LHASA, China, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway. Spanning nearly 2,000 kilometers and reaching altitudes of over 5,000 meters, this railway traverses the “roof of the world.” By overcoming formidable challenges like oxygen deficiency and harsh climate, it remains one of the most remarkable feats in the history of engineering.

To build the Qinghai-Xizang Railway, the engineers had to face a series of challenges rarely seen in the history of railway construction worldwide. About a quarter of the railway passes through permafrost regions. In some areas, ice accounts for more than 80 percent of the permafrost, while soil accounts for less than 20 percent. Permafrost is unstable as season changes. It can thaw and sink when temperatures rise in summer, while in winter it will freeze and shrink. So it is easy to crack during construction. Under the combined challenges of high altitude, low temperatures and oxygen deficiency, it was a global engineering challenge for Chinese engineers to ensure the long-term stability of the railway bed.

Faced with such extreme conditions, Chinese engineers and technicians adopted a range of innovative technologies. Along both sides of the railway, tens of thousands of heat-conducting pipes extend deep into the permafrost, draining underground heat to the surface and helping keep the permafrost frozen and stable. The 111-kilometer-long railroad bed with crushed rock ventilation can promote air circulation, carry away heat and reduce subgrade temperatures.

The construction of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway focused not only on engineering safety, but also on ecological conservation throughout the project. A total of 33 wildlife passageways were built along the railway, preserving migration routes for animals on the plateau. The Wudaoliang Bridge alone allows more than 5,000 Tibetan antelopes to pass through each year. Since the railway opened, students in remote mountainous areas have the better access to sound education. Herders can reach markets more easily. Over the past 20 years, the Qinghai-Xizang Railway has transported more than 100 million tons of freight.

The animated video China’s New Pulse: How did China build a railway spanning the roof of the world? produced by China Matters, tells the story behind the Qinghai-Xizang Railway. Today, this railway serves as a crucial transport infrastructure for local people with a balanced development between economic growth and ecological conservation.

YouTube Link：https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V83lZVWsp8A

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SOURCE China Matters

KUNMING, China, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China Report ASEAN:

A group of Indonesian rural officials arrived in China on September 9 for a week-long study tour to Kunming, Xishuangbanna, and other parts of Yunnan Province as part of the 2026 Indonesian Rural Officials Training Program, also known as the sixth “Village Heads Class.” The program is giving participants a close-up look at China’s experience in rural revitalization, grassroots governance, distinctive local industry development, and efforts to benefit farmers and boost rural incomes.

Hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia and organized by Yunnan Minzu University, this program brought together more than 20 Indonesian village officials and relevant staff. The opening and welcome ceremony drew officials from relevant Chinese and Indonesian departments, faculty and student representatives from Yunnan Minzu University, and media representatives, including those from CICG Asia-Pacific.

Wang Xiangang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government, said Yunnan—once a key battleground in China’s fight against poverty—has marked a historic milestone by eradicating absolute poverty. The province has bolstered safeguards against a return to poverty, refined mechanisms that connect farmers with industry and share development benefits with them, advanced highland agriculture with distinctive local features, and built labor service brands that help rural workers find stable employment. It has also sent numerous village-based work teams, upgraded rural infrastructure and living conditions, and cultivated rural long-stay tourism. Together, these efforts have provided Yunnan with extensive experience in rural development. Today, the province is the world’s leading flower producer, its coffee, blueberry, and avocado industries are flourishing, and its agricultural exports have long outpaced those of other western provinces and regions in China.

Wang Xiangang noted that Yunnan and Indonesia enjoy deep historical ties: Yunnan is the birthplace of the great Chinese navigator Zheng He. Friendly exchanges between the two sides—and people-to-people exchanges in particular—have gained strong momentum. In science and technology, Yunnan helped build Indonesia’s first waste gasification power plant and deepened cooperation on vaccines and coffee breeding. In agriculture, the two sides partnered on an organic rice project that has significantly raised local grain output, with follow-up projects on photovoltaic lighting and organic farming upgrades in the pipeline. Overall, bilateral cooperation rests on a solid foundation and has produced fruitful results, with broad prospects ahead.

Ruan Chaoqi, Party Secretary of Yunnan Minzu University and Director of Yunnan Training Base for Ethnic Minority Cadres, expressed his hope that the program will help Indonesian participants strengthen their governance capacity and overall competence—and, in turn, contribute more to the comprehensive strategic mutual trust between China and Indonesia. Such people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing, he noted, will bolster connectivity, deepen cultural exchange, and bring the two peoples closer, creating more opportunities for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. On behalf of Yunnan Minzu University, he also hoped that more Indonesian officials and young students would choose Yunnan for study and exchange, so that the two sides can learn from each other and grow together.

Indonesia has more than 80,000 villages, each with its own resource endowments. Mulyadin Malik, Head of the Agency for Development and Information at Indonesia’s Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, said the Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision positions villages as key players in economic development, and Indonesia has rolled out 12 village action plans. Under a multi-stakeholder mechanism, the government, businesses, universities, financial institutions, local communities, and international development partners all contribute to rural development—particularly in food, energy, and water security, export industry incubation, digital transformation, and climate change response. These efforts have yielded substantive progress.

