idsMED and WeDoctor form China's first Smart Medical Supply Chain and Procurement Company

July 9, 2018, 6:24 am

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*The Joint Venture taps into China's growing demand for online healthcare solutions*

HONG KONG, July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IDS Medical Systems Group Limited ("idsMED Group") and We Doctor Holdings Limited ("WeDoctor") today signed an agreement to form "idsMED WeDoctor China Ltd" (the "Company"), creating China's first smart medical supply chain solutions and procurement company. idsMED WeDoctor China Ltd and the government of Changting County in Fujian Province also today signed a strategic cooperation agreement to drive the establishment of an innovative medical devices platform in Ting Zhou, China. The platform is designed to create new channels for medical devices and consumables to conduct technology transfers, license applications, company establishment, as well as investment and capital market coordination. The platform aims to support and attract both domestic and international medical device providers into Changting.Jerry Liao, Dr. Victor Fung and Ben Chang at the idsMED and WeDoctor JV signing ceremony

idsMED Group, a member of the Fung Group, is Asia's leading and largest integrated medical supply chain solutions company with a comprehensive distribution and value-add service network across Asia.

WeDoctor, China's leading technology-enabled medical and healthcare solutions platform backed by Tencent, provides seamless online and offline healthcare services as well as integration of general practitioners and specialist doctors. It uses big data, artificial intelligence and other sophisticated technologies to deliver cutting-edge healthcare support services to over 2,700 hospitals, 240,000 doctors and 160 million platform users in China.

The two parties, leveraging on their complementary strengths, innovative resources and networks, will seek to connect medical manufacturers and service providers with hospitals and care institutions in China to procure medical devices, consumables and services centrally. The Company aims to transform the currently fragmented, multi-layered and relationship-driven medical device and consumables distribution system in China, to significantly reduce costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the medical supply chain.

The joint venture, owned 51% by WeDoctor and 49% by idsMED Group, will further enhance its value proposition by managing and optimizing the entire medical supply chain. Additionally, it will set up Medical Education and Training Academies across China to deliver and promote medical products and clinical education as well as accredited medical training courses and education seminars for doctors and nurses and the medical community.

Speaking at the signing ceremony today, Jerry Liao, Chairman & CEO of WeDoctor said, "The healthcare sector in China is a flourishing market going through rapid change and unprecedented reform. This cooperation is an important initiative of WeDoctor to contribute towards improving the supply chain efficiency of China's medical service system. I am tremendously excited at the huge prospects of our partnership with idsMED Group to provide China's vast population with more accessible, more affordable and better-quality healthcare services."

Ben Chang, Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner of idsMED Group, added, "This joint venture provides significant strategic value to the medical industry and immense socio-economic benefits to the people of China. WeDoctor is the perfect partner for us to develop and implement a smart, neutral online platform to provide a transparent, open and value-base procurement system. Together we have the unique opportunity to simplify and modernize the medical device and consumables distribution model in China and make healthcare even more affordable to the people on the Chinese mainland."

Victor Fung, Chairman of Fung Group, concluded, "The Fung Group has been building its healthcare business in Southeast Asia through idsMED since 2011. Today, we are delighted to see the expansion of this business into China with our new partnership with WeDoctor where we see enormous potential."

According to the China Medical Devices Report Q3 2018 by BMI Research, a research firm under Fitch Ratings, online solutions are expected to play a crucial part in the growth of China's healthcare industry, with medical device market set to grow from US$21.5 billion in 2017 to US$39 billion in 2022.

A signing ceremony was held today in Hong Kong with Victor Fung, Group Chairman of Fung Group, Liao Shenhong, Party Committee Secretary of Changting County, Ben Chang, Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner of the idsMED Group, Jerry Liao, Chairman and CEO of WeDoctor, as well as executives from smart healthcare solutions providers RealDoctor Co., Ltd and Zhejiang WeDoctor Centrillion Technology Co., Ltd in attendance.

*About the idsMED Group*

The IDS Medical Systems Group ("idsMED Group") is a leading medical supply chain solutions company in Asia. It has an extensive Asia Pacific distribution network with access to over 10,000 healthcare institutions and represents over 200 global medical brands in equipment and medical consumables. These include GE Healthcare, Philips, Maquet, Trumpf, Hill-Rom, Hamilton, Biosensors, Biotronik, Smiths Medical, Teleflex, Ansell and others. idsMED has a workforce of 1,600 employees including 700 highly experienced field sales, product and clinical specialists and 300 professional bio-medical engineers providing installation and maintenance services. The idsMED Group is a member of Fung Investments.

For more information, visit www.idsmed.com.

*About WeDoctor*

We Doctor Holdings Limited ("WeDoctor"), founded by Jerry Liao and his team in 2010, is China's leading technology-enabled healthcare solutions platform. WeDoctor operates four main business segments; WeDoctor Healthcare, WeDoctor Cloud, WeDoctor Insurance, and WeDoctor Pharma. WeDoctor brings together government departments, hospitals, doctors, leading companies within then pharmaceutical and insurance sectors, as well as financial institutions to create an innovative medical services ecosystem catered to the future of healthcare.

On the WeDoctor platform, there are over 2,700 hospitals, 240,000 leading doctors, 19,000 pharmacies and 27 million monthly active users. Since the establishment of China's largest appointment registration platform -- Guahao.com, WeDoctor has continued to innovate and promote an interactive model for medical with the creation of the nation's first Internet hospital -- Wuzhen Internet Hospital as well as the industry's first domestic smart health terminal -- WeDoctor Terminal. It also made significant progress in the field of smart healthcare with the creation of two intelligent medical solutions -- RealDoctor and Dr. Hwa.

*Media Contact*

Kathleen Wang

FTI Consulting, Inc.

Tel: +852 3768 4546

Email: Kathleen.Wang@fticonsulting.com

Nan Dong

FTI Consulting, Inc.

