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BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 December 2024 – CGTN publishes an article on a special interactive page named “Chinese Modernization, People’s Well-being Matters Most,” which details China’s modernization drive and high-quality development in various areas in 2024 through visual effects and in-depth stories. The article summarized Chinese President Xi Jinping’s domestic tour in 2024, and highlighted his care for improving people’s well-being in various areas and promoting high-quality development, stressing that “the people’s well-being matters the most in Chinese modernization.” As 2025 draws near, China’s consumption has shown signs of revitalization as various regions and departments have enhanced the supply in the country’s consumption market. Official data showed that the country’s popularity index for offline consumption increased by five percent year on year, and the popularity index of services showed a year-on-year jump of 10.6 percent. The boom in consumption highlights the improvement of people’s livelihoods. “As far as Chinese modernization is concerned, the people’s well-being matters the most,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said while inspecting Chongqing Municipality in April. During Xi’s domestic tours in 2024, “people” was one of the most frequently mentioned keywords, according to an analysis by CGTN, joined in the top 10 by others such as “development,” “modernization,” “economy,” and “ecology,” underscoring the direction and key elements of China’s path to modernization. “Chinese Modernization, People’s Well-being Matters Most,” a special interactive page launched by CGTN, details China’s modernization drive and high-quality development in various areas in 2024 through visual effects and in-depth stories. People’s well-being matters most Xi has often stressed that every issue that affects the people, big or small, deserves the utmost care and attention. During his inspection tours around China this year, he visited ordinary people to learn about their lives, from their incomes and housing to healthcare, education, and elderly care services. “The Communist Party of China (CPC) is dedicated to serving the people, and the well-being of the people of all ethnic groups and every household is my concern,” Xi said while visiting a multi-ethnic residential community in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in June. According to China’s Ministry of Finance, 70 percent of the government’s expenditure in 2024 has gone toward ensuring the people’s well-being. The country has raised its expenditure in the national general public budget to about 28.55 trillion yuan ($3.91 trillion) this year, up 4 percent from the previous year, with projected budgets for education, social insurance and employment each surpassing 4 trillion yuan in 2024. A bumper harvest Grain security and rural revitalization have also been high on Xi’s agenda in 2024. He has frequently visited the countryside during his inspection tours, engaging with workers in fields, greenhouses and orchards and asking in-depth questions about various aspects of rural and agricultural life, from crop production to incomes. When visiting a village in Hunan Province in March, Xi inspected preparations for spring farming. He emphasized that, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, China must secure its own grain supply. The latest National Bureau of Statistics of China data showed that in 2024 the country’s total grain output exceeded 706 million tonnes, an increase of 1.6 percent over the previous year, hitting a new record high. This year’s bumper harvest was accompanied by a rise in grain planting areas in the country, which stood at over 119 million hectares, up 0.3 percent year on year. Additionally, grain output per unit area increased by 1.3 percent, the data showed. In another positive development, China’s food security law, aimed at ensuring the supply of grain and related products, took effect in June. Accelerating rural revitalization Since China’s elimination of absolute poverty in 2021, the country’s focus on rural work has shifted to rural revitalization. Xi has stressed that to advance Chinese modernization, efforts must be made to accelerate rural revitalization. China has identified 160 major counties for national rural revitalization assistance and allocated over 177 billion yuan in subsidies to support their development in 2024. In the first three quarters of this year, the per capita disposable income of rural residents reached 16,740 yuan, a real-term annual increase of 6.3 percent. Meanwhile, the central government allocated development funds of 7.4 billion yuan to improve production and living conditions in ethnic minority dominant villages and to protect and develop such villages. The country has also launched monitoring and support mechanisms to prevent once-poor populations from falling back into poverty. Work-relief programs to boost employment were also implemented this year. As of the end of October, the total scale of employment for poverty-stricken people in China had reached 33.079 million, exceeding the annual target by 2.888 million, providing strong support for consolidating and building on the achievements of poverty alleviation. For more information, please click: https://news.cgtn.com/event/2024/China2024/index.html Hashtag: #CGTN The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2024 – TVBS aired its much-anticipated Christmas Eve Special Program in December, the sole festive broadcast of its kind in the Chinese-speaking world. This significant event was the pinnacle of the TVBS Infinite Love Series, captivating tens of thousands and doubling online engagement compared to the previous year. The program’s theme of “peace” transitioned from global reflections to national contributions and, finally, to personal connections. TVBS’s Christmas Eve Special, the only festive broadcast of its kind in the Chinese-speaking world, united over 50 artists in a heartfelt performance. A Heartfelt Celebration of Peace and Unity The broadcast began with the Christmas truce of World War I, symbolizing global peace, followed by the stories of Dr. James L. Maxwell, who brought healthcare and faith to Taiwan 160 years ago, and Dr. Doris Brougham, whose work in English education transformed the nation. A comedic segment, “Christmas Harmony Room”, featured political figures humorously discussing paths to unity in Taiwan. These narratives conveyed a profound message