PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for August 15, 2026 – Full Text

China Foreign Trade Industry Annual Mega-Event “XTransfer Summit 26” Concludes Successfully

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 August 2026 – XTransfer, the World’s Leading B2B Cross-border Trade Payment Platform, successfully hosted China’s premier annual foreign trade event, XTransfer Summit 26, in Shenzhen. The summit gathered over 4,500 foreign trade enterprises, more than 50 top-tier banks and financial institutions, and numerous industry experts for in-depth discussions on global trade opportunities, business growth strategies, and digital intelligence in cross-border finance.

The summit explored how SME foreign traders can navigate global uncertainties. According to an XTransfer client survey, SME export performance remains optimistic this year. Despite geopolitical tensions and shipping disruptions, SMEs are reporting healthier payment collections and stronger bargaining power in international markets.

Serving Over 1 Million Enterprise Clients: Protecting Every Foreign Trader’s Global Dream with Fintech

Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, said, “SMEs are stabilisers of globalisation. Facing de-globalisation, geopolitical risks, and logistics volatility, they continue to show remarkable resilience. SMEs are more agile in adjusting market strategies while steadily improving pricing power and operational quality.”

Deng emphasised, “SMEs are the most capable force in global trade, and every foreign trader’s global dream deserves to be protected.” He added, “Through years of dedicated focus on SME cross-border payment pain points, XTransfer delivers secure, compliant, and efficient solutions to help more businesses go global. Since our founding, we have served over 1 million enterprise clients and continue to expand our local collection and settlement capabilities globally, optimising collection experiences and working capital efficiency.”

XTransfer’s pioneering Local Account service now covers nearly 60 countries and regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand, enabling buyers to pay sellers in local currencies and significantly boosting capital turnover.

AI and Global Risk Control Enhance Compliance Efficiency: TradePilot Drives Audit Automation

To address SMEs’ core needs for security, compliance, efficiency, and cost optimisation, XTransfer has ramped up fintech investments, scaling AI applications in risk control and business processes.

XTransfer has also built a unified global B2B cross-border trade settlement and risk management system to safeguard SME transactions. According to CIC, TradePilot is the world’s first and most advanced AI model for B2B cross-border trade payments. With 72 AI agents embedded in TradePilot’s review workflow, covering KYC onboarding, transaction authenticity verification, and ongoing AML monitoring, TradePilot delivers industry-leading performance in risk control accuracy and user experience.

https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn
https://www.instagram.com/xtransfer.global

Hashtag: #XTransfer #XTransferSummit #Crossborder #Payment #SMEs

XTransfer

Veteran insurance leader to accelerate growth, strengthen partnerships and drive customer-focused innovation

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 August 2026 – Etiqa Insurance Singapore today announced the official appointment of Claudia Soh as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 14 Aug 2026. Over the past six months, while serving as Acting Chief Executive Officer and continuing in her role as Chief Financial Officer, Claudia has led Etiqa Insurance Singapore through a period of sustained growth and transformation, strengthening the company’s foundations while driving initiatives focused on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity. Her appointment reflects the Board’s confidence in her leadership and vision as the company embarks on its next phase of growth.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services and insurance industry, Claudia brings extensive expertise across finance, strategic planning, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and auditing. Her career spans both the public and private sectors, including experience at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and senior leadership roles within the insurance industry.

During her tenure at Etiqa, Claudia has helped build on the company’s strong momentum by supporting its growth agenda while advancing new initiatives. Her collaborative leadership approach and focus on long-term value creation have contributed to strengthening Etiqa’s capabilities for the future. She has also been an advocate for transforming the finance function from a traditional support role into a strategic business partner that helps create stronger outcomes for customers, employees and stakeholders.

“We are delighted to formally appoint Claudia Soh as CEO of Etiqa Insurance Singapore,” said Kamaludin, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etiqa Insurance and Takaful. “Claudia has demonstrated strong leadership, strategic clarity, operational excellence and resilience. Her ability to drive innovation, build strong teams and adapt to changing customer needs will continue to strengthen our market position in Singapore to deliver long-tern value for our customers, employees and stakeholders”

On her appointment, Claudia said, “I am honoured to undertake the role of CEO at Etiqa Insurance Singapore at a time of significant change for our industry. As customer expectations continue to evolve, we must remain agile, innovative and focused on delivering purposeful value. By combining digital innovation, data-driven insights and strong partnerships, we will continue to enhance the customer experience and help more individuals and businesses build financial confidence and resilience.”