Tel: +852 3768 4569

Email: Nan.Dong@fticonsulting.com

*For enquires about WeDoctor:*

Hong Kong:

Harriet Lau / Kylie Yeung / Ivan Kau

Cornerstones Communications Limited

Tel:  +852 2903 9290 / 2903 9293 / 2903 9285

Email: wedoctor@cornerstonescom.com

 

Mainland China:

Zhang Songqi / Hou Dan / Ye Qiujie

We Doctor Holdings Limited

Tel: +86 131-2182-2818 / 138-1150-7709 / 150-6872-0757

Email: zhangsq@guahao.com,

           houdan@guahao.com,  yeqj@guahao.com

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180709/2181898-1

Related Links :

http://www.idsmed.com Reported by PR Newswire Asia 35 minutes ago.

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NetDragon Chairman lays out Unique Vision at ICALT to build the Largest Global Learning Community with Cutting-Edge Technologies

July 9, 2018, 6:24 am

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HONG KONG, July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited ("NetDragon" or "the Company") (Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is a key participant in the 18^th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies ("ICALT"), where Dejian Liu, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon and Co-Dean of Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University, delivered a visionary keynote speech titled "Interaction and Engagement in Education through Technological Innovations". In his speech, Liu elaborated with a great level of details on NetDragon's unique vision and strategy to transform the way of learning with game-changing technologies. His speech has inspired and created tremendous resonance with an audience of academia and educators, many of whom are distinguished leaders across the education community. 

ICALT, which is held from 9^th to 13^th of July at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay ("IIT Bombay") in India, is an annual international conference on advanced learning technologies and technology-enhanced learning organized by IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technology. Started since year 2000, ICALT is widely recognized as one of the most preeminent global education technology ("EdTech") conferences where current and future EdTech leaders share their visions in how learning technologies will be applied to revolutionize the world of learning.

During his speech, Dejian Liu highlighted NetDragon's technology know-how and prowess – that the Company now possesses one of the deepest advanced learning technology portfolios in the world that spans across artificial intelligence, big data, virtual reality, augmented reality and speech assessment. Liu also pointed out that integrated with its cutting-edge technologies is the broadest learning product portfolio in terms of use cases, covering pre-class preparation, inside-the-classroom engagement and after-class learning.  The result is the most engaging and effective learning experience that a student can ever imagine.

Liu went on to excite the audience by showcasing some of NetDragon's flagship products including AI Teaching Assistant, 101 Education PPT, VR Mysticraft, Edmodo and ClassFlow.

Dr. Kinshuk, Founding Chair of IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technologies and Dean of the College of Information at the University of North Texas, commented: "Dejian Liu has delivered a truly powerful speech. He has a pioneering vision to transform education through fusion of state-of-the-art technologies with curriculum to create highly engaging and multimedia rich learning experience. Under his leadership, NetDragon's vision reflects exactly what education will be in future."

For more details on Dejian Liu's keynote speech at this event, please contact the Company's investor relations.

*About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited*

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities. Established in 1999, NetDragon is a vertically integrated, cutting-edge R&D powerhouse with a highly successful track record which includes the development of flagship MMORPGs including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved (formerly known as Calibur of Spirit) and Conquer Online. The company also established China's number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China's most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu in 2013 in what was at the time the largest Internet M&A transaction in China. Being China's pioneer in overseas expansion, NetDragon also directly operates a number of game titles in over 10 languages internationally since 2003. In recent years, NetDragon has emerged as a major player in the global online and mobile learning space as it works to leverage its mobile Internet technologies and operational know-how to develop a game-changing learning ecosystem. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com.

Related Links :

http://www.netdragon.com/ Reported by PR Newswire Asia 35 minutes ago.

Victoria lobbying for role in economic expansion of Hong Kong

July 9, 2018, 6:56 am

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Victoria has begun talks on taking a “front and centre” role in China’s latest economic expansion blueprint. Reported by Brisbane Times 3 minutes ago.

GigaMedia Launched Mobile Game Sengoku Night Blood in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau

July 9, 2018, 6:53 am

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TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GigaMedia Limited (NASDAQ: GIGM) announced today that it has released a new mobile game: Sengoku Night Blood with the exclusive rights to operate in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The game is now available for download in these territories on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

When first launched in Japan, Sengoku Night Blood recorded over two million downloads within the first month of releasing. It was developed as a collaboration by three famous Japanese game developers, namely, Marvelous Entertainment, Kadokawa, and Idea Factory's Otomate. Otomate has many female-oriented representative works, such as CollarxMalice, the series of Hakuouki, and the series of Norn9. With the games' delicate style, they have accumulated high awareness among dedicated game players.  

Sengoku Night Blood is a straightforward card battle game. Setting against the background of Japanese Warring States period, the game's story unfolds in the six states at the same time. Players need to obtain prizes and upgrade capabilities to "awaken" the characters in the battle cards. Another fascinating aspect attracting players is the voice cast. The game features 28 famous Japanese voice actors dubbing full script, which gives each character depth and detail and makes the overall gaming experience more enjoyable.

Sengoku Night Blood is a Japanese romance mobile game targeted towards females. We believe that it will help GigaMedia to build stronger product line and lead us to another success after Yume100 and AkaSeka. 

*About GigaMedia*

Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, GigaMedia Limited (Singapore registration number: 199905474H) is a diversified provider of digital entertainment services in Taiwan and Hong Kong. GigaMedia's digital entertainment service business is an innovative leader in Asia with growing capabilities of development, distribution and operation of digital entertainments, as well as platform services for games with a focus on mobile games and casual games. More information on GigaMedia can be obtained from www.gigamedia.com.tw.

The statements included above and elsewhere in this press release that are not historical in nature are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. GigaMedia cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on the company's current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Information as to certain factors that could cause actual results to vary can be found in GigaMedia's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2018.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gigamedia-launched-mobile-game-sengoku-night-blood-in-taiwan-hong-kong-and-macau-300677681.html

Related Links :

http://www.gigamedia.com Reported by PR Newswire Asia 6 minutes ago.

