Author: Marie Jones

Tokyo, Japan / Malta — JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., and Truevo Payments Ltd (Truevo), a European financial institution that offers Mobile POS, e-commerce and other transactional services, are proud to announce the signing of a license agreement for JCB Card POS acquiring on the network of Truevo on-line and face-to-face POS terminals. With this agreement in place, JCB and Truevo will target to go live in early 2018. The partnership will give both JCB and Truevo additional opportunities to their customer base. JCB will be able to expand the card acceptance, to…

ASEAN Consumers Focus on Quality, Style & Online Reviews HONG KONG — While near-term confidence in major markets has declined among Hong Kong exporters, the outlook for quality, unique style products and services remains bright among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets, according to new research conducted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). “The HKTDC Export Index dropped to 46.2 in the third quarter of the year (3Q17) from a four-year high of 50.1 recorded in the preceding quarter (2Q17),” HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan said at a press conference today. “This shows that local exporters…

HONG KONG — The second Hamleys store in China embraces its grand opening in Xuzhou Sanpower International Plaza. The three-tier toy store contains more than 1,000 SKU, 80 types of toys from over 50 brand suppliers, and several children play zones. The new Xuzhou Hamleys can cater more than 50,000 customers every day. With a store area of 10,000 square meters, it has surpassed the previous record-keeper, the Lubyanka Store in Moscow, and has become the largest Hamleys store among all 114 stores in the world. The opening of the Xuzhou store marks a great milestone – the world’s largest Hamleys…

NEW YORK and TOKYO — Valuation Research Group (VRG), the international affiliate of Valuation Research Corporation (VRC), a leading provider of independent valuation support, announced an affiliate agreement with Tanizawa Sogo Appraisal Co., Ltd. to offer global valuation and real estate services in Japan. “Tanizawa Sogo Appraisal is one of the top three real estate appraisers in Japan, and we are proud to partner with them,” said Bill Hughes, Senior Managing Director of VRC. Tanizawa Sogo Appraisal Co., Ltd. has been in existence for more than 50 years and employs 140 professionals in seven offices across Japan. The real estate appraisal…

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Loyyal, the leading blockchain network for the loyalty and rewards industry, today announced an accord with MyList, the premier gift card and merchandise fulfillment provider in the MENA region. Through this agreement, MyList’s comprehensive network of e-Gift Cards will become available as a potential redemption option for any program operator who joins the Loyyal network. “This is a relationship we are very excited about as it will provide extensive new options for program operators running nodes on the Loyyal network. Loyyal’s program operators will now have access to e-Gift Card redemption options across 100’s of retailers, merchants,…

Expanding Fleet to Boost Capacity, Driven by Surging Regional Oil Demand BANGKOK — Prima Marine PCL (SET:PRM), Thailand’s largest marine transport services provider, debuted on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) today, welcomed by investors. Management hopes to increase the PRM fleet over the next three years as it seeks to expand support across the region, while introducing new routes and meeting increasing demand for transport vessels for oil, petroleum and petrochemicals, amid the increasing demand for oil generated by ongoing growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Mr Chanwit Anakkul, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PRM, which also provides transport vessels…

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Loyyal, the leading blockchain network for the loyalty and rewards industry, today announced an accord with MyList, the premier gift card and merchandise fulfillment provider in the MENA region. Through this agreement, MyList’s comprehensive network of e-Gift Cards will become available as a potential redemption option for any program operator who joins the Loyyal network. “This is a relationship we are very excited about as it will provide extensive new options for program operators running nodes on the Loyyal network. Loyyal’s program operators will now have access to e-Gift Card redemption options across 100’s of retailers, merchants,…

Cooperation Agreements Signed as Initiative Turned “from Vision to Action” HONG KONG — Jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the second Belt and Road Summit concluded today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Under the theme “From Vision to Action,” the Summit gathered 40 senior government ministers and business leaders from Belt and Road countries and regions to discuss the Initiative’s latest developments and to examine opportunities for different sectors. There were also project presentations, one-on-one business-matching meetings and an exhibition area that…

HONG KONG — FDG Electric Vehicles Limited is pleased to announce that the first American shipment of electric trucks began making its way to the United States today. This is not only a significant milestone for FDG and Chanje, but also a significant milestone for the Chinese and American pure electric vehicle industries. FDG established Chanje as the international brand, as it resembles FDG’s domestic brand Changjiang. The co-developed ground-up electric vehicles are internationally recognised, the quality are of international standards and the products are fully exportable. The commercial electric vehicles have been homologated in the U.S. and have also been…

Established a Wholly-owned Subsidiary in Singapore to Seize Development Opportunities Presented by Belt and Road Initiative HONG KONG — AP Rentals Holdings Limited (“AP Rentals” or the “Group” ; Stock Code: 1496), a leading equipment rental-related solutions provider in Hong Kong, has established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Singapore to expand into the Southeast Asian market and to seize business opportunities presented by the PRC’s “Belt and Road” initiative. Hong Kong and Macau have been the primary markets of the Group. However, in view of increasingly stringent environmental requirements imposed by the Hong Kong Government on the construction industry, the Group has…

