Latest news with #Chengdu-based
American Military News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Veteran Chinese dissident faces ongoing police harassment despite prison release
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. Three months after his prison release, veteran dissident Chen Yunfei is in the cross-hairs of police over his social media posts and has faced multiple rounds of questioning and harassment amid ongoing surveillance, Radio Free Asia has learned. The Chengdu-based human rights activist and Chinese performance artist was released on March 24 after serving a four-year prison sentence in the southwestern province of Sichuan. But his friends say his freedom has been largely illusory, as police have repeatedly summoned him for interrogations and severely restricted his movements and ability to resume work. Chen has faced repeated persecution for his criticism of the Chinese Communist Party and commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen protests, including demands that the government investigate the crackdown and compensate victims. In 2021, he was sentenced to four years in jail on of child molestation which he denied and said were intended to smear his reputation. Most recently, on the eve of the 36th anniversary of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square protests crackdown, the National Security Bureau and local police subjected Chen to a five-hour interrogation, where he was forced to sit on the 'tiger bench,' Chen's friend and colleague Guan told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday. 'Tiger bench' is a form of torture used to restrain and immobilize detainees during questioning. Chen, like many others RFA interviewed for this story, asked to be identified only by a single name for fear of reprisals. 'The police accused him of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble,'' said Guan, referring to a criminal charge frequently used by Chinese authorities to carry out arbitrary detentions against rights activists and dissidents. The charges were based on Chen's social media activity, including reposts of tweets by Ming Chu-cheng, an honorary professor of politics at National Taiwan University, and prominent dissidents Pastor Wang Yi, the pastor of a banned Protestant church in Chengdu, and citizen journalist Cai Chu, said Guan. Despite the lack of a subpoena, the police summoned Chen for questioning, confiscating his mobile phone and Wi-Fi equipment for three days, before returning them on June 3 night after repeated protests, Guan said. Chen's livelihood has also been impacted, his friends said. Upon release from prison, Chen found that his nursery business, which he had operated for many years, was emptied of all assets, causing him to lose his source of income, said Yang, another friend of the activist. The courts have also listed him as a 'dishonest debtor,' preventing him from accessing his bank accounts or resuming work, Yang said. 'He now has difficulty even renting a house and can only survive on donations from friends and through loans,' said Fang Liang, another friend of Chen's. During Chen's most recent imprisonment, his 91-year-old mother was also forcibly and violently removed from her Chengdu rental home by community workers, during which she suffered a head injury that required over a month of hospitalization, Guan said. During the forced eviction, many of the family's assets of value disappeared, including $30,000 of pension money that his mother had set aside for her granddaughter's education abroad, $5,800 in cash, and about 40,000 yuan (or US$5,560) in Chinese currency, Guan said. When Chen attempted to file a police report after discovering his empty home upon release, authorities refused to issue a receipt or open an investigation, said Yang. 'They don't allow you to have any evidence to sue them,' said Yang. 'The government said it's not their responsibility, and the police said to contact the community — they just pushed the matter back and forth.' Despite the ongoing harassment, Chen's friends say he is preparing to file a civil lawsuit to recover his mother's lost property and challenge the police's abuse of power. Shandong-based legal scholar Lu described Chen's ongoing troubles as a consequence of a typical 'secondary punishment' model that is designed to maintain control over dissidents through non-judicial means. 'Administrative review is inactive, the police deliberately do not issue receipts, and elderly mothers are forced to become homeless,' Lue said 'This is not law enforcement, but political coercion.'
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Hong Leong poised to benefit from China associate's share price rally
KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Leong Bank Bhd is set to attract renewed investor interest following the strong performance of its China associate, Bank of Chengdu Co Ltd, whose share price recently surged to a record high despite geopolitical challenges. In a research note, CIMB Securities said Bank of Chengdu's stock hit RMB19.57, up 21.7 per cent from its February low, as market sentiment improved after the finalisation of United States tariffs on China. Hong Leong Bank holds a 17.8 per cent stake in Bank of Chengdu, which remains a key contributor to its earnings. "The risk-reward trade-off for Hong Leong is now tilted to the upside," CIMB Securities said, upgrading its rating on the stock to "buy" from "hold" and raising the target price to RM21.50 from RM21.40. The firm noted that Bank of Chengdu's improving outlook and consensus expectations for a 4.2 per cent year-on-year rise in pre-tax profit for financial year 2026 (FY26) contrast with its earlier conservative estimate of a 5.8 per cent decline. Aligning projections with market consensus could imply a potential target price of RM24.10 for Hong Leong, it said. Despite Bank of Chengdu's positive momentum, Hong Leong's own market capitalisation declined 9.3 per cent to RM42.1 billion since February, partly due to a one-off dilution loss of RM408 million. Of this, RM393 million was linked to the conversion of Bank of Chengdu's convertible bonds. "Hong Leong confirmed that this is a one-off loss," CIMB Securities said, adding that the dilution was caused by Bank of Chengdu's bondholders converting at a lower price, compared with Hong Leong's earlier and more favourable conversion. Bank of Chengdu's contribution to Hong Leong's group pre-tax profit stood at 25.7 per cent in the March quarter, maintaining its critical role in Hong Leong's earnings base. The Chengdu-based lender reported a robust return on equity of 14.8 per cent, with loans and deposits rising 17 per cent and 15 per cent year-on-year, respectively. Asset quality at Bank of Chengdu also remained solid, with a gross impaired loans ratio of just 0.66 per cent and loan loss coverage at 456 per cent. CIMB Securities noted that only six to seven per cent of Bank of Chengdu's loans are linked to the manufacturing sector and are largely domestically focused, making the impact of US tariffs manageable. Meanwhile, Hong Leong's asset quality continued to outperform industry standards. Its gross impaired loans ratio stood at 0.57 per cent as at March, lower than the banking industry's 1.42 per cent. Hong Leong's loan loss coverage dropped to 95 per cent in the third quarter of 2025 from 139 per cent in the previous quarter due to a RM399 million write-back of pre-emptive provisioning. Despite this, the firm said it remains "not overly concerned" as about half of the impaired loans are backed by strong property collateral and the remainder is covered by provisioning at 1.8 times. "Looking ahead, we expect Hong Leong to rebuild its loan loss cover in the coming quarters, consistent with its traditionally conservative credit culture," it said. CIMB Securities also raised its dividend payout forecasts for Hong Leong, projecting yields of 4.5 per cent for FY26 and 5.1 per cent for FY27, driven by improved capital ratios under Basel III. The dividend per share is expected to rise to 88 sen in FY26 and 99 sen in FY27, from 71 sen previously. Key catalysts for Hong Leong include its stable asset quality and higher dividend payouts, while downside risks include potential spikes in credit costs and elevated funding costs. Shares of Hong Leong last traded at RM19.40 apiece, valuing the lender at RM42.05 billion.