Woman faces court after murder charge laid over 2012 cyclist death

July 11, 2018, 10:22 pm

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Hong Kong tourist Shui Ki Chan, 25, died on the side of the Warrego Highway six years ago after allegedly being hit by a vehicle. Reported by Brisbane Times 9 hours ago.

Hong Kong yakitori restaurant Yardbird plans to expand to US – Eat Drink Asia podcast

July 11, 2018, 10:08 pm

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Welcome to the fourth episode of the Eat Drink Asia podcast. In this episode, we head to Yardbird, one of Hong Kong’s most popular restaurants. Having opened in 2011, late last year it moved to bigger premises in Sheung Wan, and in May, worked with Phaidon to publish a high-end cookery book, Chicken and Charcoal. We talk to Yardbird chef and owner Matt Abergel about how the restaurant was hatched, and he reveals some big news on the expansion front. Summer seems to be the season for... Reported by S.China Morning Post 10 hours ago.

Asian markets rebound from trade fears

July 11, 2018, 10:49 pm

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BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Thursday following Wall Street’s decline amid U.S.-Chinese trade tensions and oil prices recovered some of the previous day’s steep losses. KEEPING SCORE: The Shanghai Composite Index rose 2.3 percent to 2,841.72 and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.2 percent to 22,206.96. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1 percent to […] Reported by Seattle Times 9 hours ago.

American CryoStem Announces Launch of ATGRAFT(TM) in China

July 12, 2018, 3:42 am

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*EATONTOWN, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / July 12, 2018 / **American CryoStem Corporation *(OTC PINK: CRYO), a leading strategic application developer, marketer, and global licensor of patented adipose tissue-based cellular technologies, for the Regenerative and Personalized Medicine industries, today announced the national launch of CRYO's ATGRAFTTM tissue collection, processing and storage technology by Baoxin Asia Pacific Biotechnology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. ("Baoxin") in China. John Arnone, CEO and Anthony Dudzinski, COO, of CRYO traveled throughout south east China with the management and marketing team of Baoxin to present the ATGRAFTTM platform to leading plastic and cosmetic surgery hospitals in Shenzhen, Nanning, Guangzhou, Guangxi and Changsha. Additionally, Mr. Arnone and Mr. Dudzinski, attended the signing of investment documents between Baoxin and Chinese government and Banking officials in Shenzhen, China as well as the official launch presentation and evening gala hosted by Baoxin in Shenzhen. Baoxin is being financed by a combination of China's CITIC Group and the China Development Bank.

American CryoStem Corporation is one of the largest commercial personal tissue banks globally, focused exclusively on the processing and storage of adipose tissue and the regenerative cells the tissue contains. The China launch activities are in support of the Company's previously announced licensing and supply agreement with Baoxin, under which Baoxin will pay the Company a minimum annual guarantee against a fixed fee per process and purchase certain necessary consumables from CRYO required for the collection, processing and storage of the collected adipose tissue. Under the terms of the Agreements signed in Fiscal 2017, CRYO invested in and currently holds five percent (5%) of Baoxin shares. Additionally, Mr. Arnone and Mr. Dudzinski were elected to serve as Directors of Baoxin during their visit to Shenzhen, China.

The Company's management presented an overview of the ATGRAFTTM products and technologies to MOII Plastic Surgery Hospital and Fuhua Plastic & Aesthetic Hospital in Schenzhen, GuangMei Plastic Surgery Hospital and UBeauty Hospital in Guangzhou, AIST Plastic Surgery Hospital and, HauMei Plastic Surgery Hospital in Guangxi and the Nanning Beautiful Focus Cosmetology Hospital in Nanning, and the Yamei Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Hospital In Changsha. Additionally, the Company participated in a press conference following Baoxin's financing signing ceremony at the government building in Shenzhen and presented at the Baoxin dinner launch event featuring major health and cosmetic surgery industry organizations in China. Event photos can be found by following this link: American CryoStem ATGRAFT launch in China

"We were very impressed with the Baoxin, ATGRAFTTM marketing program and work ethic and would like to congratulate Baoxin's management and marketing staff for a very impressive and effective launch tour," commented John Arnone, CEO, "the professionalism and interest generated in the ATGRAFTTM product prior to our arrival contributed greatly to the successful presentation at each hospital. We were also impressed by the organization and scale of the facilities we visited, each facility provides a wide range of cosmetic, aesthetic, and plastic surgical services in a single facility of ten to thirty thousand square meters, these are large facilities located in very large cities with heavy patient flow."

Anthony Dudzinski, COO commented "The Chinese aesthetic, cosmetic and plastic surgery hospital facilities in China are organized differently than the way these services are delivered in the US. Each hospital facility provides every cosmetic option for a patient from surgical augmentations to cosmetic dentistry. We believe that this organization style is perfectly designed to rapidly expand Baoxin's success with the ATGRAFTTM products and allow the Chinese to prepare for the future of regenerative and cellular therapies. Further, management believes that China may become one of the largest markets in the world for tissue transfer and regenerative medicine."

Trip photos may be found at http://www.americancryostem.com/china-press-tour/ or via Google Photos

*About American CryoStem Corporation*

American CryoStem Corporation (OTC PINK: CRYO); founded in 2008, is a biotechnology pioneer, standardizing adipose tissue (fat) derived technologies (Adult Stem Cells) for the fields of Regenerative and Personalized Medicine. The Company operates a state-of-art, FDA-registered, laboratory in New Jersey and licensed laboratories in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Thailand, China and Tokyo, Japan, which operate on our proprietary platform, dedicated to the collection, processing, bio-banking, culturing and differentiation of adipose tissue and adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) for current or future use in regenerative medicine. CRYO maintains a strategic portfolio of intellectual property (IP) that surrounds our proprietary technology which supports a growing pipeline of stem cell applications and biologic products. We are leveraging our platform and a developed product portfolio to create a global footprint of licensed laboratory affiliates, domestic and international physicians networks and research organizations who purchase tissue collection, processing and storage consumables from CRYO. Our laboratory stem cell bank/line products are characterized adult human Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC's) derived from adipose tissue that work in conjunction with our patented (non-animal) medium lines. The Company's R&D efforts are focused on university and private collaborations to discover, develop and commercialize ADSC therapies by utilizing our standardized collection-processing-storage methodology and laboratory products combined with synergistic technologies to create jointly developed regenerative medicine applications and intellectual property.

