32 C
Vientiane
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 41

Suit Up for Battle in KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME – Global Pre-Registration Starts April 25

Kickoff Trailer and Gameplay Details Revealed

LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The hit manga-turned-anime phenomenon Kaiju No. 8 is expanding its universe with KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME, a brand-new Kaiju-Slaying Battle RPG for smartphone and PC. Co-produced by Akatsuki Games, TOHO and Production I.G., the game immerses players in the explosive world of Naoya Matsumoto’s best-selling series. The global pre-registration is now live (excluding Mainland China), alongside the release of the full trailer and key game details.

© JAKDF 3rd Division © Naoya Matsumoto/SHUEISHA | © Akatsuki Games Inc./TOHO CO., LTD./Production I.G
© JAKDF 3rd Division © Naoya Matsumoto/SHUEISHA | © Akatsuki Games Inc./TOHO CO., LTD./Production I.G

With over 18 million copies in circulation in Japan and a worldwide fanbase, Kaiju No. 8 is one of the most acclaimed series in recent years. The upcoming game brings its massive scale and intensity to life, letting players experience exhilarating attacks with intuitive controls as they battle towering Kaiju in fast-paced, cinematic combat that stays true to the heart-pounding action of the original story.

Offering a fresh spin on turn-based combat, KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME lets players crush colossal Kaiju with a game-changing blow in this Kaiju-Slaying Battle RPG. The game pairs accessible gameplay with high-impact visuals, cinematic Ultimate Moves, and high-fidelity models of titanic Kaiju that bring the world of Kaiju No. 8 vividly to life. In addition to exploring Kafka Hibino’s story, the game features an all-new original storyline, expanding the lore and deepening the universe for fans.

Kickoff Trailer and Special Broadcast Now Streaming

The Kaiju No. 8 Anime x Game Special Broadcast premiered today with the first full trailer and gameplay details. The broadcast spotlighted iconic characters from the elite Defense Force: Kafka Hibino, Mina Ashiro, Reno Ichikawa, Kikoru Shinomiya and Soshiro Hoshina, teaming up to protect Japan from calamitous Kaiju.

Pre-Register Now for Exclusive In-Game Rewards

KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME is now open for pre-registration on the App Store, Google Play and Steam. Upon reaching each pre-registration milestone, players will be presented with exclusive in-game rewards such as a Playable Character★4 [Aiming for Greater Heights] Mina Ashiro, after the official launch. Don’t miss your chance to stand against the Kaiju — join the fight today.

Game Overview

  • Title: KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME
  • Platforms: iOS App Store / Google Play / Steam®
  • Price: Free-to-play (in-game purchases available)
  • Supported Languages: Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, French
  • Planning & Production: Akatsuki Games Inc. / TOHO CO., LTD. / Production I.G
  • Development & Operation: Akatsuki Games Inc.
  • Publisher: Akatsuki Games Inc.
  • Publicity Cooperation: TOHO CO., LTD., Production I.G
  • Copyright:
    © JAKDF 3rd Division © Naoya Matsumoto/SHUEISHA
    © Akatsuki Games Inc./TOHO CO., LTD./Production I.G
  • Official Website: https://kj8-thegame.com
  • X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/kj8_TheGame_EN
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kj8-TheGame-EN

About Kaiju No. 8

Based on the popular manga series by Naoya Matsumoto, currently serialized on Shonen Jump+ (published by Shueisha) since 2020, the anime Kaiju No. 8 tells the story of the Japan Defense Force, an elite unit tasked with protecting civilians by eliminating the monstrous Kaiju that threaten daily life. The original manga has surpassed 18 million copies in circulation in Japan, with over 700 million total views on Shonen Jump+ as of April 2025.

The anime, which aired from April to June 2024, achieved tremendous popularity—ranking No. 1 on daily streaming charts across major platforms in Japan. A compilation of Anime Kaiju No. 8 Season 1 was released in theaters alongside the special feature Hoshina’s Day Off on March 28, 2025. The highly anticipated Season 2 is officially slated to air in July 2025.