Complements Parent Company BII’s “Collaborative Development Strategy in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei”; Successfully Implements “Going Out” Strategy via PPP Projects HONG KONG — BII Railway Transportation Technology Holdings Company Limited (the “Company” or “BII Trans Tech,” formerly known as “China City Railway Transportation Technology Holdings Company Limited,” and together with its subsidiaries referred to as the “Group;” HKEX code: 1522.HK) today held an unveiling ceremony to mark formally the debut of its new name. Many investors were present to congratulate and witness the Company making a new milestone. BII Trans Tech is the only overseas listed subsidiary of Beijing Infrastructure Investment…

Survey: Steady Sales Expected, e-Tailing Important Sales Channel HONG KONG — Fashion brand-promotion and launch platform CENTRESTAGE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully yesterday (9 September) after featuring more than 210 fashion brands from 22 countries and regions. The four-day (6-9 September) international fashion event showcased the latest brands and designer collections, attracting 8,500 buyers from 73 countries and regions, up 2.6 per cent over the previous year. Buyers from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia increased significantly; and Asian buyers accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the total buyer attendance. Video: https://youtu.be/5Zn-227xVIE “CENTRESTAGE is an…

HONG KONG — The 36th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair ended its five-day run (5-9 September) today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Ltd, the fair welcomed nearly 21,000 buyers from 92 countries and regions, up 4 per cent over the previous year. Buyer attendance from the Chinese mainland and elsewhere in Asia such as Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as other regions including Canada, France, Iran, Russia and the United Kingdom saw satisfactory growth. Video: https://youtu.be/QNqsRAr1AmI “Hong Kong exports a wide range of watches and…

Reinforces Global Presence to Satisfy Rising Demand from High-growth Cloud Datacom Market HONG KONG — O-Net Technologies (Group) Limited (“O-Net” or the “Group”) (stock code: 877), a leading high-technology enterprise, announced that it has shipped 250,000 pieces of 25GbE, 40GbE and 100GbE Active Optical Cable (“AOC”) to major data center and network equipment manufacturer customers, marking a new milestone for the Group in satisfying the increasing demand from global web-scale operators. AOC, which integrates multimode optical fiber, semiconductor laser and receivers, control chips and modules, boasts high performance, low power consumption and cost-effectiveness. AOC has a wide range of applications, particularly…

– Increased selling price in long-term offtake agreement – Continued strengthening of cooperation with Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company SINGAPORE — BlackGold Natural Resources Limited (the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group” or “BlackGold”) is pleased to announce that the Group, through its subsidiary, PT Samantaka Batubara (“PT SB”), has signed an addendum (the “Amendment”) to the coal sales and purchase contract (the “Coal Sales Contract”) on 6 September 2017 with the Indonesian state-owned electricity company, PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (“PLN”). This follows an earlier announcement by the Company on 1 December 2016 regarding PT SB’s entry into the Coal…

Next Generation Cost Effective LiDAR Product Designed to Enable Real-World Autonomous Car Applications HONG KONG — O-Net Technologies (Group) Limited (“O-Net” or the “Group”) (stock code: 877), a leading high technology enterprise, launched in Shenzhen today its next generation cost-effective light detection and ranging (“LiDAR”) product PANDA, which is a new pulsed laser product platform capable of 1550nm LiDAR autonomous navigation, 3D mapping and remote sensing ideal for autonomous car applications. The launch ceremony of PANDA was attended by industry experts, business leaders as well as key representatives from leading global technology and automobile companies including a leading internet and…

Featuring 210+ Fashion Brands, Some 20 Fashion Shows HONG KONG — Asia’s premier fashion event CENTRESTAGE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), started its four-day run (6-9 September) today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The show features more than 210 fashion brands from 22 countries and regions, along with nearly 40 fashion events, including the opening gala fashion show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES, some 20 fashion shows, as well as designer sharing sessions, an industry forum, trend forecast seminars and networking activities. CENTRESTAGE debuted last year as a new promotion and launch platform for international, especially…

– Applications for research and development themes related to new technologies to which precious metals can contribute to and the practical application of products close on November 30 TOKYO — The Tanaka Memorial Foundation (Representative Director: Hideya Okamoto) announced that it will take applications for research themes for 2017 Precious Metals Research Grants between September 4 (Mon) and November 30 (Thurs). Applications will be accepted from Japanese educational institutions and public research institutes conducting research and development using precious metals. In this 19th year of the research grant, grants will be provided up to 5 million yen for the Platinum Award,…

Investigation of paper-based electronics continues to advance, showing exciting signs of progress. Tsukuba, Japan — Imagine folding up a paper-thin computer tablet like a newspaper. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but such flexible electronics are moving closer to reality, according to a review in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Paper that is transparent and conducts electricity could have widespread applications, including foldable computers, transparent touch screens, and even digital camouflage clothing. “With widespread and intensive efforts, low-cost and light-weight ‘green’ electronics fabricated on transparent nano paper substrate will provide new…

Solid crystals that self-assemble to form channels for an electric current could make safer batteries. Tsukuba, Japan — Researchers have identified new solid materials that could lead to the manufacture of non-toxic lithium-ion batteries, according to a study recently published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Batteries are made of two oppositely charged electrodes separated by a liquid, gel-like, or solid ‘electrolyte’ medium through which electrically charged atoms, or ions, move. In many cases, these electrolytes are toxic and flammable, so researchers have been looking for non-toxic alternatives. Makoto Moriya of Shizuoka University in Japan investigated molecular crystals…