOLED display with dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, the Find X5 Pro offers an unbeatable specification – and with its powerful 50MP main camera complemented by a 50MP ultra-wide angle lens and 13MP telephoto lens with OIS, we rate it currently the most advanced smartphone in the world, by far.”

The OPPO Find X5 Pro is the result of a decade of research and development into mobile camera systems. This has allowed OPPO to create the MariSilicon X, OPPO’s self-developed chipset, dedicated to bringing to life the beauty in front of the camera. The paradigm-shifting imaging technology made its debut within this industry-recognised smartphone powerhouse and changed the industry forever. The handset takes computational photography to the next level with a particular focus on low-light videography, where each frame has detail, clarity and dynamic range that excels in conjunction with OPPO’s 1 Billion Colour Capture technology.

Paul Miller, President of EISA further added:

“Key to the appeal of OPPO’s true wireless Enco X2 is the collaboration with audio specialist Dynaudio, but arguably the most important feature is an ability to record Dolby binaural stereo sound, a must-have function for modern content creators. A bold upgrade on its predecessor model, the Enco X2 features a new two-way coaxial driver arrangement, partnering an ultra-light, ultra-thin dynamic bass driver with quad-magnet planar unit that handles high frequencies to a rated 40kHz. Allied to these hardware innovations are advanced processing – including active noise cancelling – and high-quality DAC supporting 96kHz sample rates. OPPO’s earbuds feature special antibacterial tips and are dust/water resistant. This is a top-level wireless in-ear headphone mixing rich features with extremely good sound reproduction.”

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The OPPO Enco X2 continues to provide premium true-to-life sound quality with its collaboration with Dynaudio. It features a coaxial dual-driver design, often only seen in high-end audio products. It offers an industry-leading noise cancellation capability with a 45 dB maximum depth and a 4 kHz maximum width. The 45dB depth helps you find a quiet corner, no matter where you are – whether at work, on a bus, or even in the air.

Hashtag: #OPPO

About EISA

EISA, the largest independent grouping of multimedia technology specialists in the world, provides a distinctive, global perspective on the consumer electronics industry. The best impartial recommendations for purchasing consumer technology have been offered by the EISA Awards for almost 40 years. The EISA Awards are chosen every year by Expert Groups from 59 top photography, home theatre video, home theatre audio, hi-fi, in-car, and mobile electronics publications and websites in 28 different countries. Working together under the auspices of EISA, the Expert Groups are autonomous but cooperative.

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.

Laos Sees Trade Deficit of USD 144 Million in July

Container trucks at Thanaleng Dry Port(Photo: Thanaleng Dry Port)

Laos posted a trade deficit of 114 million US dollars in July as the balance of imports and exports trended downward.

UNFPA Celebrates International Youth Day 2022

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) joined the Lao Youth Union (LYU) and other partners to mark International Youth Day on 12-13 August, with the theme “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.”