Deepening Partnerships and Empowering Financial Readiness

As a leading composite insurer, Etiqa Insurance Singapore will continue to deepen its distribution capabilities and ecosystem partnerships to make protection more accessible and relevant to customers. Beyond its longstanding bancassurance partnership, Etiqa will work closely with Maybank to deliver more integrated financial and protection solutions, leveraging the strength of the Maybank network and customer ecosystem. Etiqa will also continue collaborating with partners across Singapore to develop innovative solutions that support customers’ evolving protection, savings and financial wellness needs.
https://www.etiqa.com.sg/

Hashtag: #EtiqaInsuranceSingapore

About Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. (Etiqa Insurance Singapore)

New partnership turns incorporation into a transaction-ready business in a single application — and sponsors 10 founders every month with a free upgrade to the fully-managed Expert package

Hong Kong SAR– Media OutReach Newswire – 14 August 2026 – Air Corporate, a Hong Kong-based digital corporate services provider, and Airwallex, a leading global payments and financial platform for modern businesses, have announced a strategic partnership that eliminates one of the most persistent friction points in business setup: the need to complete two separate applications for company registration and opening a payment account. Through a single application with Air Corporate, eligible founders now receive both a registered Hong Kong legal entity and a live Airwallex multi-currency account. To mark the launch, Airwallex and Air Corporate are sponsoring 10 Air Corporate clients each month with a complimentary upgrade to the fully-managed Expert package, removing the cost barrier that has historically kept early-stage founders on slower, self-managed paths.

The Two-Application Problem

Until now, setting up a business in Hong Kong has required two distinct processes. A founder first incorporates the company, then separately applies to a bank or payment provider, often resubmitting the same KYC, director, and shareholder documents that were already provided during incorporation. Approval timelines vary, rejections occur, and an incorporated company may remain unable to transact after the registration is complete. For founders trying to move quickly, this gap between incorporation and payment readiness has long been an operational obstacle.

One Application, Two Outcomes: The Expert Package

The Expert package serves as the primary component of this initiative. When a client onboards with Air Corporate under this tier, Air Corporate facilitates the entire Airwallex account-opening process on their behalf, thereby eliminating duplicate paperwork and the need for separate submissions to multiple providers. This consolidated approach allows founders to proceed from incorporation to operational status in as little as one to two weeks, compared to the typical weeks to months required for traditional banking solutions.

The Sponsorship: 10 Founders Every Month

Airwallex and Air Corporate are sponsoring a complimentary Expert upgrade for 10 Air Corporate clients each month. Founders who qualify receive a fully managed Airwallex account opening service at no additional cost. This is the same service available through the paid Expert tier. Sponsorship spots reset each month, with new availability opening to qualifying founders on an ongoing basis. Eligibility applies to new Air Corporate clients proceeding with company registration in Hong Kong, and available spots can be confirmed directly with the Air Corporate team.

Why Hong Kong?

Hong Kong remains the leading jurisdiction for founders entering Asian markets. Offshore profits are not subject to local tax; there are no foreign exchange controls; incorporation is fast; and the territory serves as a direct gateway to Mainland China and ASEAN. For international businesses, Hong Kong company registration has become the standard first step in a regional expansion strategy, given that the legal, regulatory, and financial infrastructure required to operate internationally is already in place.

What Airwallex Brings to the Partnership

Airwallex provides the payment infrastructure that enables day-one operability. Its platform supports multi-currency accounts, local collection in major currencies, foreign exchange at market-leading rates, and global payouts, all managed from a single interface. For founders operating across borders, having this capability active from the moment of incorporation removes the lag that typically delays first revenue and complicates early cash flow management.

Speaker Quote

“Our goal at Airwallex has always been to empower businesses to scale globally without borders or operational friction. Partnering with Air Corporate allows us to tackle one of the earliest and most persistent bottlenecks that founders face: the lag between becoming a legal entity and actually being able to transact. By consolidating company registration and financial setup into a single, seamless step, we are giving startups day-one operability so they can focus entirely on growth and building momentum from the very start,” said Marcus Cheng, Associate Director, GTM Partnerships, SME & Growth, Airwallex Hong Kong.

Who This Is For

This solution is built for e-commerce brands, cross-border trade, professional service providers, , and first-time founders expanding into or out of Asia who need to be fully operational and able to collect payments upon registration, without having to manage two separate onboarding processes simultaneously.

Available Now

Founders can apply directly through Air Corporate and check the availability of the monthly sponsored Expert upgrade spots. Further information is available at Air-Corporate.com/hk/Airwallex. Terms and conditions apply.

Hashtag: #Air-Corporate

• Partnership opens new avenue for Rhenus to offer customers audit-ready Book and Claim solutions for reducing the climate impact of transport emissions
• shipzero platform provides coverage across the Rhenus Group’s air, ocean and road operations
• Cooperation aims to support Rhenus Group’s Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) ambition through a methodology aligned with ISO14083 and the GLEC Framework

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 August 2026 – The Rhenus Group and the leading global emissions intelligence platform shipzero today announced a strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Rhenus customers gain access to a Book and Claim solution designed to reduce climate impact of global transports, covering alternative fuels and battery-electric vehicles across air, ocean and road transport.