*For further detailed Corporate or Regenerative Medicine information please visit:*

www.americancryostem.com, request by email at info@americancryostem.com or phone 732-747-1007

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of American CryoStem Corporation's ("the Company") future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes,""expects,""intends,""plans,""anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this press release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of the Company, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company's future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by American CryoStem Corporation.

*SOURCE: *American CryoStem Corporation Reported by Accesswire 4 hours ago.

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Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer Concludes

July 12, 2018, 6:11 am

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Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 25th Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer ended today. The four-day fair (9-12 July) attracted around 11,000 buyers from 65 countries and regions."The Next Wave in Fashion Industry" seminar session explored wearable tech in thermostatic clothing and how to get the accurate shapes and sizes using smart 3D human modelling technology.Fashion and technology have merged in recent years, creating new business opportunities

HONG KONG, Jul 12, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The 25th Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer, organised by HKTDC, came to a close today. Around 11,000 buyers from 65 countries and regions attended the four-day fair (9-12 July), with buyers from Belt and Road countries such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded considerable growth. Around fifteen fashion events, including fashion shows, industry forecasting and fashion tech seminars, a buyer forum and a networking reception were held during the fair to generate business opportunities for industry professionals.

"The global economy is now facing significant challenges , with the impact of the Sino-US trade friction. Hong Kong companies should stay competitive by launching diversified products and designs, and by exploring emerging markets," said Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director. "Besides participating in trade fairs, they should also engage in promotions with online sourcing platforms and social media, to reach more global buyers.

"Fashion and technology have merged and formed a new trend in recent years, where more and more innovative technologies are incorporated in fashion design, manufacturing, sourcing and sales. During the fashion week, HKTDC organised seminars such as 'The Next Wave in Fashion Technology' and 'Online Shopping Reshapes the Fashion Industry' so as to discuss the latest fashion tech applications and explore marketing strategies for online fashion sales, offering useful insights for both exhibitors and buyers."

On-site orders from UAE buyer

The four-day fair brought the latest market intelligence and fashion tech to buyers and created many sourcing opportunities for the industry. Mohamed Sadhique, a buyer from UAE's Lamia Garments Manufacturing, said that it was his second visit to the fair to source laces and other fabrics. He had already placed on-site orders. "I've already placed orders with two suppliers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland that I met last year. The laces order with the Hong Kong supplier is worth about US$250,000, while the order with the Chinese mainland supplier is around US$45,000." He said Hong Kong is an excellent place to source fabrics and expects to develop business with more new suppliers for a mix of laces and fabrics.

Product variety attracts buyers

Despite challenges in the global economy, Hong Kong companies can still attract buyers by launching a wide selection of products to avoid price competition. The Hong Kong exhibitor MsEnvy has joined the fair for many years and leveraged the platform to launch an array of silk womenswear each year to capture buyers' attention.

This year, the company offered womenswear with 300 styles to buyers. Jun M.K. Wong, Managing Director of the company, said that a number of new customers including buyers from Canada, Japan, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries showed interest in their designs. A new buyer from Italy was very keen on purchasing some styles in silk and polyester, and the order was expected to be finalised within three to six months. She also pointed out that existing customers from Italy and Australia returned to make new orders, while the company has established cooperation with another new Australian company to develop new collections.

To cater for the demand for sourcing in small amounts, the show once again set up the hktdc.com Small Orders zone, featuring nearly 100 showcases and garment racks with close to 300 products, which are available for orders in minimum quantities of between five and 1,000 pieces. During the four-day event, 2,700 buyers visited the zone and 6,000 connections were established.

Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer featured some 1,100 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions. The third edition of CENTRESTAGE, a platform for international, especially Asian fashion brands and designers to promote their brands and launch their collections, will be held 5-8 September. Details will be announced soon. Please visit the website www.centrestage.com.hk/ for more information.

Websites
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer: http://www.hktdc.com/hkfashionweekss/
For more comments from exhibitors and buyers, please visit: https://bit.ly/2KSn2sO
Photo download: https://bit.ly/2JhG06D

About HKTDC

Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With more than 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council
Contact:
Agnes Wat, Tel: +852 2584 4554, Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.orgCopyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com Reported by ACN Newswire 2 hours ago.

Rising tide lifts shares along telecoms chain after ZTE comes close to resuming US operations

July 12, 2018, 12:31 am

≫ Next: AEON and Fujitsu Launch Field Trial of Cardless Payments Using Biometric Authentication Technology

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Yangtze Optical Fibre rose the most in four months in Hong Kong, which rubbed off on other related telecoms firms in the mainland, after the US and ZTE signed an agreement paving the way for China’s number two telecommunications equipment maker to resume business with its American suppliers. The ban on ZTE, in place for nearly three months, will be removed once the company deposits US$400 million in an escrow account, the US Commerce Department said on Wednesday. In response, ZTE climbed... Reported by S.China Morning Post 7 hours ago.

AEON and Fujitsu Launch Field Trial of Cardless Payments Using Biometric Authentication Technology

July 12, 2018, 6:11 am

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TOKYO, Jul 12, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd., its subsidiary AEON Credit Service Co., Ltd., and Fujitsu Limited today announced that AEON Credit Service and Fujitsu will begin a field trial of a cardless payment system using Fujitsu's palm vein biometric authentication technology. Starting in September 2018, the trial will take place in selected Ministop convenience stores. This initiative will be Japan's first example of palm vein authentication-type cardless payments at actual retail stores.