Mulyadin Malik stressed that rural development is vital to a country’s progress and future—a view both Indonesia and China share. Though separated by the sea, the two countries enjoy a long-standing friendship. On October 17, 2023, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing on cooperation in rural development and poverty reduction, setting up a framework for policy exchanges, experience-sharing, and capacity-building in these areas. As a concrete example of cooperation under this framework, the Indonesian Rural Officials Training Program seeks to promote mutual learning through the sharing of experience.

“We look forward to learning from China’s valuable experience in rural development and adapting it to the resource endowments and on-the-ground needs of Indonesian villages before putting it into practice,” said Mulyadin Malik. He hoped that this program will help Indonesian rural specialty products access the Chinese market, strengthen village economies, expand business networks, and improve the well-being of rural communities—ultimately helping build a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

The Joint Statement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia on Advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the China-Indonesia Community with a Shared Future, issued in 2024, explicitly states that the two sides will expand cooperation in poverty alleviation and reduction, agriculture, and rural revitalization, jointly promote agricultural and rural modernization, and steadily improve the well-being of both peoples.

Launched in 2019, the Indonesian Rural Officials Training Program has held six sessions to date, giving more than 100 Indonesian village heads firsthand exposure to rural development in China. After returning home, participants tailored what they had learned to local conditions, yielding a set of cooperation projects that are substantive, replicable, and scalable. Their efforts have helped make mutual learning on grassroots governance a regular feature of China-Indonesia exchanges, turning the program into a signature “small yet beautiful” cooperation project under the Belt and Road Initiative—one closely tied to people’s livelihoods and highly exemplary—and earning high praise from the heads of state of both countries.

During the field trip, participants visited Haiyan Village to see rural revitalization in action; explored Luosiwan International Trade City and Dounan Flower Market to learn about trade and specialty industry growth; and traveled to Xishuangbanna, where they got a firsthand look at the local coffee industry, a new business model built on the joint development of three villages, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and digital agriculture bases. They also examined how specialty industries boost rural incomes, how ethnic culture is preserved and passed on, and how new rural business models take shape. Through exchanges with grassroots officials and staff, they gained firsthand insight into China’s approach to rural development.

On September 13, grassroots officials from China and Indonesia engaged in a dialogue at the village library in Manzhao Village Group, Menghai County, Yunnan Province. There, the Chinese hosts presented the Indonesian guests with books as study materials, including the English edition of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (Volume V) and Up and Out of Poverty.

Through this program, the two sides hope to deepen experience-sharing in rural development, strengthen market connectivity, and advance coordinated capacity-building. In doing so, they aim to inject fresh momentum into rural cooperation under the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership.

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SOURCE China Report ASEAN

SHANGHAI, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At HUAWEI CONNECT 2026, Huawei unveiled its upgraded Stellar AI Network Solution under the philosophy of secure, intelligent connectivity. With stand-out features such as efficient computing production, lossless delivery, and superfast application, this future-ready solution unleashes computing productivity while safeguarding services in the AI era.

Driven by explosive AI adoption, daily token consumption has surged 260-fold in a year. Huawei’s upgraded Stellar AI Network—spanning AI Fabric, AI WAN, and AI Campus—responds to this by focusing on intelligent connectivity and security.

Stellar AI Fabric 2.0

• Intelligent connectivity: To tackle challenges like surging networking costs, slow protocol conversion, and traffic retransmissions caused by link flapping, Huawei has introduced the UBG switch SF9300 series. Paired with Ascend A5/A6, it forms a full-series UBG compute-network integrated solution. Specifically, two-layer multi-plane architecture eliminates the core layer, cutting network deployment costs by 30%. The unified protocol reduces end-to-end latency from 20 μs to 11 μs. Link-Layer Retransmission (LLR) achieves zero packet loss during link flaps, reducing annual cluster service downtime by 100 hours. Huawei also unveiled its fully in-house CloudEngine XH9300-EN series NPO switches, delivering three major breakthroughs. First, centralized light-source design lowers interconnect power consumption from 1,000 W to 600 W, saving cluster electricity costs. Second, near-packaged architecture reduces optical-electrical conversion latency by 180 ns, optimizing single-node latency by 26%. Third, pluggable snap-fit structure enables on-site replacement, shortening fault recovery time from days to hours.
• Security: Huawei’s Three-Layer Security Guardrail Solution defends against hashrate theft, prompt injection, and model poisoning. Specifically, Network Guardrail features an integrated cryptojacking detection model delivering a 95% detection rate with millisecond-level malicious traffic blocking. Agent Guardrail guards against prompt injection attacks with 95% accuracy at under 150 ms latency. Host Guardrail performs real-time monitoring of malicious processes while keeping CPU usage below 1%. At a real-world customer site, the solution identified 415 high-risk vulnerabilities and 322 threat events in its first seven days—leveraging AI to safeguard AI and ensure secure token production.

Stellar AI WAN

• Intelligent connectivity: Cross-region computing faces issues like severe efficiency loss, high on-premises costs, and expensive private lines. To address these, Huawei’s Stellar AI WAN Solution enables lossless delivery of computing power over 1,000 km: The Starnet lossless algorithm eliminates long-distance packet loss, boosting remote computing efficiency to over 95%. The XH computing-network appliance uses the layerwise model partitioning algorithm to run initial and final layers locally, transmitting only high-dimensional vectors over the network. This ensures raw data remains strictly on-premises and reduces initial branch xPU costs fourfold. Furthermore, computation-communication overlapping cuts bandwidth idle time by over 80% and reduces required bandwidth fivefold.
• Security: Huawei’s multi-dimensional WAN defense technology counters novel vectors like APTs and HNDL attacks. At the device layer, intrinsic security boards block intrusions in real time, trace threats within minutes at over 95% accuracy, and visualize up to 100-hop attack paths. At the link layer, built-in QKD delivers robust quantum security without extra devices, cutting construction costs by over 60% while extending transmission distance to 80 km. At the network layer, APN6-based data fencing enables network-wide control over traffic paths, ensuring the secure circulation of sensitive data.