As a multimodal logistics service provider, Rhenus relies heavily on external transport capacity. The company is therefore introducing a Book and Claim approach as a solution to reduce the climate impact of transport emissions in areas where Rhenus has no direct influence over the underlying assets. Book and Claim is advantageous here by allowing companies to support lower-emission transport solutions outside the physical transport chain of a specific shipment, with the climate benefit allocated through a verified accounting system. Thanks to shipzero’s auditable platform, companies are less reliant on manual processes and data processing.

Scope and Availability

Through the partnership, Rhenus customers can book alternative fuel and battery-electric transport solutions on a single-shipment basis or through larger, ongoing or retroactive agreements. The solution is available across Rhenus air, ocean and road operations, supported by shipzero’s platform and methodology.

The partnership responds to rising demand across the industry: Book and Claim has become a widely accepted instrument for reducing the impact of logistics emissions, particularly for companies with limited control over the physical assets moving their goods.

“By partnering with shipzero, we aim to scale solutions such as battery-electric vehicles, SAF and SMF to drive the sustainable transformation with our carriers. As more companies commit to Science Based Targets, auditable Book and Claim accounting becomes an increasingly important foundation for credible decarbonisation efforts, and shipzero’s independently verified approach enables us to deliver exactly that to our customers,” remarks Adrian Wojnowski, Manager Sustainable Solutions & Decarbonisation at Rhenus.

A trusted, verifiable approach

Rhenus has chosen to partner with shipzero because the platform offers a robust and auditable solution. Its multimodal coverage and methodological alignment were also key factors.

“We’re proud that Rhenus, as a global, multimodal logistics provider, has placed its trust in shipzero to deliver audit-ready CO2 reduction tracking, built on a methodology aligned with ISO 14083 and the MBM Framework, down to the last detail – for their business and for their customers. It’s exactly the kind of partnership we want to keep building on,” says Martin Jacobs, Director of Client Solutions at shipzero.

Methodology and Regulatory Context

A reliable and verifiable methodology was a key selection criterion for Rhenus when choosing a partner. shipzero’s Book and Claim approach has been audited by the independent certification body Müller-BBM Cert and complies with the Smart Freight Centre’s (SFC) MBM Framework as well as ISO standard 14083 and the GLEC Framework. The emissions reductions achieved are reported separately from Scope 1–3 emissions in accordance with the requirements of the GHG Protocol. This enables companies to transparently track and document the savings achieved.

Hashtag: #Rhenus

About Rhenus

The Rhenus Group is one of the leading logistics specialists with global business operations and annual turnover amounting to EUR 8.2 billion. 39,000 employees work at 1,300 business sites in more than 70 countries and develop innovative solutions along the complete supply chain. Whether providing transport, warehousing, customs clearance or value-added services, the family-owned business pools its operations in various business units where the needs of customers are always the major focus.

About shipzero

During the event, Dato’ Liew Bin, President of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), visited the NINGJI booth. The two parties exchanged views on NINGJI’s brand development, product offerings and expansion plans in the Malaysian market.

Backed by a proven store model and a comprehensive overseas support system, NINGJI attracted strong interest from high-quality investors throughout the event. Over the three-day exhibition, the brand successfully signed agreements for 20 new stores, bringing its total number of contracted stores in Malaysia to 82. Potential partners across multiple regions also expressed interest in establishing strategic partnerships with the brand, demonstrating NINGJI’s growing appeal in international markets.

Through product tastings and immersive interactive experiences, NINGJI also strengthened its connection with local consumers. The event generated several thousand new member registrations, building a valuable base of first-party customer data for future localized marketing initiatives.

As one of China’s leading new-style tea brands, NINGJI began its global expansion at the end of 2024. To date, the brand has signed agreements for more than 150 overseas stores across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and other markets.

In Malaysia, NINGJI currently operates nine stores, with more than ten additional locations in development. Its network is steadily expanding across key commercial districts, while the brand continues to strengthen its influence throughout Southeast Asia.

Five Localization Strategies for Malaysia, Ningji’s Anchor Overseas Market

With its young and diverse population, well-established food and beverage sector, and year-round tropical climate, Malaysia provides highly favourable conditions for refreshing fresh fruit and lemon tea beverages.

Against this backdrop, NINGJI has identified Malaysia as one of its core overseas markets and is systematically advancing its localization strategy across five key areas: store network development, supply chain infrastructure, product portfolio, organizational capabilities and brand marketing.

Expanding Across Key Commercial Districts and Empowering Every Store Through Digital Intelligence

NINGJI will use Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru as two strategic hubs, drawing on its proven store operating experience to establish a more refined system for site evaluation, store development and project management.