As a number of payment methods have been created using smart devices in recent years, AEON Credit Service has been weighing credit card payment methods that customers can use with more convenience and security. Now, from a number of biometric authentication technologies that can identify a person from a part the individual's body, the company has decided to use Fujitsu's palm vein authentication technology for its payment scheme given that it offers high authentication accuracy, and also because it is contactless and sanitary. This will enable people to go shopping "empty handed" as credit cards and smart devices will be unnecessary.

Customers use this service by registering in advance, adding their palm vein pattern to their AEON card information. When paying at a register, customers can pay with their registered AEON card by inputting their birthdate and then scanning the palm of their hand over the reader. Customers can use their AEON card with greater convenience, without the bother of taking the card out of their wallet or purse.

Authentication using palm veins has high authentication accuracy as there are many veins within the palm of the hand, and their arrangement is complex, providing outstanding personal identification capabilities. Furthermore, because the information is within the body, this method can both reliably authenticate a person, with little chance of outside interference, and can be used safely, due to the difficulty of falsification. AEON Credit Service and Fujitsu will be conducting a field trial for AEON Group employees at a number of Ministop locations beginning in September 2018. Based on the results of the field trial, the companies plan to roll out the technology for use in store locations for the various AEON Group companies. AEON Credit Service and Fujitsu will continue to enhance services to meet the wide ranging needs of customers using new technology.

Reference: Since being adopted for use identifying people at bank ATMs in 2004, the Fujitsu palm vein authentication technology being made available in this trial is now used by over 70 million people in about 60 countries around the world for a broad range of applications, from security, such as for corporate PC access and room entry management, to the current trend of going cardless for convenience applications.

About AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd.

AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries are a comprehensive financial group that grew out of AEON Group's retail operations through integration of the commercial and financial sectors. Centering on the Company, which is a bank holding company, the Group currently consists of 34 consolidated subsidiaries and one equity-method affiliate in 12 Asian countries including Japan. The Group is constructing a dense network throughout countries of Asia, especially Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. In addition to its approximately 700 sales bases in Japan and overseas, the network also includes AEON Group stores and affiliated merchants, with which the Group has built strong cooperative relationships.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/
Contact:
AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd.
Corporate Planning Department
E-mail: afs_ccg@aeon.co.jp

Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +81-3-3215-5259
URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/
Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com Reported by ACN Newswire 2 hours ago.

Bambu: B2B Robo-advisor Bambu secures Series A funding to further accelerate global expansion

July 12, 2018, 1:06 am

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Bambu

12-Jul-2018 / 09:00 GMT/BST
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B2B Robo-advisor Bambu secures Series A funding
to further accelerate global expansion

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 12 July 2018 - Bambu, a leading global provider of robo-advisory technology, today announced it has completed a USD 3 million Series A funding led by Franklin Templeton Investments, with Singapore family office Octava and prominent Japanese Fintech investor Mamoru Taniya also joining the round.

The year 2018 has already become a marquee year for the two-year-old startup, signing clients in both North and South America as well as across Asia, and newly opened offices in London and Kuala Lumpur. Bambu also continues its commitment to its proprietary A.I. research and solutions, with further hires and completion of the team's first research publication.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of all our existing and new investors and customers in helping us to build a leading global robo-advisory technology company. Early this year we already surpassed the growth targets we had set for 2018, with seven new clients preparing to go live between the Asian and U.S. markets. This proves our B2B business model is working, as there is real global scalability without large capital requirements. Our next ambitious goal is to get a million end users on the platform by 2019," Bambu CEO and founder Ned Phillips said in a statement.

"Since our initial investment in 2017, the Bambu team has shown its ability to drive constant innovation in the digital wealth management space. This makes Bambu a great long-term partner for us, and we are excited to continue our support of the team and their global expansion efforts," Harshendu Bindal, Managing Director, Head of Retail at Franklin Templeton Investments, commented.

Bambu has recently grown to a team of 33 members, mostly based in their Singapore headquarters, and with offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong and London.

ABOUT BAMBU

Bambu is a leading global provider of robo-advisory technology for businesses of every size and industry, from finance to commercial or even new disruptors, transforming the digital wealth market. We enable companies to make saving and investing simple and intelligent for their clients. The cloud-based platform is powered by our proprietary algorithms and machine learning tools.

Founded in 2016 by industry experts Ned Phillips and Aki Ranin, Bambu is situated in Singapore with subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives in Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

For more information, please visit www.bambu.life.

ABOUT FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes-including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The company's more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in more than 30 countries, the California-based company has 70 years of investment experience and over $724 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018.

For more information, please visit www.franklinresources.com

Media Contact:
Laura Pereira
Marketing Manager
laura@bambu.life

Bambu Contact:
Ned Phillips Nick Wakefield
Founder Managing director, Europe
ned@bambu.life E: nick@bambu.life M: +44 (0) 74506 76621
--------------------

Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------

End of Announcement - EQS News Service Reported by EQS Group 7 hours ago.

Coursera to offer transformative learning to Bank of Singapore employees

July 12, 2018, 1:29 am

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2,000 employees across Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong and Manila will get access to Coursera for Business -- Coursera's enterprise offering

SINGAPORE, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Coursera, the global leader in online education today announced its partnership with Bank of Singapore, the private banking arm of OCBC Bank. This partnership will equip 2,000 Bank of Singapore employees with specialized skills, 500 of which are based in Dubai, Hong Kong and Manila. Bank of Singapore will adopt Coursera's enterprise platform, Coursera for Business -- which enables enterprises to draw on high-quality online learning content to address their workforce upskilling needs.

Through this partnership, Bank of Singapore employees will have access to courses across Investment Management, Personal Development, Data Science, Cybersecurity and Leadership domains from Universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Macquarie University, University of Washington, University of London, Duke University, etc.