Official Anime Website: https://kaiju-no8.net/
Official Anime X: https://twitter.com/KaijuNo8_O

About Akatsuki Games Inc.
It is our mission to connect the emotions of people around the world by putting our beliefs and “why” into games. We challenge ourselves to create global hits as a world-class game company with the highest standards of development and operation in Japan.
In addition to the experience of operating games such as Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.) and Romancing SaGa Re; Universe (published by SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.), we are taking on the challenges of using high-end 3D graphics display and development on multiple devices. We will deliver the highest quality games for everyone around the world to enjoy.

Photo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/akatsuki_games.jpg

KB FINANCIAL GROUP INC. FILES ITS ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 20-F

SEOUL, South Korea, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On April 25, 2025, KB Financial Group Inc. filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  The 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F can be downloaded from www.kbfg.com, as well as from the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.  Investors may request a hard copy of the 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F, free of charge, by contacting kbir@kbfg.com

About KB Financial Group Inc.

KB Financial Group is Korea’s leading financial services provider, offering a broad range of financial products and services. The Group was founded in 2008 to better serve clients, enable growth and deliver value in a rapidly changing financial environment. Our core strengths are our expertise, broad customer base, wide distribution network and strong franchise value.

Under the Group, there are 11 subsidiaries including KB Kookmin Bank, KB Securities, KB Insurance, KB Kookmin Card, KB Life Insurance, KB Asset Management, KB Capital, KB Real Estate Trust, KB Savings Bank, KB Investment, and KB Data Systems. Through our businesses, we provide integrated financial solutions and services that help our clients achieve their financial goals and thrive.

For more information, please visit the Investor Relations section of the website of KB Financial Group Inc. at www.kbfg.com.

Contact information regarding this press release:

Mr. Suk Young Sun, Tel: 82 2 2073 2813, Email: tobegreat7@kbfg.com

Yatsen CEO on Science-Backed Beauty, Turnaround Strategy, and Global Positioning

SHANGHAI, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On a recent episode of Bloomberg’s China Show, David (Jingfeng) Huang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Yatsen Holding Ltd. (NYSE: YSG), offered a revealing look into how the Chinese beauty tech company is evolving from a trend-savvy startup into a global innovation leader.

From a growing portfolio of brands to deep investments in science and R&D, Huang positioned Yatsen as a rare hybrid—both agile and deeply rooted in long-term thinking. His message was clear: beauty is being redefined, and Yatsen intends to lead the next era.


A Vision to Build a Tech-Driven Beauty Powerhouse

Founded in 2016, Yatsen first captured attention through Perfect Diary, now a mainstream brand in China. Since then, the company has expanded to 11 brands, spanning mass, masstige, and premium tiers.

Its lineup includes France’s Galenic, focused on cellular anti-aging, the sensorial British skincare brand EVE LOM, and dermatologist-backed Dr.Wu. Together, these brands reflect a deliberate strategy: address varied consumer needs with credible, differentiated propositions.

“Our vision was always to build a next-generation beauty tech company,” Huang explained. “From trend-driven to science-backed, we now offer products across all major segments—what unites them is innovation.”

China’s Beauty Consumers: Smart, Selective, and Innovation-Hungry

The domestic beauty market in China is vast—valued at over RMB 400 billion—yet remains fragmented. Even the top players only command single-digit market shares, giving agile innovators room to grow.

Despite recent macro challenges, Huang is confident: “Chinese consumers are still highly willing to pay—as long as the product truly delivers.”

That belief led to one of Yatsen’s breakout hits: the Biolip Essence Lipstick. Priced similarly to global luxury brands, this hybrid product combines high-performance color with skincare benefits, including patented ingredients that stimulate collagen and reduce lip wrinkles.

“It’s not just makeup. It’s biotech in a lipstick,” Huang said. “And the market responded—we’ve seen strong repurchase and loyalty.”


