World’s first plant-based pork brand, OmniPork, launches The Big Vegan Pig Out in partnership with UK restaurants in 21 NEW locations to showcase plant-based innovations

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Media OutReach – 28 September 2021 – Asia’s leading 100% plant-based pork brand, OmniPork, is launching a series of popular restaurant partnerships, which will run from now until the 31st October! Joining them are renowned restaurants right across the UK, including cult Kyushu-Brixton fusion Japanese restaurant Nanban, London based burger giants Nanny Bill’s, authentic Vietnamese Hanoi Ca Phe, dim sum aficionados Royal China Group, plant-based specialists Plant Hustler, Plant Powered Pizza, No Bonez and VeganE, as well as pizza start-up Pizza is Lovely, sushi with a difference from Let’s Do Maki and finally, Japanese inspired Negi Nori and Hachi.

The new dishes all use one of OmniPork’s three high-quality pork alternatives – Mince and Luncheon, both of which are Great Taste Awards winners, and Strips – to create an inspired selection of delectable vegan delicacies such as Loaded Poyk & Kimchi Friez with Omni Strips, Omni Miso Tan Tan Men, Steamed OmniPork Radish Dumplings, Spamriyaki Burger, a Meat Feast Pizza featuring OmniPork Mince and even an Omni Shawarma Wrap.

OmniPork was created in 2018, with the brand taking Asia and, most recently, the United Kingdom by storm due to its tender, juicy texture, versatility and sustainability credentials. Available through Ocado and selected supermarkets, OmniPork’s three varieties allow chefs to curate an infinite variety of plant-based dishes and can be seasoned, steamed, pan- or deep-fried, stuffed or crumbled. Made using a proprietary blend of plant-based protein from non-GMO soy, peas, shiitake mushrooms and rice, OmniPork’s products contain less saturated fat, less calories, and zero cholesterol compared to animal-based pork products.

David Yeung, Founder of OmniFoods says, “We are delighted to be partnering with such a dazzling array of talented chefs and lively restaurants to showcase our OmniPork products. With more and more of our community enthusiastically adopting plant-based or flexitarian lifestyles, products like OmniPork allow anyone who is looking for a more sustainable, healthier alternative to seamlessly make the transition away from traditional meat products“.

OmniFoods is part of the award winning food innovation social enterprise Green Monday Group, who work to increase plant-based diet and lifestyle awareness.

#OmniFoods

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 September 2021 – Fosun Tourism Group (“Fosun Tourism” or the “Group”, HKEX Stock Code: 1992), one of the leading leisure-focused integrated tourism groups, is pleased to announce that its core business Club Med Resort, the world’s leading “Premium All-Inclusive” resort brand, held the opening ceremony of Club Med Lijiang Resort in Lijiang City, Yunnan Province on 25 September 2021. Being the first resort of Club Med in Yunnan Province, China, the opening of Club Med Lijiang Resort, demonstrated the completion of the first core element of FOLIDAY Town Lijiang Mediterranean Resort, the one-stop integrated resort destination in Lijiang created by Fosun Tourism. It proves that the Group has never stopped its global development even under the impact of pandemic.

Premium Holiday Experience at Club Med’s First Resort in Yunnan Province under Snowy Mountains in Lijiang

As a French leisure resort brand with more than 70 years of history, Club Med is operating over 60 resorts on six continents. The brand has left a unique and unforgettable holiday memories for guests around the world by virtue of the classic “Premium All-Inclusive” holidays, internationalized G.O (Gentle Organizer) culture, all-age childcare services, splendid evening parties and other special products.

Integrating the magnificent ecological wonders of Lijiang with a civilization of a thousand of years, Club Med’s first resort in Yunnan- Club Med Lijiang Resort , which was completed in the golden Autumn, will create a Naxi-featured, cozy and premium holiday experience for global consumers.

Club Med has built a sizeable indoor water park with a total surface area of 1,500 meter square and a nearly 700 meter square indoor gym. They are the major features of the Club Med Lijiang Resort. There are many attractive recreational facilities, allowing visitors to enjoy the fun of water play in all seasons, even under snowy mountains.

Henri Giscard d’Estaing, Vice Chairman and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of FOLIDAY and President of Club Med, said:

“Since its entry into China, Club Med has opened four Premium All-Inclusive resorts in Sanya, Guilin, Yabuli and Beidahu, covering a wide range of thematic holiday experiences such as skiing in winter, mountains in summer and sunny beaches, which have been highly favored by Chinese consumers. In the moment of the pandemic normalization, China’s tourism market shows full resilience and vitality where Club Med’s business in China in the first half of this year has a triple-digit growth rate, demonstrating its strong brand appeal. With the official opening of Club Med Lijiang Resort, Club Med will continue to get deeply involved in the Chinese market in the future and create more leisure and vacation benchmark products on the basis of differentiated experiences with regional characteristics to help upgrade China’s cultural tourism industry.”

FOLIDAY’s New Quality Holiday Life Provided by FOLIDAY Town

With the opening of Club Med Resort that is the first core element of FOLIDAY Town, the grand blueprint of this one-stop integrated resort destination integrating FOLIDAY’s full ecological IP and resources is unfold.