Stellar AI Campus Network

• Intelligent connectivity: With enterprise agent adoption expected to approach 50% this year, manual O&M falls short of 24/7 demands, making minute-level fault recovery a must. Huawei meets this by upgrading all-scenario network autonomy across data, models, and tools. Specifically, proprietary network awareness technology supports the collection of over 25 exclusive data types with a 100 ms sampling cycle to precisely detect subtle anomalies. The Deep Causal Pruning (DCP) algorithm optimizes AI models, cutting inference errors by over 20% while boosting troubleshooting accuracy to 95%. iFlow 2.0 distributed simulation technology ensures 24/7 continuous verification of inference paths. This enables network-wide AI-powered operations, slashing MTTR to under 5 minutes and ensuring mission-critical service experience.
• Security: Today’s enterprises struggle with the rapid compromise of dumb terminals and hidden malicious interactions by agents. Huawei’s Stellar AI Campus Network Asset Security 2.0 solution addresses these through endpoint-network collaborative protection. By embedding AI micro-models into switches, the solution cuts dumb-terminal threat detection time from 5 minutes to under 10 seconds. Powered by proprietary AI Core small models and NPU semantic large models, it fully reconstructs agent interaction scenarios, boosting the malicious command detection rate to 95%. This eliminates hidden risks and safeguards campus networks and services.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to innovate its Stellar AI Network products and solutions in line with the “AI for All, All on Secure IP” vision, maximizing the value of every connection together with customers and partners in the AI era.

SOURCE Huawei

BALIKPAPAN, Indonesia, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XCMG broke ground on the XCMG Indonesia Remanufacturing Center on Sept. 16 in Balikpapan, Indonesia. As XCMG’s first overseas base dedicated to the overhaul and remanufacturing of mining equipment components, the project marks the start of a localized aftermarket service center supporting equipment throughout its operational lifecycle and represents a key step in the company’s overseas localization strategy.

The center will integrate the overhaul and remanufacturing of core components, regional parts warehousing, local technical talent development and used-equipment refurbishment. It will connect key processes including used-component recovery and inspection, repair and remanufacturing, parts supply and on-site service, creating a localized aftermarket service system spanning the operational lifecycle of mining equipment.

Designed to meet local customer needs, the center will adopt global remanufacturing standards and a lean quality management system. Once operational, major overhaul work can be carried out locally, shortening equipment downtime and service response times while helping ensure restored component performance. These capabilities are expected to help customers better manage operating costs, improve equipment availability and increase operational efficiency, while accelerating XCMG’s transition from an equipment supplier to a provider of full-lifecycle solutions.

“With the remanufacturing center located here, overhaul and spare-parts support will be faster, and downtime-related losses will be easier to control,” said an Indonesian mining customer representative. “This gives us greater confidence in deepening our cooperation with XCMG.”

After more than 30 years in Indonesia, XCMG has steadily expanded its localized capabilities across the equipment value chain. The groundbreaking is the latest in a series of milestones advancing the company’s local operations this year.

Days earlier, XCMG officially introduced XCMG Indonesia Finance Company (ABC Multi Finance) at Mining Indonesia 2026, held Sept. 9-12 in Jakarta. The move expanded XCMG’s local capabilities beyond equipment, technology and services to include integrated financing solutions.

Earlier this year, the company also completed and commissioned its Indonesia New Energy Manufacturing Base, bringing manufacturing and delivery closer to the local market. It inaugurated an Indonesia R&D center focused on adapting equipment to high-temperature, humid environments and complex operating conditions.

By extending its existing R&D, manufacturing, supply, sales, service and financing capabilities into localized component overhaul and remanufacturing, XCMG aims to provide more comprehensive solutions for Indonesia’s mining and infrastructure sectors and support their transition toward greener, more efficient operations.

SOURCE XCMG

BEIJING, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily

Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, has kept both its name and its urban site unchanged for more than 3,000 years. Its streets and lanes carry centuries of history. In recent years, the city has worked to protect, preserve, and creatively revitalize its cultural heritage, finding new ways to integrate its rich legacy into modern urban life.

This distinctive cultural appeal has drawn people from around the world. Some come to study at its thousand-year-old academy; others experience how traditional culture has become part of everyday life; still others find fresh ways to tell Changsha’s story to young audiences overseas. Their experiences offer fresh perspectives on how the ancient city preserves and passes on its cultural heritage.

Keeping tradition alive, Yuelu Academy continues its scholarly legacy

American scholar Peter Brian Ditmanson began teaching at Yuelu Academy of Hunan University in 2017, where he studies the history of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and leads a team translating historical texts related to the academy.

When translating inscriptions such as “Xue Da Xing Tian,” he often weighed each phrase carefully, striving to convey their philosophical depth to readers from different cultural backgrounds.

In his view, Yuelu Academy is not a museum to be admired from afar, because its tradition of learning, teaching, and scholarship has never been interrupted. Its historical buildings retain their original character, while modern education continues the academy’s ancient mission.