Science-Led Premiumization: A Strategic Pivot

Yatsen’s transformation goes beyond branding. In 2021, the company initiated a strategic shift: lean harder into skincare, R&D, and innovation-led premiumization. The move was both ambitious and risky, as it involved restructuring operations, reallocating capital, and riding out a tough market cycle.

“Turning around a public company isn’t easy,” said Huang. “But we knew where the market was going—toward science-backed, benefit-driven beauty. We invested over $80 million in R&D, filed 240+ patents, and published in top-tier journals like Nature Medicine and Science Bulletin.”

He added that 3% of Yatsen’s revenue is now allocated to R&D—putting the company among global leaders in innovation spend ratio in the beauty category.

Profitability Resumed, Market Confidence Growing

While Yatsen’s stock price has yet to return to IPO levels, Huang emphasized the fundamentals are stronger than ever.

“Since last quarter, investor feedback has been increasingly positive. But more important than sentiment is performance—we’ve resumed profitable growth, with a long-term focus on value creation,” he said.

The turnaround, built on disciplined brand building and product innovation, has earned Yatsen growing respect among long-term investors.

“We believe the equity market is a weighing machine over time. Our job is to do the right things—R&D, great products, strong brands—and the value will follow.”

Resilience in a Volatile Global Landscape

Huang also addressed concerns around trade and supply chain disruptions, particularly in light of global tariff tensions.

While the beauty industry is highly globalized, Yatsen has insulated itself well. Most of its components and ingredients are sourced domestically, and its primary market remains mainland China.

“We’re not immune, but we’re well-positioned,” he said. “We monitor risks—supplier stability, cross-border issues—but our current exposure is manageable. Still, we stay agile.”

When asked whether cost increases from potential tariffs would be passed on to consumers, Huang pointed to the brand’s focus on delivering value, not just price.

“Consumers are smart. Post-COVID, they’re more price-sensitive, but they’re not chasing the lowest price. They want high value—products that justify their cost.”

A Different Playbook From Global Competitors

Huang believes that Yatsen’s unique blend of local insight and global scientific ambition sets it apart from multinationals struggling to regain ground in China.

“We’re not just following trends—we’re deeply embedded in where Chinese consumer preferences are heading,” he said. “Biotech, neuroscience, ingredient innovation—this is where we’re betting big.”

Yatsen is already seeing results from this strategy with loyal followings for products under brands like Galenic and high-performance serums featuring vitamin A and C.

In a nod to its future direction, Huang revealed that Yatsen is now exploring neuroscience applications in skincare—a niche with massive long-term potential.

Capital Strategy: Transparency, Optionality, and Growth

On the capital markets front, Huang acknowledged investor concerns around ADR delistings and so on. But Yatsen is taking a disciplined, transparent approach.

The company completed a $200 million share buyback, reinforcing confidence and alignment with shareholders.

Yatsen represents a rare blend of scale, agility, and innovation depth. With proven market traction, a science-led product pipeline, and a profitable operating model, the company is positioned to capture long-term share in a fragmented, fast-evolving industry. In terms of Yatsen’s vision,  “We’re not just making beauty products,” Huang concluded, “We’re inventing the future of beauty—and we’re just getting started.”

Ping An Reports Steady 2.4% Growth In Operating Profit Attributable to Shareholders of the Parent Company in Q1 2025, Life & Health NBV Jumps 34.9% YoY, Group Total Assets Rise above RMB13 Trillion

HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter “Ping An” or the “Group”, HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) today announced its first quarter financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

With macroeconomic policies continuing to exert their effects, China’s economy achieved a steady start, maintaining an upward trend in the first three months of 2025. However, foundations for sustained economic recovery and growth still needed to be strengthened due to an increasingly complex and severe external environment, subdued domestic effective demand, and volatile capital markets. Ping An maintained steady performance with solid fundamentals in overall operations by focusing on its core financial businesses, driving innovation, and pursuing high-quality development.

