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Hong Kong – Sailing towards a greener tomorrow

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Maritime Week

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 November 2024 – Global business leaders, policymakers and innovators have dropped anchor in Asia’s world city for Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 (HKMW) (November 17 – 23), an annual flagship event comprising conferences, exhibitions and networking activities under the broad theme of “Navigating to a Greener Future”.

With over 50 industry and public events hosted by more than 80 marine organisations, this year’s HKMW has attracted about 14,500 local, Mainland and international maritime professionals. 
HKMW is also an opportunity for Hong Kong’s maritime industry to demonstrate its commitment to reinforcing its status as an international maritime centre and expanding its high-end maritime service offerings, as underlined in last month’s Policy Address announced by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Among the key policy areas are the development of high value-added maritime services and developing the city as a green maritime centre.

Speaking at the Hong Kong Global Maritime Trade Summit (November 18) themed “Risk & Resilience in an Age of Disruption”, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Lam Sai-hung highlighted the city’s latest achievements.

“Hong Kong is the first flag administration to introduce a green incentive scheme offering cash reward for Hong Kong registered ships attaining rating A or B in IMO (International Maritime Organization)’s carbon intensity indicator,” Mr Lam said.

“We promulgated last Friday (November 15) the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering and will take forward the related infrastructural development such as green maritime fuel bunker terminals, promote port emissions reduction, offer incentives to encourage green maritime fuel usage, co-operate with neighbouring ports and set up green shipping corridors with major partners.”

Mr Lam added that Hong Kong would step up partnerships with Mainland and overseas institutions in nurturing maritime manpower and talent through more collaborated training and talent exchange programmes, with a view to nurturing high-quality talent.

Another theme of this year’s HKMW is the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). Here, Hong Kong has an important role to play thanks to its competitive advantages including a preferential tax regime for maritime services and high-quality professional services such as marine insurance, maritime law and arbitration, maritime technology, port and logistics, ship finance and ship management.

Addressing the opening of the ALMAC (November 18), Acting Chief Executive, Chan Kwok-ki, noted that Hong Kong ranked fourth in this year’s International Shipping Centre Development Index, a testament to the city’s strengths as an international maritime centre.

“We see long-term opportunities in Hong Kong’s rise as a green and smart port. Our Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy (the Action Plan) outlines that promising future, including building green fuel-bunkering capabilities,” he said.

“Combining our aviation and maritime strengths, Hong Kong has long been a major cargo gateway to and from the Greater Bay Area.”

Other main events of HKMW 2024 include the inaugural Global Maritime Trade Summit in Hong Kong and a forum hosted by the IMO titled “From Waste to Wealth: Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Ship Recycling”, focusing on the sustainable recycling of ships and related prospects.

Meanwhile, Dalian Maritime University’s “Xin Hong Zhuan”, the world’s first intelligent research and training dual-purpose ship, is also making its debut visit to Hong Kong.
 



 

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Promotional Event of CIFTIS Successfully Held in Singapore

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CIFTIS

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 April 2025 – On April 23rd, a promotional event organized by a delegation from the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was successfully held in Singapore, expanding new frontiers for the digital economy in Southeast Asia and promoting in-depth regional cooperation.

On April 23rd, the Singapore Promotion Event of CIFTIS, the China-Southeast Asia Digital Infrastructure Cooperation Forum, and the Seminar on the Construction of an International Cooperation Ecosystem for the Digital Economy were successfully held in Singapore. During the opening ceremonies of the two meetings, Yin Liang, Deputy Director of the Beijing International Trade in Services Affairs Center, stated that the digital economy in Southeast Asia is developing rapidly. China and Singapore have achieved fruitful cooperation in the digital economy, and digital infrastructure construction is poised for an exponential growth opportunities. He expressed hope that both sides will further utilize the CIFTIS platform in the future to deepen cooperation and explore business opportunities together.

The Singapore Promotion Event of CIFTIS and the China-Southeast Asia Digital Infrastructure Cooperation Forum (DITF) deeply explored how AI computing power can empower industrial transformation and how China’s experience can help Southeast Asia initiate a new era of AI infrastructure construction.

Yin Liang, Deputy Director of the Beijing International Trade in Services Affairs Center, said that as an important window for China’s opening up to the outside world, Beijing is committed to advancing the construction of the National Comprehensive Pilot Zone for the Expansion of Opening-up in the Service Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone, as well as improving the international service system. In his address, Huang Chao, Executive Chairman of DITC for China, stated that the digital economy in Southeast Asia is experiencing takeoff, attracting investment from the international community, including China. He emphasized that only through ecosystem co-construction and localized practice can the investment boom be transformed into genuine industrial upgrading.

During the keynote session, Lin Chaoting, Vice President of Zhipu AI (a leading Chinese AI company), highlighted China’s digital globalization efforts, showcasing Zhipu’s AI agent products and flexible deployment solutions. She called for the creation of global joint labs and innovation hubs to advance AI industry development worldwide. Industry experts from Midea and Tencent Cloud also delivered thematic presentations.

The workshop session, themed “Focusing on Ecosystem Co-construction and Localized Practice: How Investment Booms and Transnational Strategies Accelerate Southeast Asia’s Industrial Restructuring,” explored core topics such as the digital industry’s key pillars (data centers, cloud networks), localized cloud service development, AI advancements, and collaborative digital ecosystem building. They explored how local enterprises in Southeast Asia and multinational corporations, especially Chinese companies expanding globally, can build cross-cultural market competitiveness through strategies such as ecosystem building, localization of teams, cultivation of strategic partner ecosystems, and deployment of cutting-edge technologies, thereby accelerating the development of digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia and achieving a win-win path of regional collaborative development.