How can a living history be preserved? Ditmanson has taken part in an oral history project of Yuelu Academy, organizing nearly 200,000 Chinese characters of oral records from faculty and staff. This effort captures aspects of the academy’s history that cannot be seen from its buildings alone.

This idea of “letting history continue to tell its story” also runs through Changsha’s broader cultural initiatives. The city is developing itself as a “city of museums” and promoting public archaeology and hands-on experiences in cultural relic restoration, bringing history closer to the public.

Ditmanson believes history should always be approached with reverence. “We should not flatten a rich and profound history just to make it seem easy and entertaining to visitors,” he said. In his view, the fact that people still study and pursue knowledge at a thousand-year-old academy, while ancient texts reach readers in different languages, means that history has never been confined to the past. He still sees himself as a “student”: only after understanding the cultural spirit of the academy can he share it with more people and foster genuine exchange.

Sustaining living heritage, weaving traditional culture into everyday life

Canadian Martin Haase has lived in Changsha for nearly 20 years. Practicing tai chi daily is his routine. For him, culture’s integration into modern life requires no elaborate ceremonies. “The true vitality of traditional culture lies precisely in these ordinary moments that unfold each day,” he said.

Tai chi led Haase to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and he went on to study at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, progressing from undergraduate to a master’s and doctoral degrees. He now researches the international communication of TCM.

When Haase first arrived in Changsha, foreigners had limited access to systematic learning of TCM and tai chi. Now the situation has greatly improved: universities host tai chi workshops: associations run community classes, grassroots groups set up learning platforms, and districts showcase intangible cultural heritage. Fueled by short videos, it has become easier than ever for ordinary people to experience traditional culture.

Haase has evolved from a Tai Chi novice into a cultural narrator. When foreign friends ask where they can learn tai chi in Changsha, he not only translates for them but also manages social media accounts, explaining to global audiences the lifestyles and worldviews embedded in TCM.

To him, Changsha’s greatest strength is its ability to turn esoteric practices — once limited to close-knit communities of heritage bearers — into everyday urban experiences open to all. “Savor a cup of tea, practice a tai chi routine, wander down an old lane — traditional culture resides in the simple rhythms of daily living,” he said.

Diverse forms of expression bring more people into storytelling

Standing beneath the ancient city wall at Tianxin Pavilion, Malaysian student Samviontha (Wong Pek Hwa) was reminded of her hometown, Malacca. “When you start with something people are already familiar with, history becomes easier to understand,” she said.

In 2025, she came to study at Central South University of Forestry & Technology. Changsha’s rich historical and cultural heritage and its youthful urban character soon became subjects for her videos, through which she introduces the city to audiences in Malaysia in the Malay language.

“Effective communication is not simply translating a piece of Chinese into another language,” Samviontha said. Starting from her own experiences, she connects distinctive aspects of Changsha with things familiar to her audience. When introducing Changsha stinky tofu, for example, she draws a comparison with fermented stink beans in Malaysia, using a shared memory of taste to bridge the cultural distance. After visiting a museum of Hunan embroidery, she used Malay to describe the vivid, lifelike embroidery techniques, giving audiences in Southeast Asia a closer look at this form of Hunan intangible cultural heritage.

As a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, Changsha keeps broadening its avenues for international outreach. Samviontha and other young foreigners have been named “international communication ambassadors.” A tiny shop, a local custom, or a traditional craft enjoying renewed popularity among young people — to Samviontha, what makes Changsha captivating is how antiquity and innovation often land within the same frame. History does not fade amid the city’s development.

Beneath lamplight, some pore over books; on street corners, others practice tai chi; still others relay tales of these humdrum lanes to friends afar. Though hailing from different nations, they all draw nourishment from the ancient city’s cultural legacy and breathe fresh vitality into it. It is within these quiet, everyday moments that time-honored cultural traditions gain wider recognition, affection, and care.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/changsha-brings-millennia-old-heritage-into-modern-life-302883114.html

SOURCE People’s Daily

Encouraging travel and fuelling discovery beyond Japan’s tourism hotspots

SINGAPORE, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In collaboration with Kagoshima Prefecture, Klook, a leading pan-regional experiences platform in Asia Pacific, launches a campaign that subsidizes international visitors’ Shinkansen fares.

The collaboration begins with a limited-time campaign starting from 18 September 2026 across eight markets: The United States, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China.

Travelers from these markets, who arrive via Fukuoka Airport and book at least one night at a participating Kagoshima hotel through Klook, will receive a free one-way Shinkansen ticket (up to 11,420 yen) from Hakata to Kagoshima.

[CAMPAIGN DETAILS]

• Campaign Period: 18 September 2026 – 28 February 2027 or while stocks last, whichever occurs first.
• Campaign Details: Tickets equivalent to a one-way Shinkansen fare from Hakata to Kagoshima (up to 11,420 yen) will be provided
• Eligible Countries and Regions: United States, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China
• Eligibility Requirements: Travelers who transit through Fukuoka Airport and book a hotel in Kagoshima Prefecture for at least one night via Klook

“Fukuoka is the main gateway to Kyushu for many international travelers, yet few venture further south, even though Kagoshima is only around 80 minutes away by Shinkansen,” said Wataru Masuda, General Manager of Klook Japan. “That means Kagoshima often sits outside the typical international travel itinerary. By making it easier for travelers to discover and experience the prefecture, we can help extend their journeys beyond the usual routes, bring more visitors to Kagoshima, and create more opportunities for local merchants and tour operators.”