of peace, resonating with audiences and inspiring hope throughout the Christmas season. Community Events and Cultural Celebrations Leading up to this Christmas highlight, TVBS organized impactful events strengthening community bonds. Seven Christmas Charity Banquets in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hualien united over 2,000 participants, including underprivileged families. In Taoyuan, Mayor Chang San-Cheng praised the initiative: “The energy of Infinite Love grows stronger each year, helping more families in need.” Meanwhile, the International Christmas Cultural Carnival transformed Taipei’s Daan Forest Park into a festive hub, drawing over 10,000 attendees and celebrating community unity. A Vision of Love and Connection for the Future Through the Infinite Love Christmas series, TVBS redefines the media’s role in fostering community, culture, and compassion. Over six years, this initiative has evolved into a nationwide movement, demonstrating the infinite possibilities of love. As TVBS builds on this legacy, it remains committed to expanding its circle of care and love, spreading the message of peace and hope further each year to ensure the warmth of Christmas reaches every corner of Taiwan and beyond. Aligned with its mission of “Bonding the World, Empowering Taiwan,” TVBS aspires to solidify its position as the paramount media outlet in the Chinese-speaking world, amplifying the spirit of connection and compassion. Hashtag: #TVBS The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

HARBIN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2024 – Braving the biting cold, tourists are flocking to the snow-covered St. Sophia Cathedral, a century-old Byzantine building in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, with many stopping to pose for photos. An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) Harbin, often called the “Ice City,” has become one of China’s most popular winter travel destinations, drawing visitors worldwide. This year, it has seen a new wave of international tourists, with travelers eager to experience the city’s historical and winter wonders. For Nadia Jovita Injilia Riso, a tourist from Indonesia, visiting the St. Sophia Cathedral was like a long-cherished dream coming true. It was amazing to see such a beautiful Western-style building in China, with people dressed as princes and princesses, which felt like traveling through a time tunnel, she said. Strolling along Central Street, Harbin’s landmark pedestrian area, Riso enjoyed the melodies of a harpist playing from a balcony. She also took the opportunity to savor the local ice cream. “Harbin is famous for its winter tourism and ice sports, but my trip here has been full of unexpected surprises. The melodies, the food and the welcoming locals have left an unforgettable impression,” she said. Riso noted that she has already visited the indoor ice-and-snow facility of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, one of China’s most iconic winter attractions, and would like to try the outdoor Super Ice Slide. “This is a very interesting place because you can make big ice sculptures into very interesting things.” Last winter, the Harbin Ice-Snow World skyrocketed in popularity on Chinese social media, capturing the country’s growing passion for winter sports and tourism. It has once again gained massive attraction this winter. This year’s edition of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world’s largest ice-and-snow theme park, received 62,000 visitors on the first day of opening . “Everything is a great experience because Indonesia is a tropical country and we don’t have snow,” Riso said, adding that the Harbin Ice-Snow World is on a friend’s wish list, and she will recommend it to her, as well as other friends. For Moo Swee Ming, a member of a 16-person tour group from Malaysia, the ice and snow attractions are a must-see. “For first-time visitors here, it’s a must to experience the icy world of snow and ice. It’s a rare opportunity,” said Moo, adding that what the ice and snow tourism of Heilongjiang attracts them most are the “Snow Town” in the city of Mudanjiang and the ice sculptures on Central Street and in the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin. With its unique charm, Harbin has already seen growing popularity among “China Travel” goers. According to the Harbin immigration inspection station, as of Dec. 19, Harbin Taiping International Airport had handled 136,000 inbound and outbound foreign tourists this year, marking an increase of 181 percent year on year. Foreign tourists purchasing candied hawthorn on a stick.(Xinhua) With the implementation of China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy and the upcoming 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, the city is poised to attract even more international tourists this winter. Wang Hongxin, director of Harbin’s culture, radio, television and tourism department, said the city is working to enhance the overall tourist experience by improving dining, accommodation, transportation, shopping and entertainment through the latest technologies. Harbin is creating a series of new attractions and landmarks, offering global tourists a feast of ice-and-snow tourism, Wang added. Hashtag: #TheDepartmentofCultureandTourismofHeilongjiangProvince The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2024 – Snooker superstars Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump are among the latest high-profile talents to become Hong Kong residents under the city’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), which facilitates top quality professionals from various fields to live and work in Hong Kong. Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in action at the 2024 Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge. Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan and current world No.1 Trump, both frequent visitors to the city, are looking forward to spending more time in Hong Kong and embarking on a new phase of their careers. “I am here because I enjoy the city; I love everything about Hong Kong – the food, the people, and the buildings. It is inspiring for me to be here,” said Trump, who announced his successful QMAS application last week (December 24). “For me, I really enjoy the energy in Hong Kong, so I love to be around people and I love to see people thriving and go about their business.” O’Sullivan was delighted to announce his residency under the scheme on October 31. “Your food, your culture, it’s just a great place to live; a great place to be,” he said. “If you’re going to live your life and you want to have a good life, you should come to Hong Kong.” O’Sullivan and Trump will compete in front of their new “home” crowd during the World Grand Prix at the soon-to-open Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) in March 2025. World No.1 Judd Trump during the 2024 Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge. It will be one of the first major sports events at KTSP, a state-of-the-art 28-hectare venue, which is set to transform Hong Kong’s sports and entertainment landscape. Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun, hailed the effectiveness of the QMAS. “We hope to achieve more success, because we truly believe in the attraction of Hong Kong. Be it our tax system, our natural beauty, the convenience, the great food and all the great things here in Hong Kong,” Sun said. Hong Kong Talent Engage is a one-stop platform to attract and assist top professionals and people with valuable skills and experience to live and work in Hong Kong and enhance the city’s economic competitiveness. QMAS is one of several talent attraction schemes to attract highly skilled or talented persons globally to Hong Kong. Hashtag: #hongkong #brandhongkong #asiasworldcity #snooker #talent #HKTalentEngage https://www.brandhk.gov.hk/https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-hong-kong/https://x.com/Brand_HK/https://www.facebook.com/brandhk.isdhttps://www.instagram.com/brandhongkong The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

design festival successfully concludes Continuing to condense creative forces in the coming year HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2024 – Since 2014, deTour, presented by PMQ and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), has become Hong Kong’s annual design festival, gathering numerous local and international design talents to showcase their creativity and vision to local audiences and tourists. It also offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations among designers, allowing them to transform their wonderful ideas into practical design practices that promote Hong Kong design power. PMQ annual design festival cultivates talents for the design industry deTour 2024 deTour 2024 concluded successfully at PMQ, lasting for 17 days. It brought together 17 installations and exhibitions created by local and international co-creators, over 40 workshops, 13 Creative Voice sessions, and more than 100 guided tours, and the new family-friendly creative programme “deTour Kids”, showcased the inner value of design from the outside in, delving deep into the profound meanings behind design connections. The event drew numerous design enthusiasts, students, families, and the general public, creating a vibrant atmosphere where participants were inspired by the whole experience. This platform fostered a shared space for exchanging design ideas, injecting fresh vitality into the local design community! This year’s design festival is full of design highlights. For instance, renowned Hong Kong graphic designer Sandy Choi showcases his work ” Being Transferred”, featuring 33 items that hold special meaning to him, alongside corresponding Instagram posts. Sandy participated in deTour for the first time, expressing his excitement in sharing his possessions, memories, and experiences with the public, finding the experience to be very refreshing! Moreover, deTour collaborated with four overseas co-creators this year, presenting a series of design works with international perspectives and unique styles. This includes Art-tech duo based in Seoul Kimchi and Chips’ “REWORLD Type 2”, Korean designer Yoojin Chung’s “Capturing Qi (氣)”, Moon Seop Seo’s “Passage to the Lake”, and Japanese designer Naonori Yago’s “Imitative Behavior: In the Footsteps of My Daughters”. Yago mentioned that participating in deTour 2024 was the most interesting experience of the year for him. deTour integrates different cultural design philosophies, offering the audience a cross-cultural design feast. PMQ x deTour design festival The Next Ten Years: Inspiring Potential, Cultivating Talents As an iconic design landmark in Hong Kong, PMQ provides a hub for local creative entrepreneurs and designers for connection and resource-sharing. In the past ten years, many local and overseas design talents have emerged in deTour and showcased their ideas to local and international audiences through experimental works, exploring new possibilities for their career paths and developing into experienced designers. deTour design festival has played a significant role in elevating design literacy across various industries, inspiring innovative ideas, cultivating talents, and increasing public engagement in creative exhibitions. PMQ invites more talented and passionate designers to participate in future deTour design festivals, showcasing creativity, sharing ideas, and engaging with fellow designers to collectively build a vibrant and creative design community. Together, let’s inject new energy and inspiration into Hong Kong’s design industry. Hashtag: #PMQ #deTour2024 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About deTour – design festival deTour is an annual design festival showcasing creative designs and concepts. Organised by PMQ and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the event offers a wide range of programmes that bring together designers and creative communities from Hong Kong and abroad. deTour serves as a unique platform for inspiring people through the latest in creative expression and cutting-edge design. It also fosters exchanges between up-and-coming talents and seasoned professionals. About PMQ Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s SoHo district, PMQ is the landmark of creative and design industries housing over 100 Hong Kong emerging designers. In 2014, PMQ was revitalised and transformed into a creative hub with a variety of design studios showcasing a wide array of design products including fashion and accessories, gifts & premium, homeware, and small furniture as well as other lifestyle goods and creative products. PMQ has now become an interactive platform for supporting up-and-coming creative talents and fostering a community of patrons and lovers of creativity, design, and heritage. It is also one of the popular venues in town for international design, arts, and cultural events from Hong Kong and around the world. About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.