"With the pace at which emerging technologies are impacting the nature of jobs, it is crucial for companies to upskill their workforce. The Banking sector is undergoing a massive digital transformation leading to a huge skills gap in its workforce. We're excited to be partnering progressive companies like Bank of Singapore to help deliver on their learning objectives as they become future ready," said *Raghav Gupta, Director, India and APAC, Coursera*.

*Ms. Stephenie Teo, Head of Learning and Development - ‎Bank of Singapore* said, "Employees are increasingly looking to take more ownership of their learning and development. This tie-up with Coursera would allow our employees, including those based in overseas markets, to choose courses which they find most relevant to them personally and professionally. This would make their learning journey more productive and meaningful. We are providing a viable alternative to the traditional format of training, where employees sit down for hours in a classroom to attend a course. Now, our employees can get real-time access to the training material any time they want."

Coursera has helped millions of learners worldwide succeed and grow in their careers. Coursera for Business builds on Coursera's unmatched technology platform and content foundation to deliver an enterprise learning solution that helps companies meet modern business challenges. Coursera for Business customers benefit from many powerful features, including curated, in-depth content from top universities, reputable and stackable certifications, an easy-to-use mobile platform, and centralized program management and progress tracking tools. In less than two years of launch, Coursera for Business has more than 1000 large global enterprises and government organizations learning on its platform, including brands such as Axis Bank, Tata Communications, Infosys, AXA, L'Oreal, PayPal, Danone, JP Morgan Chase and AIR France-KLM.

*About Coursera*

Coursera is an online education company that partners with 160 of the world's top universities and industry leaders to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower learners around the world to achieve their career, educational, and personal enrichment goals throughout their lives. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 33 million registered learners who can choose among 2,600 courses and over 200 Specializations. Leading universities are now also working with Coursera to offer online degrees in areas like business, computer science, data science, and public health. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital, International Finance Corporation, Laureate Education Inc. and Learn Capital.

For more information, visit www.coursera.org.

*PR Contacts*

Grace Yu
Text100 Singapore
+65-6603-9000
grace.yu@text100.com.sg

Mizu Chitra
Text100 Singapore
+65-6603-9000
mizu.padmaja@text100.com.sg

Related Links :

http://www.coursera.org Reported by PR Newswire Asia 6 hours ago.

B2B Robo-advisor Bambu secures Series A funding to further accelerate global expansion

July 12, 2018, 1:21 am

≫ Next: Trucking company LOGIVAN crowned 'Best Startup' at Asia's largest tech event RISE

≪ Previous: Coursera to offer transformative learning to Bank of Singapore employees

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SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 12 July 2018 - Bambu, a leading global provider of robo-advisory technology, today announced it has completed a USD 3 million Series A funding led by Franklin Templeton Investments, with Singapore family office Octava and prominent Japanese Fintech investor Mamoru Taniya also joining the round.

 

The year 2018 has already become a marquee year for the two-year-old startup, signing clients in both North and South America as well as across Asia, and newly opened offices in London and Kuala Lumpur. Bambu also continues its commitment to its proprietary A.I. research and solutions, with further hires and completion of the team's first research publication.

 

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of all our existing and new investors and customers in helping us to build a leading global robo-advisory technology company. Early this year we already surpassed the growth targets we had set for 2018, with seven new clients preparing to go live between the Asian and U.S. markets. This proves our B2B business model is working, as there is real global scalability without large capital requirements. Our next ambitious goal is to get a million end users on the platform by 2019," Bambu CEO and founder Ned Phillips said in a statement.

 

"Since our initial investment in 2017, the Bambu team has shown its ability to drive constant innovation in the digital wealth management space. This makes Bambu a great long-term partner for us, and we are excited to continue our support of the team and their global expansion efforts," Harshendu Bindal, Managing Director, Head of Retail at Franklin Templeton Investments, commented.

 

Bambu has recently grown to a team of 33 members, mostly based in their Singapore headquarters, and with offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong and London. 

 

ABOUT BAMBU

 

Bambu is a leading global provider of robo-advisory technology for businesses of every size and industry, from finance to commercial or even new disruptors, transforming the digital wealth market. We enable companies to make saving and investing simple and intelligent for their clients. The cloud-based platform is powered by our proprietary algorithms and machine learning tools.

 

Founded in 2016 by industry experts Ned Phillips and Aki Ranin, Bambu is situated in Singapore with subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives in Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

 

For more information, please visit www.bambu.life.      

 

ABOUT FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS

                                                           

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes--including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The company's more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in more than 30 countries, the California-based company has 70 years of investment experience and over $724 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018.

 

For more information, please visit www.franklinresources.com

  Reported by Media OutReach 6 hours ago.

Trucking company LOGIVAN crowned 'Best Startup' at Asia's largest tech event RISE

July 12, 2018, 2:28 am

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HONG KONG, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vietnamese startup LOGIVAN has been named the winner of PITCH 2018 at RISE, Web Summit's tech conference in Asia.

PITCH, in partnership with HSBC, brings together the world's leading early-stage startups for a live onstage battle.This year 80 startups out of the 750 exhibiting at RISE took part in PITCH over three days.

LOGIVAN, a web platform that connects truckers with shipping capacity, has already found further investment during this week's RISE. Linh Pahm, founder and CEO, only started the trucking centralisation platform nine months ago.

The startup matches trucks' spare capacity with shipments and seeks to improve the overall efficiency of the logistical network across Vietnam. Over 1,700 truckers are using LOGIVAN since its launch, with a gross merchandise volume of over US$1 million.

Andrew Connell, Global Head of Partnerships and Innovation and Asia Pacific Head of Digital, RBWM at HSBC, announced LOGIVAN as PITCH 2018 winners in front of a packed audience at Centre Stage.

RISE CEO and co-founder, Paddy Cosgrave, said: "LOGIVAN are doing incredible things in the logistics space - they really stood out - and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next."