Klook’s Dispersal Track Record: What Hiroshima Demonstrated

Kagoshima is not Klook’s first effort at redirecting international travelers from major gateways to emerging destinations in Japan.

Hiroshima offers a strong precedent.

There, Klook worked with local authorities and merchant partners to bundle Shinkansen access with local experiences through the Klook Pass Hiroshima, which saw sales increase more than twelvefold after launch.

In 2026, Klook’s Kreatorverse Japan also brought around 120 content creators from 20 markets to Hiroshima, helping drive a sustained increase in monthly booking traffic to the destination.

Klook now tracks booking growth outside Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka against growth within those cities as an ongoing measure of whether its dispersal efforts are working.

The results have been significant. Hiroshima product revenue grew 30% year-on-year in 2026 year-to-date, outpacing Klook’s overall growth in Japan.

These results provide the clearest precedent for the Kagoshima partnership: not a one-off ticket promotion, but a broader, multi-channel effort combining product bundling, creator content, destination marketing, and digital access to build sustained travel demand over time.

What’s Next: Klook Pass Kagoshima

Klook held an in-person seminar for Kagoshima merchants last month, helping local businesses digitize their operations and onboard onto the Klook platform. The next step is to develop the Klook Pass Kagoshima, a bundled experiences product modeled on Klook Pass Hiroshima.

This aims to remove a second layer of friction: what to do in Kagoshima. With Klook Pass Kagoshima, travelers can spend less time planning and more time enjoying a curated selection of local experiences bundled into one convenient, value-driven pass.

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SOURCE Klook

• Strategic investment will see collaboration across mobility and financial services
• Initial collaboration will focus on automotive financing and related businesses in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia

SINGAPORE, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Carro, a leading online car marketplace in the Asia Pacific (excluding China and India), has announced a round of strategic investment by Orient Corporation (“Orico”), a major Japanese consumer credit and financial services company. Through this investment, Orico will act as a strategic partner to Carro and will, as a first step, advance collaboration in the automotive financing and related businesses in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia – the markets in which both companies operate.

“We’re excited to partner with Orico and integrate our digital vehicle commerce with their financial services, creating a more seamless experience for both our retail consumers and wholesale dealers,” says Carro Co-founder and Group CEO Aaron Tan. 

“We’re expecting strong demand for automotive financing driven by growth in both new and used vehicles, underpinned by the expansion of the middle class,” says Makoto Umemiya, CEO of Orico. “At the same time, the rapid digitalisation of sales channels, alongside the AI-driven advancement of vehicle appraisal and credit assessment is reshaping the sector. We believe Carro’s digital customer acquisition capabilities, its proprietary AI-based credit assessment and vehicle valuation, and its vehicle distribution capabilities including EVs will contribute to strengthening Orico’s international growth strategy.”

Founded in 1954, Orico is a leading Japanese financial services company with deep expertise in credit and payments, offering a broad range of solutions including consumer finance, credit cards, automotive financing, loan guarantees and settlement services. With a strong customer and merchant network and decades of experience in credit assessment and financial services, Orico connects consumers, businesses and financial institutions through innovative financing and payment solutions

Carro is a leading online car marketplace in the Asia Pacific (excluding China and India). The company transacted over 120,000 units of new and used vehicles in FY2026 and is active across 8 markets. It is a leading auto fintech, auto digital insurance broker and aftersales service provider in the region.

About Orient Corporation (“Orico”)

Founded in 1954, Orient Corporation is a comprehensive financial services company that offers a wide range of financial services to individuals, corporations, and financial institutions. Orico leverages strengths in Japan’s leading auto finance business, extensive dealer and partner network, and long-cultivated credit expertise to grow our business. Orico also operates auto loan businesses in Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

About Carro

Founded in 2015, Carro is a leading online car marketplace in the Asia Pacific (excluding China and India). By offering a trustworthy and transparent experience, Carro transforms the traditional way of buying and selling cars through proprietary pricing algorithms, AI-enabled capabilities, and innovative technological solutions. In 2025, Carro expanded its product line to include Brand New cars in Singapore and Malaysia, offering customers even more options.

Headquartered in Singapore, the unicorn startup has raised over S$700 million from Softbank Vision Fund as well as several sovereign funds and government-linked investors. Together with its subsidiaries and business lines, Carro is supported by more than 4,500 employees across Asia Pacific:

• Carro, Asia Pacific’s largest online used marketplace with a strong key presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan region, Hong Kong SAR and Australia
• Carro Care, Carro’s in-house refurbishment and after-sales servicing capabilities
• Genie Financial Services, a next-generation fintech automotive financing provider in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand
• Carro Auction, a leading automotive auction platform in Thailand 
• MPM Rent, leading mobility solutions company in Indonesia specialising in leasing / fleet financing transportation services
• Innorithm, a next-generation fleet management solutions company leveraging state-of-the art IoT and machine learning
• Kaidee, Thailand’s largest online shopping and classifieds platform
• Driven Communications, leading Malaysian integrated digital content & marketing services agency including notable sites like paultan.org

For more information, please visit: www.carro.co.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/carro-secures-strategic-investment-from-orico-302883087.html

SOURCE Carro

Alan Wiessbrod joins as Senior Vice President to support the business’ next phase of growth

SYDNEY, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Teletrac Navman, a leading connected mobility platform for industries that manage vehicle and equipment assets, announced that Alan Wiessbrod has joined its senior leadership team as Senior Vice President, Operations & Enterprise Transformation.