FOLIDAY Town Lijiang Mediterranean Resort covers a total area of 1,300 acres with the Club Med Resort included, preserving the original ecological features such as meadows, streams, trees, etc., in an attempt to create a paradise that allows nature to speak and people to explore the unknown freely.

Relying on the profound natural and humanistic heritage of the area, four experience sections: living, holiday accommodation, art and culture, and nature leisure have been formed in the resort, with multiple business patterns including the Club Med resort, themed commercial and entertainment district, the Hidden Gems Of Snowing Mountain Park, holiday house, Casa Cook luxury boutique resort hotel, and Albion vacation apartment. According to the project planning, other elements such as the theme commercial street and the Mysterious Snow Mountain theme park in FOLIDAY Town Lijiang Mediterranean Resort will also be opened one from 2022 onwards after the opening of Club Med Lijiang Resort.

Qian Jiannong, Chairman and CEO of FOLIDAY, said:

“As a benchmark product created by FOLIDAY based on the local nature and culture of Lijiang and giving full play to FOLIDAY’s global brand and product power, Club Med Lijiang Resort and FOLIDAY Town Lijiang Mediterranean Resort will bring more than differentiated products to Lijiang and even customers around the world and a rich industrial ecology to Lijiang. Under the guidance of the national ’14th Five-Year’ cultural tourism development plan, FOLIDAY will continue to inject new energy into the high-quality development of China’s cultural tourism with more world-class tourism resort products in the future.”

About Club Med

Founded in 1950 by Gerard Blitz, Club Med offers a new concept of “Premium All-Inclusive” holidays, and in 1967, the Kids’ Club was established to offer a wide range of activities for kids. Led by the pioneering spirit, Club Med has been exploring fantastic destinations. Today, Club Med is the world’s leading “Premium All-Inclusive” brand, providing families and couples with an unforgettable holiday experience through combining French elements.

Club Med has over 60 resorts worldwide, 85% of which are “Premium All-Inclusive” and “Exclusive Collection” resorts. Club Med has 23,000+ Goodwill Organizers (G.Os) and Goodwill Employees (G.Es) from 110 different nationalities in ~30 countries.

About FOLIDAY Town

FOLIDAY Town is a key brand of “Tourism Destination” which is one of the three main business sections of Fosun Tourism Group (also known as “FOLIDAY”). Fosun Tourism Group is dedicated to establishing “FOLIDAY” as a new lifestyle, FOLIDAY Town is the platform and offline destination that brings “FOLIDAY” lifestyle to life. It also represents the core concept of “FOLIDAY” which is Family, Friend and Fun.

As a brand offering upgraded leisure experience, FOLIDAY Town is an all-age, all-scene, multi-format and international lifestyle place, riding on the superior globalized FOLIDAY ecosystem and referring to successful operational practices from Club Med, Thomas Cook and Altlantis Sanya, which are also owned by FOLIDAY. Underpinned by so many truly remarkable tourism brands, FOLIDAY Town aspires to adopt new high tech and infuse local culture in products and experience development. Thereby, it can serve and satisfy families’ pursuit of high-quality leisure life.

About Fosun Tourism Group

Fosun Tourism Group (“Fosun Tourism” or “the Group”, stock code: 1992), the world’s leading leisure-focused integrated tourism group, was listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2018. Fosun Tourism is the largest leisure tourism resorts group worldwide in terms of revenue in 2019*. Through the lifestyle proposition “Every day is FOLIDAY”, Fosun Tourism seeks to infuse concepts of tourism and leisure into everyday living, and provides tailor-made one-stop solutions through FOLIDAY global ecosystem.

* Frost & Sullivan report, an international independent consultancy company.

#FosunTourismGroup

Now the Longest Subsea Cable System in the World

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 September 2021 – The 2Africa consortium, comprised of China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC, announced today the addition of a new segment – the 2Africa PEARLS branch – extending to the Arabian Gulf, Pakistan and into India. This extension will bring the total length of the 2Africa cable system to over 45,000 kilometers, making it the longest subsea cable system ever deployed.

Now connecting three continents, Africa, Europe and Asia terrestrially through Egypt, 2Africa creates unique connectivity by adding vital landing locations in Oman (Barka), UAE (Abu Dhabi and Kalba), Qatar (Doha), Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait), Iraq (Al-Faw), Pakistan (Karachi), India (Mumbai), and a fourth landing in Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar). The new 2Africa PEARLS branch joins recently announced extensions to the Canary Islands, the Seychelles, Comoros Islands, Angola, and a new landing to south-east Nigeria.

As with other 2Africa cable landings, capacity will be available in PEARLS landings at carrier-neutral facilities or open-access cable landing stations on a fair and equitable basis, encouraging and supporting the development of a healthy internet ecosystem. 

To further support a burgeoning global digital economy, the expanded system will serve an even wider range of communities that rely on the internet for services from education to healthcare, and businesses, providing economic and social benefits that come from increased connectivity. As announced in May 2020, 2Africa was planned to directly bring seamless international connectivity to 1.2 billion people. Today, with 2Africa PEARLS, 2Africa will be providing international connectivity to an additional 1.8 billion people–that’s 3 billion people, representing 36% of the global population.