During the Seminar on the Construction of an International Cooperation Ecosystem for the Digital Economy, industry experts and entrepreneur representatives from China and Singapore engaged in a heated discussion on topics such as Singapore’s “Smart Nation” experience and how Beijing’s digital economy enterprises can expand into the Singaporean international market.

At the global technology event—GITEX ASIA 2025, a delegation composed of several leading Chinese digital service trade enterprises made a collective appearance, showcasing China’s innovative achievements and impressive capabilities in the digital economy.

In addition to the forums and exhibitions, an international exchange event titled “Digital Luminary: Southeast Asia’s Future Night” was also held, with the participation of many technology companies, including China Telecom International, Alibaba Cloud, Laihua Technology, and Zhipu AI.

The successful holding and exhibition of the Singapore Promotion Event of CIFTIS and the Digital Service Trade Delegation have demonstrated China’s strong strength and innovative achievements in the digital economy, providing an important platform for digital economy cooperation between China and Singapore, as well as the broader Southeast Asian region.

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Reload Logistics Releases Outlook Report: “Unlocking Southern Africa’s Trade Potential”

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Reload Logistics

New insights highlight infrastructure, digital innovation, and sustainability shaping regional trade

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ –As trade corridors expand and the demand for sustainable supply chain solutions grows, Reload Logistics (www.ReloadLogistics.com) has released an industry outlook report titled “Unlocking Southern Africa’s Trade Potential in 2025 and Beyond.” The report sheds light on transformative trends in infrastructure, trade integration, and digital innovation driving Southern Africa’s logistics landscape.

Key insights from the report include:

  • Critical Minerals Driving Growth: Southern Africa provides around 30% of the world’s critical minerals for electric vehicles, including cobalt and copper, contributing to the transition towards cleaner energy.
  • Strategic Infrastructure Investments: The Kasomeno-Mwenda Road Project is removing over 300km from DRC-to-Tanzania routes, while the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project plans to double port capacity to 30 million tons by 2030.
  • Technological Transformation: Tech logistics solutions have improved route optimization by up to 15%.
  • Sustainability Imperatives: By 2030, demand for green logistics could reach approximately $350 billion globally, with exporters increasingly adopting lower-carbon transport options.
  • Transformative Trade Corridors: Port developments at Dar es Salaam, Durban, Walvis Bay, and Beira are enhancing efficiencies and opening cross-border opportunities.

The report projects that by 2030, the African Continental Free Trade Area will boost intra-African trade by over 50%, creating new commodity flows while regional infrastructure investments address network gaps.

Download the full report (https://apo-opa.co/3RuAwLx) to explore how your business can stay ahead in the evolving logistics landscape of Southern Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Reload Logistics

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African Mining Week (AMW) to Spotlight Investor Strategies Driving Africa’s Mineral Industrialization

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Energy Capital

African Mining Week 2025 will convene global investors in Cape Town to explore financing strategies, geopolitical trends and ESG factors driving Africa’s mineral industrialization

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ –African Mining Week (AMW) – taking place from October 1–3, 2025, in Cape Town – will connect global investors with high-impact opportunities across Africa’s mining sector, spotlighting the strategies fueling the continent’s mineral industrialization.

A key highlight of the event will be a high-level panel, The Investor Perspective: Financing Africa’s Mineral Industrialization. The session will explore the evolving investment landscape and examine diverse financing mechanisms – including bank loans, private equity, venture capital and impact investing – that are mobilizing capital into African mining.

DFIs Drive Infrastructure Investments

Attracted by strong returns and Africa’s long-term growth potential, development finance institutions (DFIs) are ramping up investments into the continent’s mining infrastructure. In March 2025, the African Development Bank approved a $150 million loan to Mauritania’s state-owned mining company SNIM and committed $500 million to the Lobito Corridor – a strategic railway project linking Angola, the DRC and Zambia to international markets. Meanwhile, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is backing several critical mineral projects, including Nyanza Light Metals’ $780 million PGMs facility in South Africa, Gecamines’ expansion in the DRC, Giyani Metals’ manganese development in Botswana and FG Gold’s project in Sierra Leone. Between 2014 and 2024, AFC invested over $1 billion into Africa’s mining sector. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is also deepening its commitment, providing more than $750 million toward the Lobito Corridor, $34 million for Pensana’s Longonjo rare earths project in Angola and $3.2 million to Chillerton’s green copper development in Zambia.

Geopolitics and African Prospects

Geopolitical shifts are intensifying the global race for Africa’s critical minerals, vital for the energy transition and digital economy. From 2019 to 2023, companies from the United Arab Emirates committed over $110 billion to African projects. In early 2025, UAE-based Ambrosia Investment Holding acquired a 50% stake in Allied Gold’s projects in Ethiopia and Mali, investing $375 million to scale up gold production. Canadian mining investment on the continent has now surpassed $37 billion, with companies like Ivanhoe Mines, Fortuna Silver, Pioneer Lithium and Trigon Metals leading expansion efforts. Similarly, Australia’s mining footprint in Africa reached $60 billion in asset value in 2024, supported by firms such as Sovereign Metals, Cazaly Resources and Atlantic Lithium.

Private Placements

Private placements are emerging as a preferred capital-raising vehicle for mining ventures across Africa. Companies including Zanaga Iron Ore, Moab Minerals, Global Atomic Corporation, Premier African Minerals and Trigon Metals are leveraging this mechanism to fast-track project development and attract investor interest. As ESG criteria take center stage in investment decision-making, AMW will serve as a platform for financiers and project developers to engage on sustainability metrics, transparency and responsible investing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power

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