Wiessbrod brings more than 20 years experience of leading transformation projects across media and technology businesses in both the public and private sectors, with a strong track record of delivering profitable growth and operational excellence.

In his new role, Wiessbrod will oversee Teletrac Navman’s global order management, field services, supply chain, procurement and sales operations functions while advancing key strategic initiatives to drive growth and business performance. 

Prior to joining Teletrac Navman, Wiessbrod served as the Chief Financial Officer of Recurrent Ventures, a Blackstone-backed digital media company, where he led finance, accounting, human resources and IT. During his tenure he drove the company’s return to profitability through portfolio optimization, improved operating discipline and more rigorous resource allocation.

Ricardo Buranello, CEO at Teletrac Navman, said: “To keep delivering best-in-class for our valued customers across the globe, our operational capabilities need to evolve with their needs. Alan’s decades of experience leading transformation across several complex and high-pressure sectors make him exceptionally well placed to spearhead this workstream. I look forward to working closely with Alan to deliver an exciting future for our customers, colleagues and partners.”   

Alan Wiessbrod, Senior Vice President, Operations & Enterprise Transformation, said: “I’m excited to join Teletrac Navman at this critical inflection point in its evolution. The company has a strong foundation, talented people and a compelling opportunity to build on its position in the market. I’m particularly energized by the opportunity to help build the next chapter of Teletrac Navman as a more focused, agile and high-performing organization.”

About Teletrac Navman
Teletrac Navman’s goal is to empower the industries that transform and sustain our futures with simple and intelligent solutions that enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of their operation. As a connected mobility platform for industries that manage vehicle and equipment assets, Teletrac Navman simplifies the complex so that its customers can transform the way they work through cloud-based solutions that leverage AI to unlock the power of operational insight. Teletrac Navman manages more than 750,000 vehicles and assets around the world. The company operates globally, with offices worldwide and headquarters in Northbrook, IL. For more information visit www.teletracnavman.com.

About Respida 
Respida is a software-focused private equity firm with decades of combined investing and operating experience. The firm partners with management teams at growth-oriented software companies, bringing hands-on operational rigor and financial discipline to drive growth and build durable market leaders. For more information, visit respida.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/teletrac-navman-appoints-new-operations–enterprise-transformation-lead-302883082.html

SOURCE Teletrac Navman

Gathering Global Creative Minds and Business Leaders under the Theme

‘Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform’

• Global Creative Leaders Convene: Assembling over 50 global pioneers across design, innovation, and prestigious brands including Vacheron Constantin and Vitra, BODW 2026 Summit features visionaries such as Wim Walschap, the mastermind behind Herzog & de Meuron of Tai Kwun and M+; Thilo Brunner, Chief Design Officer of the global sportswear and shoe brand On; landscape master Enzo Enea; Janine Weiz-Bühler, FREITAG’s newly designated role Navigator / CEO; Emily Yan, a key contributor to Shanghai Grand Opera House and AIRSIDE; Suyong Joh, Founder of Magazine B; and Chef Grégoire Michaud, Founder of Bakehouse.
• Six Forward-Looking Key Topic Pillars: In-depth exploration from Reimagining Spaces, Regenerative Culture & Curation, Brand Transformation, The New Luxury & Artisanal Innovation, Designing for Longevity & Vitality, to Future-Ready Transmedia & Education, with the bodw Future Lab driving collaborative insights and action strategies to prototypes tomorrow.
• Collaboration with Partner Country Switzerland: Drawing on Switzerland’s expertise in precision craftsmanship, sustainable architecture, and technological innovation to explore how design and cross-disciplinary dialogue drive commercial and societal change.
• BODW 2026 will synergise with concurrent design programmes across the city to boost the creative atmosphere, including DESIGN@HKG, DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony, DX design hub Anniversary Event, Leadership Forum, DesignInspire and Business of IP Asia Forum, and deTour 2026, solidifying Hong Kong‘s role as Asia’s creative capital.

HONG KONG, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands, Business of Design Week (BODW) 2026, will be grandly held from 16 to 21 November this year. The organiser, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), held a press conference today (17 September) to officially announce the key highlights of this year’s edition and the speaker line-up for its flagship programme, the BODW 2026 Summit. As in previous years, the event is supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as Lead Sponsor, and co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

2026 also marks the 10^th anniversary of the innovative strategic partnership between Chinese Mainland and Switzerland. BODW 2026 is proud to welcome Switzerland as its year-round Partner Country under the theme ‘Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform’. Drawing upon Switzerland’s remarkable achievements in precision craftsmanship, sustainable architecture, brand transformation, and technology innovation, the event explores how Swiss design leverages its multilingual heritage and cross-cultural exchanges to spark new thinking, translating creative concepts into actionable force for business and societal change, and to exchange visionary dialogue across the globe. As a world-class platform rooted in Hong Kong with a global perspective, BODW further underscores Hong Kong’s positioning as an international creative capital, alongside its unique strength as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’ uniting local and overseas resources to foster international collaboration.