The Group’s operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose 2.4% year on year to RMB37,907 million in the first three months of 2025. Life and health insurance (“Life & Health”) business’s operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose 5.0% year on year to RMB26,864 million. The Group’s total assets rose above RMB13 trillion to RMB13.18 trillion as of March 31, 2025. Life & Health business developed steadily with enhanced multi-channel capabilities and high quality. New business value (“NBV”) rose strongly by 34.9% year on year to RMB12,891 million and NBV margin grew 10.4 pps year on year to 32.0% in the first three months of 2025. Notably, NBV from the bancassurance channel and community finance channel jumped 170.8% and 171.3% year on year respectively. Ping An further advanced its integrated finance model. Retail customers increased 1.0% from the beginning of the year to nearly 245 million as of March 31, 2025. The retention rate of retail customers holding four or more contracts within the Group was 98.0%. Ping An further advanced its health and senior care strategy. Nearly 63% of Ping An’s nearly 245 million retail customers were entitled to service benefits in the health and senior care ecosystem as of March 31, 2025. Ping An’s insurance funds achieved sound investment results. The investment portfolio achieved an unannualized comprehensive investment yield of 1.3% in the first three months of 2025, up 0.2 pps year on year.

1.    Deepening Integrated Finance; Strengthening Multichannel Development in Life Insurance

Ping An enhanced the development of retail customers under a customer needs-oriented philosophy. The Group’s retail customers increased 1.0% from the beginning of the year to nearly 245 million and contracts per retail customer grew 0.3% from the beginning of the year to 2.93 as of March 31, 2025. High customer retention. The retention rate of customers holding four or more contracts within the Group was 98.0% as of March 31, 2025, 11.9 pps higher than that of those holding only one contract. Strong customer growth. There were 8.64 million new customers in the first three months of 2025, up 20.0% year on year. Deep product penetration. Penetration rates of life and health insurance products as well as property and casualty insurance products were relatively high and grew steadily to 45.8% (up 0.9 pps from the beginning of the year) and 30.7% (up 0.1 pps from the beginning of the year) respectively as of March 31, 2025.

Life & Health NBV achieved robust growth. Ping An Life continued to enhance its channels and improve business quality under the “4 channels + 3 products” strategy in the first three months of 2025. By upgrading “insurance + service” solutions, Ping An Life continuously strengthened its presence in health and senior care sectors and provided customers with professional, heartwarming services, enabling high-quality development of the company. Life & Health NBV grew 34.9% year on year to RMB12,891 million with NBV margin based on annualized new premium rising 10.4 pps year on year to 32.0% in the first three months of 2025. Significantly enhanced multichannel capabilities. Through continuously deepening transformation and focusing on a team development framework that prioritized the cultivation, recruitment and fostering of high-quality agents, the agent channel NBV increased by 11.5% year on year, and NBV per agent increased by 14.0% year on year. Bancassurance channel NBV surged by 170.8% year on year, as Ping An Life adhered to a diversification strategy, standardized outlet operations, and developed high-performing teams. The community finance channel NBV soared by 171.3% year on year, as Ping An Life had set up 131 community finance outlets in 93 cities, and built elite teams of nearly 24,000 “high-competence, high-performing, and high-quality” agents as of March 31, 2025. The community finance channel’s overall persistency ratio of “retained customers” improved by 0.5 pps year on year in the first three months of 2025, thanks to continuous breakthroughs in customer development. “Insurance + Service” solutions were upgraded. Ping An Life provided nearly 10 million customers with health management services in the first three months of 2025. Over 190,000 customers qualified for home-based senior care services, which covered 75 cities nationwide as of March 31, 2025. Ping An had unveiled a total of six premium health and senior care communities in five cities as of March 31, 2025, which are currently under construction. The communities in Shanghai and Shenzhen are scheduled to open for business in the second half of 2025.

Ping An P&C maintained steady insurance business growth and good business quality. Ping An P&C’s premium income grew 7.7% year on year to RMB85,138 million and insurance revenue rose 0.7% year on year to RMB81,153 million in the first three months of 2025. Overall combined ratio improved by 3.0 pps year on year to 96.6%. The company accelerated transformation by actively applying AI technologies represented by DeepSeek to its core business processes, optimizing operational and business models to forge a new driver of high-quality growth.