Lin Pahm, a former Goldman Sachs technology analyst and Cambridge University graduate, said: "We've already found investment at RISE. PITCH has given us a lot of international exposure to large companies and media and we will use it as a springboard to form strategic partnerships with companies around Asia.

"Trucking is like the backbone of an economy. Even if we can make trucking 1% more efficient we would be saving traffic jams and pollution and develop Vietnam as a more global and business friendly environment to start your business."

For the second consecutive year, HSBC has sponsored PITCH.

Andrew Connell said: "It's inspiring to see the way these startups are driving innovation and change in a range of industries. Being able to support this event and the startup community at RISE has been a fantastic experience -- there's a world of opportunity to collaborate and harness this energy in banking and beyond."

*About LOGIVAN*

LOGIVAN matches trucks' spare capacity with shipment. Their mission is reducing logistics costs in Vietnam as well as their carbon footprint. They're proud to be part of TFI Batch 6 (Topica Founder Institute), top 5 accelerators in Southeast Asia.

Website: www.logivan.com

*About RISE*

Now in its fourth year, RISE, has become Asia's most important technology conference. It brings speakers from the world's biggest companies together with the world's most exciting startups in Hong Kong. It attracted more than 15,000 registered attendees this year.

*HSBC Holdings plc*

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 3,900 offices in 67 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,522bn at 31 December 2017, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations.

*The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited*

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited is the founding member of the HSBC Group, which serves our customers through four global businesses: Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Private Banking. HSBC Group serves customers worldwide from approximately 3,900 offices in 67 countries and territories in our geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,652bn at 31 March 2018, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations.

*PR Newswire is the News Release Distribution Partner of RISE Hong Kong 2018*

*Contact:*

Dannielle Taaffe
Director of Communications, Web Summit
dannielle.taaffe@websummit.com
+353877060926@ttaaffeedd @riseconfhq

For images from RISE and of LOGIVAN receiving the PITCH award, click here. Reported by PR Newswire Asia 5 hours ago.

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Hong Kong activists celebrate after Liu Xia 'leaves China'

July 12, 2018, 5:32 am

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Hong Kong (AFP) July 10, 2018

Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners Tuesday welcomed news that the widow of Chinese Nobel dissident Liu Xiaobo had left China for Germany after years under effective house arrest. Liu Xia, 57, had faced no charges but endured heavy restrictions on her movements since 2010 when her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize, infuriating Beijing. Friends said the poet had taken a Finnair flight to Reported by Energy Daily 2 hours ago.

ZTE shares surge 25% as US sanctions lift moves step closer

July 12, 2018, 5:32 am

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Hong Kong (AFP) July 12, 2018

Shares in Chinese telecoms equipment maker ZTE surged more than 25 percent in Hong Kong on Thursday after the company moved a step closer to having a painful US purchase ban lifted. The firm had been forced to halt operations and was on the verge of collapse after Washington announced a seven-year ban on US companies selling it crucial parts owing to its handling of a sanctions violation. Reported by Energy Daily 2 hours ago.

Air China plane dropped 25,000ft - with officials probing whether the pilots were SMOKING in cockpit

July 12, 2018, 3:11 am

≫ Next: Kincora Copper’s deep value opportunity attracts new cornerstone investor

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The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration is probing why the Air China flight from Hong Kong to Dailan carrying 153 passengers made an emergency descent. Reported by MailOnline 5 hours ago.