As the flagship programme of the event, the BODW 2026 Summit will take place from 18 to 20 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Bringing together over 50 creative leaders and business decision-makers from Switzerland, Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Czech Republic, Korea, the United States, and beyond, the Summit will dive into six key topic pillars: Reimagining Spaces, Regenerative Culture & Curation, Brand Transformation, The New Luxury & Artisanal Innovation, Designing for Longevity & Vitality, as well as Future-Ready Transmedia & Education. Discussion spectrum spans landscape architecture, urbanism, culture and brand storytelling, industrial and product design, craftsmanship and heritage, luxury retail and interior design, social and longevity innovation, communication design, future design education, and more.

Featured speakers of the BODW 2026 Summit include:

Architectural Giant Creating Public Value Through Dialogue

Wim Walschap, CEO & Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron, has led teams on iconic international projects including London’s Tate Modern, alongside Hong Kong landmarks M+ and Tai Kwun. At the Summit, he will share how the studio places ‘dialogue’ at the heart of its design philosophy, drawing on experience across sensitive adaptive reuse, commercial transformations, and key regional works such as the Grand Canal Museum Complex and The Hyundai Gwangju to explore how architecture responds to local context and creates lasting public value through community connection.

Landscape Master Integrating Nature into Architecture

Renowned Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea excels at seamlessly blending outdoor landscapes with indoor architecture, with his latest project including Central Crossing, a new mixed-use development in Hong Kong, in collaboration with Foster + Partners. At the Summit, he will elaborate on using immersive design to reconnect human life with nature, while examining the role of landscape design in urban public space transformation and well-being enhancement.

Design Pioneer Redefining Public Spaces through Generosity

Emily Yan, Director, Studio Hong Kong (Asia Region) of Snøhetta, has contributed to numerous landmark projects, including AIRSIDE, a multi-purpose commercial space in Kai Tak, Hong Kong; the Shanghai Grand Opera House opening next month; Beijing Art Museum; and Solstice Culinary Space, a new multi-concept dining and cultural destination in Central, Hong Kong. At the Summit, she will share how her philosophy of ‘generosity’, which advocates for giving back to the public, the environment, and future generations more than taking, serves as a catalyst for regenerative design, enabling spaces to transcend single functionality and create lasting value for both society and the environment.

Boundaries Transcended: The Creative Soul Driving Performance and Innovation

As the core figure behind breakthrough technologies including the CloudTec cushioning system, Speedboard, and the LightSpray spray-on upper technology set to make a major impact at the LA28 Olympics, Thilo Brunner, Chief Design Officer of On, will unpack the brand’s forward-looking design philosophy. From product development and immersive tech-driven retail stores to progressive brand collaborations, he will reveal how On seamlessly integrates traditional craftsmanship with technological innovation to reshape the future of sportswear, experiential spaces, and global design culture.

Dialogue Between Brand Essence and Evolving Eras

Suyong Joh, Founder of Magazine B, and Janine Weiz-Bühler, Navigator / CEO of FREITAG lab. AG, will join a dialogue to deconstruct the evolution of brand identity, exploring how brands stay agile in a fast-changing world while safeguarding core values.

Culinary Culture Driver Reshaping Community Experience

Swiss master baker Chef Grégoire Michaud will share how he transformed Bakehouse, the bakery he founded in Hong Kong, into a modern cultural anchor. By combining traditional European baking craftsmanship with a contemporary visual identity, he uses design thinking and narrative design to bring new energy to the community’s dining culture.

Innovator in High-End Hospitality Experience and Education

Prof. Markus Venzin, CEO of EHL Group, will discuss the expansion from traditional hospitality into high-end services sector. Referencing EHL campuses in Lausanne and Singapore, he will reveal how spatial design, experiential learning, and digital innovation converge to meet changing consumer desires.

Cross-Disciplinary Designer and Material Philosopher

As co-founder of atelier oï, recipient of the Swiss Grand Award for Design 2026, Aurel Aebi will share their philosophy of ‘thinking with our hands’. He will explore material-driven narrative methods, fusing heritage craftsmanship with material innovation to craft evocative architectural, product, and spatial works.

The three-day Summit will offer full English subtitles alongside real-time AI-driven translation tools supporting 10 languages, including German, French, Italian, English, Cantonese, Putonghua, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Arabic. The full Summit programme will also be streamed live on bodw+ and social media platforms, enabling international audiences to watch along in real-time.

Beyond keynote speeches, panel discussions, and fireside chat on the main stage, the Summit features curated ‘Meet-the-Speaker’ sessions and the acclaimed bodw Future Lab returning from last year. Through interactive forward-looking dialogues, heavyweights will guide participants to examine future-focused issues such as The Future Design of Empathetic Spaces, Future Thinking: Navigating the Big Shifts Reshaping Our World, and ‘East-meets-West’ Approach to Longevity, turning dialogue into actionable initiatives and strategies.

In addition, the bodw Future Lab presents pre-summit sessions. The inaugural event was successfully held on 26 August at DX design hub with the session From Micro-trends to Future Blueprints: The Power of Foresight, the event explored how enterprises can spot market shifts early to convert uncertainties into growth opportunities. The upcoming two bodw Future Lab pre-summit sessions will be held on 29 September and 21 October, exploring Beyond Taste: Rethinking Food and The Semiotic Advantage: How Future-Ready Brands Speak to Culture respectively.