Ping An’s insurance funds investment achieved solid results. The investment portfolio achieved an unannualized comprehensive investment yield of 1.3%, up 0.2 pps year on year. The Group’s insurance funds investment portfolio grew 3.3% from the beginning of the year to over RMB5.92 trillion as of March 31, 2025.

Ping An Bank maintained steady business performance and stable asset quality. The bank’s revenue and net profit totaled RMB33,709 million and RMB14,096 million respectively in the first three months of 2025 as a result of market changes and business mix optimization. Non-performing loan ratio and provision coverage ratio were 1.06% and 236.53% respectively as of March 31, 2025. Core tier 1 capital adequacy ratio rose 0.29 pps from the beginning of the year to 9.41% as of March 31, 2025.

2.    Differentiation-Enabled Core Financial Businesses Under the Health and Senior Care Strategy

Ping An’s health and senior care ecosystem created both standalone direct value and huge indirect value by enabling its core financial businesses via differentiated “Product + Service” offerings. Nearly 63% of Ping An’s nearly 245 million retail customers were entitled to service benefits in the health and senior care ecosystem as of March 31, 2025. They held approximately 3.37 contracts and RMB61,200 in assets under management per capita, 1.6 times and 4.0 times those held by retail customers not entitled to these service benefits respectively.

Ping An made significant progress in customer development by effectively integrating insurance with health and senior care services. Ping An’s health and senior care ecosystem enables its core financial businesses through customer acquisition and retention. Synergies between integrated finance and the health and senior care ecosystem give Ping An Health and PKU Healthcare Group access to corporate and retail customers of Ping An’s financial businesses. They also give companies including Ping An Life access to service benefits in the Group’s health and senior care ecosystem. The Group’s health and senior care ecosystem had over 42,000 paying corporate clients and generated over RMB38.5 billion in health insurance premium income in the first three months of 2025. Over 190,000 customers qualified for home-based senior care services, which covered 75 cities nationwide as of March 31, 2025. Ping An has unveiled premium health and senior care communities in 5 cities.

The proprietary flagship business maintained an upward trend, while the integrated “online, in-store, in-home, and in-company” service network was further optimized. In respect of proprietary flagships, PKU Healthcare Group’s revenue grew steadily to approximately RMB1,200 million in the first three months of 2025. Peking University International Hospital’s revenue grew about 9% year on year to approximately RMB550 million, and the number of outpatient visits exceeded 302,000 in the first three months of 2025. In respect of partner networks, Ping An provided services via an “online, in-store, in-home and in-company” network by integrating domestic and overseas premium resources including medical services, health services, commodities and medicines. Ping An had about 50,000 in-house doctors and external doctors in China as of March 31, 2025. It also partnered with nearly 37,000 hospitals (including all top 100 hospitals and 3A hospitals), approximately 105,000 health management institutions and nearly 239,000 pharmacies (up by over 3,500 from the beginning of the year) in China as of March 31, 2025.

3.    Building a “9+5+3” Moat to Implement AI Technologies; Integrating Large Models with Business Application Scenarios

The Group built a “9+5+3” moat to implement AI technologies. The nine databases process over 1 billion data entries per day on average, covering 240 million financial customers, providing deep insights into user needs and enabling user experience improvements. The five labs (Micro-Expression Lab, Computer Vision Lab, Speech & NLP Lab, Data Analytics Lab, and Silicon Valley Lab) continuously explore cutting-edge technologies. The three tech member companies (Ping An Technology, Ping An Health, and OneConnect) focus on expanding the breadth and depth of AI application scenarios. Ping An has accumulated vast amounts of data that can be used to train large models, and continuously develops vertical large models for domains including finance, health care and senior care. Trained with a domain data corpus containing over 3.2 trillion tokens, approximately 310 thousand hours of labeled speeches and over 7.5 billion images, Ping An’s large speech models, large language models, and large vision models have achieved industry-leading accuracy rates in scenarios. The Group cumulatively won 45 championships in domestic and overseas AI competitions, and cumulatively filed 55,435 patent applications as of March 31, 2025, leading most international financial institutions.