The brand has built strong digital capabilities, including an end-to-end digital system covering site selection and daily operations, as well as four AI-powered agents that provide franchise partners with integrated, data-driven support.

While steadily expanding its store network and market coverage, NINGJI remains equally focused on store-level operating quality and long-term profitability. The brand aims to build a high-quality retail network that reaches a diverse range of commercial districts and serves a broad customer base.

Strengthening the Local Supply Chain with a Forward Warehouse in Malaysia

Supply chain capability is the lifeline of any new-style tea brand. In China, NINGJI operates seven warehousing centres, manages more than 2,000 mu of lemon orchards. These capabilities have laid a solid foundation for the brand’s continued expansion.

NINGJI believes that genuine localization means combining the capabilities of its headquarters with local market resources. The brand plans to establish a forward warehouse in Malaysia by the end of the year.

Once operational, the facility will enable efficient “T+1” delivery across Malaysia’s key regions, helping stores reduce the risk of stock shortages while significantly lowering the amount of capital franchise partners need to commit to inventory. It will also provide strong logistical support for the continued expansion of NINGJI’s store network.

Balancing Classics and Innovation to Create Products for Local Tastes

NINGJI’s menu centres on fresh fruit lemon beverages paired with whole-leaf tea. Its use of fresh ingredients and made-to-order hand-shaken preparation gives the brand strong cross-cultural appeal and makes its products naturally suited to international markets.

In Malaysia, NINGJI has chosen not to simply replicate its existing menu. Instead, the brand has adopted a “signature products for customer acquisition plus localized innovation” strategy.

On the one hand, proven bestsellers led by Superior Taste Award-winning YaShiXiang Lemon Tea have launched in Malaysian, on the other hand, NINGJI continues to refine its ingredient transportation and storage solutions while developing products tailored to local flavour preferences and market conditions.

In addition to its consistently popular core products, NINGJI has already launched its new pineapple series in Malaysia. The well-received Lemon Milk Series is scheduled to make its official debut in October.

Moving forward, the brand will maintain a quarterly product launch cycle and continue using localized flavours and product innovation to energize the market.

Establishing a Regional Headquarters and Building a Professional Local Team

Local talent is essential for any brand seeking to establish deep and lasting roots in an overseas market.

NINGJI has already assembled a professional team in Malaysia covering local site selection, store development and operational management, and the team continues to grow. This will further enhance the brand’s responsiveness throughout the entire store development journey, from preliminary site selection and opening preparations to daily operations.

NINGJI also plans to establish a regional headquarters in Malaysia and further strengthen its partner support system across staff training, marketing and operational management.

By working alongside local franchise partners who share its commitment to long-term growth, NINGJI aims to expand the market and create greater opportunities together.

Communicating Across Cultures Through Localized Design and Marketing

NINGJI aims to become part of the everyday lives of Malaysian consumers.

In terms of visual presentation, the brand retains its signature yellow and green colour palette while incorporating local aesthetic preferences. Through its “one store, one design” approach, NINGJI creates open and comfortable social spaces tailored to different locations and communities.

From a marketing perspective, the brand will continue to engage with local festivals and cultural trends while collaborating with Malaysian KOLs and KOCs. By connecting social media content with offline experiences, NINGJI seeks to build an emotional relationship with consumers that goes beyond the products themselves and genuinely become part of the local lifestyle.

During its Kuala Lumpur market launch, for example, NINGJI invited Elyn Leong, a Malaysian member of the girl group Gen1es, to serve as “Store Manager for a Day.” Supported by extensive social media promotion, the “Lemon Tea for the Whole City” campaign generated more than one million views and tens of thousands of user-generated interactions across Xiaohongshu, Instagram and Facebook.

Committed to Long-Term Growth, NINGJI Creates Multidimensional Cultural Dialogue Through Localization

NINGJI believes that true globalization is not about simply replicating an existing model. It is a process of deep integration, continuous learning and ongoing refinement.

The brand continues to adapt its products, operations and communications to the consumer characteristics of each market, moving beyond simply “going global” towards becoming genuinely embedded in local communities.

A representative of NINGJI’s overseas business division said:

“Malaysia has a young, diverse and dynamic consumer market and is an important part of NINGJI’s international growth strategy. In the second half of 2026, while steadily expanding our store network, we will further advance the localization of our products, operations and brand communications. We will also continue strengthening our local team and supply chain infrastructure while building long-term relationships with more partners who understand the Malaysian market.”

Looking ahead, NINGJI will continue to build on its product strength and in-store experience while exploring diverse forms of collaboration with local business organizations, content creators and industry partners.

Starting with a cup of fresh fruit lemon tea, NINGJI aims not only to become part of Malaysian consumers’ everyday lives, but also to work alongside local partners to unlock new growth opportunities in the freshly prepared beverage market.

Hashtag: #NINGJI

About NINGJI