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) will deploy the new system utilizing new technologies such as SDM that allow the deployment of up to 16 fiber pairs, double that of older technologies and bringing greater and more cost-effective capacity.

According to China Mobile International (CMI), extending the 2Africa cable system to bring international connectivity to more people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia helps deliver on its vision of driving intelligent digital transformation. CMI continues to invest in the Arabian Gulf region, and the new 2Africa PEARLS branch is an important addition to its network further connecting its PoPs around the Arabian Sea to its digital infrastructure to Europe and Asia. Together with the London and Frankfurt data centers launched earlier, CMI’s resources has built a superhighway, ensuring the capacity as well as the service quality to address the increased bandwidth demand driving by 5G and digitalization, between Europe-Africa-middle East-Asia.

#2Africa

• The whitepaper, created with the Open Data Institute, captures lessons from governments and organizations in Asia that have embarked on data sharing initiatives
• Building a foundation of trust, greater public-private collaboration, and a proactive approach by governments will unlock new opportunities to innovate and solve Asia’s biggest challenges

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 September 2021 – Microsoft today, with support from the Open Data Institute (ODI), released a whitepaper that reveals lessons to help governments and organizations in Asia fully realize the benefits of data sharing and collaboration. It found that establishing a foundation of trust through privacy, security and governance; collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders; and actions by governments to create a strong enabling environment, were crucial to building momentum on data sharing.

Today, 50% of the data generated by online interactions is amassed by less than 100 companies. If this ‘data divide’ continues, economic value will flow only to a few economies and companies in the region. The whitepaper titled “Sharing Data for Impact: Lessons from Data Sharing Initiatives in Asia” was launched as part of Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to address the data divide, by empowering people and organizations to share and use data more effectively and equitably. With support from ODI, the whitepaper features learnings from 10 case studies of data collaboration across markets in Asia – including Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Mike Yeh, Regional Vice President and Director of Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, Microsoft Asia, said: “Data is indispensable to managing some of Asia’s most urgent challenges – from combatting the pandemic, to reducing carbon emissions, and tackling cybersecurity. Regardless of the problem that Asia faces, there’s a good chance that data can be part of the solution. Asia is uniquely poised to be a leader in unlocking the potential of data sharing, as a populous, mobile-first region. But we know that unlocking that potential can only happen when a foundation of trust is established, and when the public and private sectors work together. At Microsoft, we are committed to partnering and growing with governments and organizations in the region to unlock the plentiful opportunities data can bring to Asia.”

Jack Hardinges, Programme Lead, Data Institutions, Open Data Institute, said: “Data sharing is most successful when governments and organizations work together to drive an enabling environment that upholds security, privacy and interoperability. We are committed to building a world where data works for everyone. This means getting data to those who need it, particularly in response to UN Sustainable Development Goals. The case studies that inform the whitepaper’s learnings show us that Asia is on the way to establishing an open, trustworthy data ecosystem – and can take intentional steps to close the ‘data divide’ in ways that benefit societies and economies.”

Dr. Meri Rosich, Chief Data Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, said “Data has the immense capability to unlock a more sustainable future for Asia, and create more value for businesses, governments and societies. Data science is maturing in the region, bringing us opportunities to skill and mature the workforce, customize solutions for customers, build better infrastructure and innovate. All these should be strengthened by established governance policies and strong ethics principles to drive the transformation that advanced data and AI solutions can bring.”

Trust Foundational to Data Sharing

A common theme is that a lack of trust can undermine data sharing initiatives – but this can be overcome through efforts to protect privacy and security, and through strong governance models:

• Privacy management practices are essential, and there is a key role for tools like confidential computing and differential privacy – a practice used in the opening of LinkedIn’s labor market insights data
• To uphold security in data sharing, security-by-design approaches and alignment with security certifications promote trust – cloud-based solutions for data sharing deliver cutting-edge security protections for organizations sharing data 
• Governance models can also be built to protect commercial sensitivities – Through the AI Data Consortium in Japan, contract templates and smart contracts are being developed for AI practitioners to share data more easily

Greater Public-Private Collaboration

The whitepaper further establishes that opportunities for data can only be maximized through active public-private collaboration. Impact is greater when data is useable and interoperable.

• Collaborating on data reaps benefits – such as in sharing LinkedIn data on in-demand roles to close skills gaps in Asia or Microsoft cyber threat intelligence open-source data on COVID-19 related threats to bolster cybersecurity and inform policymaking
• Useability and interoperability can be better facilitated through publishing data that anyone can use and redistribute and is available in common formats with no useability restrictions

Governments to Lead the Charge

Lastly, the paper demonstrated that governments have a key role to play in creating an enabling environment for data sharing to flourish. Priority actions for governments are to publish more useable government data, implement national data sharing policies, and engage with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that regulations affecting data sharing are balanced and transparent. Further regional cooperation to support data sharing through groups like ASEAN and APEC would also have significant positive impact.