Technology enabled core financial businesses by reducing costs, enhancing efficiency, and mitigating risks. The volume of services provided by Ping An’s AI service representatives reached about 450 million times, accounting for 80% of Ping An’s total customer service volume in the first three months of 2025. By efficiently addressing inquiries and resolving complaints, they significantly reduced human service costs. Via smart underwriting, smart claim settlement and smart policy renewal, 93% of life insurance policies were underwritten within seconds, 56% of life insurance claims were settled through Smart Quick Claim, and reinstatement of life insurance policies accelerated by 12%. Moreover, Ping An P&C’s claims savings via smart fraud detection grew 14.0% year on year to RMB3.42 billion as Ping An continuously strengthened risk management.

Ping An actively fulfilled its social responsibilities by supporting green development and rural vitalization. The Group’s green insurance premium income amounted to RMB16,880 million and funds provided for rural industrial vitalization via “Rural Communities Support” totaled RMB15,653 million in the first three months of 2025.

Looking ahead, the national strategies of innovation-driven development and the expansion of domestic demand will continue to provide strong momentum for domestic demand growth and economic recovery. Meanwhile, rising complexity, severity, and uncertainty in the external environment pose both opportunities and challenges. Ping An firmly believes that the industry’s long-term fundamentals will remain positive. With stronger business resilience and enhanced management capabilities, Ping An is committed to deepening its core financial businesses and driving performance growth. The Group will continue to advance its technology-driven “integrated finance + health and senior care” strategy, implement digital transformation and “worry-free, time-saving, and money-saving” value proposition, bolster five key financial sectors (technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance). Ping An is dedicated to creating long-term, stable, and sustainable value for customers, employees, shareholders, and society.

 

X Financial Files Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2024

SHENZHEN, China, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — X Financial (NYSE: XYF) (the “Company” or “we”), a leading online personal finance company in China, today announced it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 25, 2025. The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.xiaoyinggroup.com as well as the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon request. Requests should be directed to the Company’s IR Department at ir@xiaoying.com

About X Financial

X Financial (NYSE: XYF) (the “Company”) is a leading online personal finance company in China. The Company is committed to connecting borrowers on its platform with its institutional funding partners. With its proprietary big data-driven technology, the Company has established strategic partnerships with financial institutions across multiple areas of its business operations, enabling it to facilitate and originate loans to prime borrowers under a risk assessment and control system.

For more information, please visit: https://ir.xiaoyinggroup.com.

For more information, please contact:

X Financial
Mr. Frank Fuya Zheng
E-mail: ir@xiaoying.com 

Christensen IR

In China
Mr. Rene Vanguestaine
Phone: +86-178-1749 0483
E-mail: rene.vanguestaine@christensencomms.com 

In US
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com

Xinhua Silk Road: E. China’s Zaozhuang City boosts spring farming with smart agriculture

BEIJING, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shizhong District of Zaozhuang City in east China’s Shandong Province is harnessing smart agriculture technologies to enhance spring farming efficiency, with its 600-mu (40-hectare) Wonong Smart Agricultural Industrial Park leading the transformation.

The park’s tomato crops, now entering harvest season, have achieved an 80 percent reduction in water use and a 30 percent yield increase through precision irrigation and nutrient systems.

Equipped with integrated water-fertilization and digital temperature-control systems, the park’s greenhouses use sensors to monitor real-time environmental data, including temperature, humidity, and light.

Farmers remotely adjust irrigation, ventilation, and climate settings via smartphones, enabling “cloud-based spring ploughing” to counter unpredictable weather.

The park’s 74 newly built high-standard greenhouses employ full-element nutrition fertilization, delivering tailored nutrient solutions directly to plant roots based on growth stages.