Kincora Copper’s deep value opportunity attracts new cornerstone investor

July 12, 2018, 3:27 am

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In a market where most exploration juniors are struggling to attract new institutional investors to their shareholder registers, Kincora Copper Ltd (CVE:KCC) has cleared a major overhang by bringing a third high profile institutional investor, providing clear endorsement of its assets, team and strategy, reducing funding risk going forward. Kincora’s former major shareholder, Origo Partners PLC (LON:OPP), who last invested new capital in 2014, sold its entire stake on June 22 concurrently with its original partner and other co-founding director. A quick glance at the latest set of accounts of the London-listed investment company reveals a recent change of personnel at the top that is now selling what they can at fire sale prices or writing assets off ahead of a public record November 2018 liquidation deadline for Origo’s entire asset portfolio. Not surprising then that Kincora chief Sam Spring is feeling optimistic, having gained strong support from shareholders at the recent AGM, following a number of board changes as well as bringing in a cornerstone investor to support Kincora’s strategy. Furthermore, the new cornerstone shareholder is well known and respected in the market place, LIM Advisors, a pre-eminent expat Hong Kong-based fund manager. LIM has been investing in Mongolia for more than 15 years and has a strong presence across wider East Asia. What’s more, it has more than US$1bn under management and has one of the longest track records in the region. Kincora raised C$5.9 mln only in the third quarter of 2017 at C$0.33, with funders not having representation on the board. The public overhang of Origo then revealed itself and the strategy that underpinned this capital raising was put at risk. A resulting turbulent period saw the turnover of three former board members (including the two who have now sold their shares) with these significant uncertainties weighing on Kincora’s share price. Obvious red flags for those not intimately close to the story and you can see why LIM jumped at this deep value opportunity, buying out these distressed sellers at market at C$0.13 once an un-conflicted board was restored with the existing technical team, management and strategy endorsed. The investment by LIM when added to that of other institutional and sophisticated investors from Kincora’s non-brokered private placement late last year, which included the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Resource Capital Fund (RCF), totals the equivalent of the company’s market capitalisation, with Kincora still having a healthy C$2.85 mln in the bank. Clearly the market is still trying to work out what has happened, or too busy watching the World Cup. So definitely a major step up for Kincora, a further vote of confidence from smart money, and a development that allows the company to get back to focussing on its exploration and expansion plans after a period of uncertainty. “In September and October of last year we raised C$5.9mln at C$0.33,” says Spring. “It was the first meaningful raising we’d done since a number of milestones: expanding our portfolio with the IBEX deal, which gave us the dominant position in this belt; forming an industry leading technical team, adding key members who have previously found Tier 1 copper projects and looking to do that again; and, again consolidating our Bronze Fox project.” So after these transformation steps and having just rolled out the first of a two-phase multiple target exploration program it was frustrating for Spring that the overhang and board issues developed so soon afterwards. But, in the end, Kincora has come out of this in much better shape, probably the best shape it has ever been in in terms of asset portfolio, team, targets and share register, not that this is yet reflected in the valuation. “We have been prudently advancing our targets, with plans for how we are to now ramp this up providing a positive pipeline of news flow in the near term, and benefiting from existing funding in the bank,” says Spring. “We have got to get on with explaining the positive shape we are now in, outlining our exploration and expansion strategy, and getting the drill rigs turning again.” One of the key projects that will now be the focus of attention is Bronze Fox, which in the previous commodity cycle supported Kincora having a C$40-50 mln market capitalisation. With results like 37 metres at greater than 1% copper equivalent within an 800 metre mineralized hit within a extensive size system, it is unsurprising Kincora had 14 NDAs, a period of exclusivity and a separate offer from industry players. But that was back in 2011/12 and the market has clearly forgotten about that (for the moment). “With the full Bronze Fox license portfolio restored it is an obvious target to revisit both from a technical and commercial perspective,” says Spring. “We only had unencumbered access to that full portfolio for less than a year, but since then there has been an independent defined exploration target for the equivalent of 1.3-1.5Mt of contained copper, the 24,000 metres of drill core has been relogged (including 8,000 metres by a copper major), further surface mapping undertaken, a detailed induced polarisation survey undertaken and a comprehensive geophysical review completed by Barry de Wet.” He adds: “With Barry assisting with the geophysics and our Senior VP of Exploration, Peter Leaman, we are fortunate to have rebuilt key members of the former BHP joint venture with Ivanhoe team who undertook the last district scale exploration in this belt, and coupled with our board member John Holliday, certainly know what is needed to make significant scale discoveries.” Resuming successful drilling at the western section of the West Kasulu target at Bronze Fox, where in the last drilling program 3 of 4 holes returned higher grade intersections, should remind the market of Kincora’s previous valuations that Bronze Fox underpinned. “We now also have the dominant position in this belt with the medium outlook for copper prices probably never having looked better and stage 2 of Oyu Tolgoi is being built,” says Spring. The current capitalisation of Kincora is just under C$9mln, testimony to the effect a serious overhang and 3 of an original 5 man board departing can have on a share price, even if the block in question eventually crossed off-market and a strong board is now being installed. Another obvious valuation parameter missed by the wider market, but most likely not LIM, is Xanadu Mines (ASX:XAM) which in the last month raised A$10 mln at a A$100 mln pre-money underpinned by its flagship Kharmagtai asset, which it owns 76.5%. Earlier in the year Xanadu had four rigs operational at Kharmagtai, returning some nice looking core, and this asset, which is less than 200km from Bronze Fox, has a 2014 JORC resource of 1.1mln tonnes of copper equivalent based on 108,000 metres of drilling with a further 50,000 metres drilled since. This is relative to only 24,000 metres drilled at Kincora’s wholly owned Bronze Fox and the 1.3-1.5 mln tonne independently defined exploration target. Another target that will likely be the subject of attention before too long by Kincora is East Tsagaan Suvarga (East TS), a project located in a brownfield environment on the eastern end of a the same intrusion that hosts the Serven Shuait open pit development project and expected to produce up to 316,000 tonnes of copper per year. Last years’ first phase exploration activities, including a maiden drilling program at the target, supports four large-scale conceptual intrusive bodies, as Kincora looks to test the analogue for East TS hosting an equivalent preserved high grade Hugo or Heruga orebody or series of orebodies as at Oyu Tolgoi. Set in the wider context of the giant Oyu Tolgoi mine, controlled and operated by Rio Tinto, which is set to soon be the worlds third largest copper mine and located in the same Devonian age belt, the whole region could end up being highly prolific. Generally copper porphyries occur in clusters on key structures within established belts – they do not occur in isolation. Oyu Tolgoi is the key growth project for Rio Tinto, where they are now also exploring earlier stage exploration projects and further corporate opportunities having opened a specific Mongolian based support office earlier in the year, but is also the largest expansion project in the industry globally. So it will be a very interesting year for Kincora, which, despite the obvious red flags to the uninformed investor over the last few months, has funds, the team, plans and now a shareholder register and board in place to make a serious progress with its copper portfolio and with the first modern systematic exploration approach in this belt could generate some really significant hits. Successful drilling at Bronze Fox alone could support a 4-5x return for investors based on Kincora’s previous valuations and 10x based on its current peer Xanadu. Successful proof of concept drilling at East TS would likely support a much larger prize, with Kincora looking to systematically advance and add value to its pipeline of earlier stage stages and expansion opportunities. “Now that the corporate side of things is shored up its time to get on with the day job again, outlining our plans, and ramping up exploration and expansion activities,” says Spring. “Hopefully the wider market starts understanding the very positive shape Kincora is now in and follows these sophisticated investors who have put meaningful capital to work backing our strategy.” Reported by Proactive Investors 4 hours ago.

Telecoms stoke rally in Hong Kong and China, fuelled by optimism ZTE has reached deal with the US government

July 12, 2018, 4:10 am

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Chinese telecoms and smartphone makers surged on Thursday, powering a rally in the overall stock market, with sanction-hit ZTE jumping 25 per cent after reaching a deal with the US government that clears the way to resume businesses with American suppliers. The Shanghai Composite Index advanced 2.2 per cent, or 59.89 points, to close at 2,837.66, paring a 1.8 per cent drop on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 0.6 per cent, or 169.14 points, to 28,480.83, halting two... Reported by S.China Morning Post 4 hours ago.