Mr Steve Leung, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre, stated in his speech, ‘Design is a human-centred practice that puts people first. It sustains a dialogue between form and function, culture and innovation, humanity and the environment. That dialogue reframes problems and unlocks new possibilities. This belief shapes our theme, “Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform”, celebrating collaboration across cultural and professional boundaries. Swiss design is famous around the world for its precision, quality, and focus on sustainability. It is a design approach built on real dialogue, bringing together beauty and engineering, as well as human needs and the environment. In an increasingly complex world, this Swiss approach shows us how design can lead to thoughtful and lasting solutions.’

Mr Daniel Freihofer, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong, remarked, ‘Switzerland is proud to be the Partner Country of Business of Design Week 2026, marking a new chapter in our partnership with Hong Kong. The theme, “Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform”, strongly resonates with Switzerland’s approach to design, valuing collaboration across disciplines and cultures. Swiss design connects people and ideas, bringing perspectives together to respond to change. Strengthened through our close collaboration with Hong Kong Design Centre, an outstanding Swiss delegation will share expertise with global audiences, inspiring new thinking and fostering lasting opportunities for collaboration between Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the wider region.’

Ms Anna Cheung, Associate Executive Director of HKTDC, said: ‘Through our enhanced strategic partnership with HKDC, we are reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a global hub for culture and creativity. This year’s DesignInspire, themed ‘Wander & Wonder’, will be held from November 18 to 21 at the HKCEC. Salone del Mobile. Milano will debut a special exhibition curated with exclusive elements unique to Hong Kong, while innovative designs from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and other regions will also be showcased, fostering meaningful cultural exchange.’

Beyond the Summit, BODW 2026 will join forces with a range of concurrent design programmes across the city, including DESIGN@HKG (formerly BODW in the City), DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony, DX design hub Anniversary Event, Leadership Forum (organised by PolyU Design), DesignInspire and Business of IP Asia Forum (organised by HKTDC), and deTour 2026 (organised by PMQ). Together, these programmes create a city-wide celebration of design, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s creative capital.

To help attendees secure their seats early and engage directly with our distinguished creative leaders, the organiser has introduced a limited-time early-bird offer. A three-day pass for Business of Design Week 2026 Summit is available at HKD840 (regular price HKD2,800). As capacity is strictly limited, reserve your place today.

For details regarding ticketing, programme, and speaker profiles of BODW 2026, please refer to the attachment or visit the official website: https://2026.bodw.com/en.

Follow official social media platforms for the latest BODW updates: Facebook (bodw+), Instagram (@bodwplus), X (@bodwplus), LinkedIn (bodw+) and YouTube (bodw+).

Media Enquiries:      
For further enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact:  

Occasions PR & Marketing Ltd.   

Eddie Ng
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Tel.: +852 3678 0120

Candice Kot 
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Media Kit: Press Materials
BODW 2026 Thematic Video
Speaker Bio: BODW 2026 Speaker

About Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) (https://www.hkdesigncentre.org/en/)   

Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in leveraging the city’s East-meets-West advantage to create value from design. 

The major programmes include Business of Design Week, bodw Future Lab, DFA Awards, Fashion Asia Hong Kong and DESIGN@HKG. Since 2024, we have also been operating the DX design hub in Sham Shui Po, dedicated to fostering emerging design talents and facilitating collaborations and exchanges in the design industry, as well as providing visitors an immersive experience through innovative exhibitions, fashion showcases and cultural events. 

To achieve our goals, we:  

• Cultivate a culture of design  
• Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the power of design 
• Promote excellence in various design disciplines 

About the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong (https://www.eda.admin.ch/hongkong)  

The Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong is the official representation of Switzerland in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. It promotes Switzerland’s interests and strengthens bilateral relations across economic, cultural, educational and scientific fields.

The Consulate General fosters exchanges between Switzerland and the region, supports Swiss nationals and businesses, and engages with local partners through initiatives that highlight Swiss innovation, creativity and values. Its work is guided by Switzerland’s foreign policy objectives, including the promotion of economic prosperity, sustainable development, human rights and peaceful dialogue.

About Business of Design Week (BODW) (https://2026.bodw.com/en)  

Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002, is organised by Hong Kong Design Centre and gathers some of the world’s foremost design masters, brand leaders and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong as well as overseas, driving discourse on the value of design and innovation to inspire global audiences and explore new business opportunities. 

About DesignInspire (https://designinspire.hktdc.com/)

DesignInspire, organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is a Business-to-All exchange and inspiring platform that gathers global design and creative elites, trend-setting brands, associations and institutes. Through a series of interactive exhibits, design masterpieces, award-winning projects and creative workshops, participants will explore the limitless potential of design and promote top-tier creativity. As a unique B2A platform for Hong Kong’s creative industry, DesignInspire aims to establish a gateway for connecting Hong Kong with the international design community, fostering interaction and collaboration.

About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDAHK) (https://www.ccidahk.gov.hk)

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) since 2009, was established in June 2024. CCIDA is a dedicated office under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative sectors with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate development of the arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. CCIDA’s strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration, promoting industrialisation of the arts, culture and creative sectors under the industry-oriented principle, and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and our positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.  

Appendix 1: BODW 2026 Summit Six Key Topic Pillars & bodw Future Lab Sessions

BODW 2026 Summit Topic Pillars

bodw Future Lab Summit Sessions

Appendix 2: Speakers at the BODW 2026 Summit

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SOURCE Business of Design Week (BODW)