In addition, local agricultural experts provide on-site guidance to optimize pest control and crop varieties, ensuring stable production for the park’s smart farming zone.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/345367.html

 

OneConnect Releases ESG Report for the Third Consecutive Year, Strengthening Its Leadership in Sustainable Finance

SHANGHAI, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On April 24, OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd (“OneConnect” or the “Company”, NYSE: OCFT, HKSE: 6638) officially released its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. This marks the third consecutive year that OneConnect has published its ESG report, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility. The report provides a comprehensive overview of OneConnect’s strategic initiatives and annual achievements across the three pillars of ESG. These efforts align closely with the ” Five Priority Areas in Finance,”, showcasing OneConnect’s continued exploration and firm actions in promoting green finance, serving underbanked communities, cultivating new quality productive forces in finance, mitigating financial risks, and driving global development.

Chen Dangyang, Chairman and CEO of OneConnect, emphasized that amid shifting global political and economic landscapes and the rapid advancement of technological innovation, digital and intelligent transformation—powered by emerging quality productive forces—has become a defining trend in the financial industry. As a leading technology service provider committed to driving digital transformation across the financial sector, OneConnect remains focused on empowering financial institutions through technological innovation. The company is dedicated to proactively addressing industry evolution, building a robust innovation engine to foster new productive forces, accelerating digital and intelligent upgrades, and contributing to the high-quality development of the financial ecosystem.

As Ping An’s exclusive platform for exporting fintech solutions, OneConnect has consistently enhanced its ESG framework in response to an increasingly complex global economic and regulatory environment. ESG principles are fully integrated into every facet of the company’s operations—from strategic planning and business processes to product development and risk management—cultivating a sustainability-oriented culture that is deeply embedded and embraced across the entire organization.

In 2024, OneConnect identified 25 key material topics, prioritizing areas such as climate change mitigation, digital inclusion, technological innovation, compliance and governance, employee development, and social responsibility. The company carried out structured and transparent disclosures aligned with leading international frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) ESG Reporting Guide, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In terms of institutional development, OneConnect revised and optimized over 10 core policy documents covering key risk areas such as operational risk, data security, and concentration risk management, with no major compliance violations reported throughout the year. On integrity governance, the company strengthened its anti-corruption mechanisms by organizing 13 integrity awareness campaigns and promoting the signing of anti-fraud commitment letters with 314 suppliers, further reinforcing its governance foundation.

As a technology platform dedicated to advancing green finance, OneConnect has pledged to achieve operational carbon neutrality by 2030. In 2024, the company successfully maintained its per capita greenhouse gas emissions below 0.4 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent and reduced office energy consumption by 46% compared to conventional workplaces of similar scale, primarily through the adoption of energy-efficient technologies.

Its green office initiatives span major locations such as Shenzhen and Shanghai, with the comprehensive implementation of sustainability measures—including energy-saving lighting, motion-activated lighting systems, solar-adaptive smart curtains, green procurement practices, and high-efficiency air conditioning systems.By continuously enhancing energy efficiency and optimizing resource utilization, OneConnect is strengthening its carbon reduction efforts across operations and actively fostering a sustainable, low-carbon office ecosystem.

In the realm of green digital services, OneConnect has integrated energy management, carbon emissions tracking, and lean operations modules into its digital platform. These capabilities enable the company to offer enterprise clients comprehensive solutions for analyzing operational energy efficiency and monitoring carbon emissions, thereby contributing its technological expertise to the advancement of a low-carbon, sustainable economy.

Driven by technology, OneConnect continues to upgrade its inclusive finance service system, striving to improve both the accessibility and inclusiveness of financial services. In terms of its product architecture, OneConnect focuses on 4 core financial scenarios: retail, credit, property insurance, and life insurance. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies including AI and big data, the company delivers comprehensive upgrades to financial institutions’ capabilities in customer operations, channel management, and risk control.

OneConnect remains steadfast in its commitment to corporate citizenship, actively participating in public welfare initiatives and volunteer services, while leveraging innovative financial service models to support social development. In 2024, the company launched the “Love Without Waste” donation campaign in Shenzhen and Shanghai, providing books, toys, and daily necessities to underprivileged children in regions such as Daliang Mountain, Sichuan. Through its “Grow Together” charity walk, OneConnect raised funds to support rural education initiatives. Over the year, employees contributed more than 300 hours of ESG-related volunteer service, with over 100 team members taking part.

In promoting sustainable supply chain management, OneConnect conducted responsibility-based onboarding assessments for 314 suppliers, working collaboratively with partners to build a transparent, green, and compliant business ecosystem. These initiatives reflect OneConnect’s enduring belief that financial innovation should serve not only markets, but also people and communities.

Thanks to its continued investment and systematic efforts in advancing its ESG strategy, promoting inclusive technology, and practicing green finance, OneConnect received multiple prestigious industry recognitions in 2024. Highlights include being named to the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) 2025, recognized as one of Forbes China’s Top 10 Fintech Companies in ESG Practices, listed in KPMG China’s ESG 50 – Governance Pioneer List, and receiving the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Fintech Development Award. Over the year, OneConnect registered 35 new software copyrights, bringing its total to 329 domestic and international awards, further underscoring its growing ESG impact.

Today, OneConnect serves 197 overseas financial institutions across the world, covering more than 20 countries and regions, reflecting the company’s rapidly expanding global footprint and technological influence.

Looking ahead, OneConnect will navigate the next wave of technological innovation with technology as its vessel and responsibility as its sail.The company will continue to fortify its technological foundation, increase investment in cutting-edge research and development, expand financial product applications and service models, and further integrate ESG principles into its business operations. Through these efforts, OneConnect aims to contribute to the cultivation of new quality productive forces within the financial industry and support the broader goal of building a strong and resilient financial nation.

Witsbb Sets New Benchmark with Allergen-free 100+ Transparent List, Driving the Industry Standardization

SYDNEY, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Allergy prevention is a concern of parents when they are choosing foods and supplements for their babies. Now, there is a new breakthrough in this dilemma. Recently, Witsbb, an Australian infant nutrition brand, has for the first time released the “Allergen-Free 100+ Transparent List”, which can help select nutritional products for sensitive babies. With innovative technology, 100+ common food allergens are eliminated, including but not limited to eight common allergens such as seafood/shrimp shells, milk, eggs, and so on, as pointed out in the National Standard for Food Safety: General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718-2011). The list covers common allergens that are mandatorily labeled in 12 countries and regions, such as China, Australia, and the United States, allowing cross-region families with sensitive babies to precisely target safe options and provide more scientific and effective nutritional solutions for sensitive babies.

Allergen-free 100+ Transparent List
Allergen-free 100+ Transparent List

By using the list, parents can conveniently screen nutritional supplements suitable for sensitive babies to reduce the risks caused by unknown allergens. For a long time, there are differences in allergen labeling in the industry. Witsbb’s transparent list provides a new way of thinking and direction for allergen labeling in the industry, which to a certain extent, prompts the progress of the industry in allergen labeling management.

Witsbb has been committed to providing safe nutritional products for sensitive babies. It has witnessed it’s development from being free from 8 common allergens at stage 1.0, to being free from 29 common food allergens at stage 2.0, and then to being free from 57 common food allergens at stage 3.0. Now, with the release of the Transparent List, Witsbb has officially entered the 4.0 stage.

“We understand that when choosing nutritional supplements for families with sensitive babies, it is important to avoid the risk of allergies while ensuring nutritional effectiveness,” said the relevant person in charge of Witsbb, “the release of the ‘Allergen Free 100+ Transparent List’ is precisely to enable parents to save their hearts and babies to feel at ease with more transparent information.” At present, the standardized development of the infant nutrition market is still under exploration. The practice of Witsbb can potentially provide a feasible reference model for the industry.

Witsbb “Allergy-free 100+ transparent list” Transparent Exclusion List:
https://www.witsbb.com.au/post/witsbb-allergen-free-100-transparent-exclusion-list