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- Health
- Borneo Post
Made-in-China brain tech sparks hope for children with autism
Photo taken on June 6, 2025 shows the therapeutic equipment developed by Chengdu Xinnao Technology Co Ltd in Chengdu. – Xinhua photo CHENGDU (June 15): In a sunlit therapy room at Chengdu Xinnao Technology Co Ltd in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a five-year-old boy surnamed Chen bursts into giggles as his favorite cartoon character waves back, a response triggered by brain signals decoded through his headset. A moment that might seem ordinary for most children feels like a miracle to Chen's family from Gansu Province, and a profound relief for Feng Rui, founder of the high-tech company dedicated to harnessing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for autism intervention. China's 13 million people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as reported by the China Disabled Persons' Federation in 2023, face a harsh reality. Most receive little to no standardised therapy due to a shortage of specialists and the high cost of treatment. Feng, a 45-year-old bioengineer turned entrepreneur, is determined to change this equation. He likens the brain's neural networks to a sprawling highway system. 'In children with autism, some 'routes' are disconnected, others congested with excessive signals. This disrupts their ability to process social cues, language, and sensory inputs,' he explained. These biological roadblocks, long obscured by the brain's complexity, have confounded global efforts to address both early diagnosis and the development of effective, accessible treatment, Feng said. Worldwide, about 80 million people with ASD live with a condition where traditional therapies often require years of costly behavioral training, with results that frequently diminish over time, Feng noted, adding that his team is working to address the root cause by targeting irregular neural pathways in the brain. Co-developed with researchers from the Chengdu-based University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), their approach focuses on identifying autism-specific biomarkers in neural activity through noninvasive, AI-driven analysis. Key to this innovation is a diagnostic headset, the Quick-20r, equipped with 19 flexible electrodes that map brainwaves in real time. 'Unlike traditional wet EEG (electroencephalogram) systems requiring gel and clinical settings, our dry sensors capture neural 'traffic patterns' as children engage with tasks,' Feng said. These signals feed into algorithms combining deep learning and neuroimaging to detect disrupted circuits linked to social communication. The headset achieves 91.67 per cent diagnostic accuracy without the discomfort of traditional conductive gels, Feng said. 'For toddlers as young as two, this ease of use is critical.' A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation device, resembling an infinity symbol, uses AI to map abnormal neural circuits before delivering targeted magnetic pulses to recalibrate those pathways. 'Think of it as performing precision road repairs on faulty neural highways. In the end, it's like tuning the brain to restore harmony in chaotic neural orchestras,' Feng said. The toolkit has already served over 2,000 children worldwide. 'After treatment, we've observed significant changes in the amygdala structure on the right side of the children's brains, with alterations in functional networks as well,' Feng added. In addition to leveraging these technological devices, Feng's team integrates traditional treatment methods to develop a complete solution. Next to their instruments, the company has set up several therapy rooms where staff provide additional treatments using language, social interaction, and music for children with autism. Tech wins, love conquers Recalling his career, Feng said the turning point came during a 2021 charity event for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At that time, his team offered a free month-long treatment to 30 children with autism, with many showing significant improvements in social interaction and communication halfway through the treatment cycle. However, the parents collectively voiced their concerns: 'If there are no fees, what will happen to future treatments?' and 'Will we be abandoned after this?' 'Their trust and concerns propelled us to industrialise the technology,' said Feng, who established his company in 2022 with government backing. Feng underlined that Chengdu's unique blend of academic resources – from UESTC's engineering prowess to renowned West China Hospital of Sichuan University's clinical expertise – has created fertile ground for BCI development. Municipal support goes beyond funding, with local governments actively linking innovators to healthcare institutions, while recent matchmaking events in Beijing have opened doors to national collaborations. Recognised as a national outstanding case of technology-assisted disability support by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the BCI technology for autism intervention now operates in over 30 hospitals nationwide. With treatments effective for 80 per cent of patients, Feng aims to develop therapies for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and depression next. At the same time, his devices are being shown alongside big tech companies' products at innovation events in Chengdu, highlighting their importance beyond just healthcare. 'Brain-computer interfaces could change how smart cities and education work,' he said, stressing that for now, the main focus is on improving autism treatment. 'We are also establishing the largest brain network database for age-appropriate children nationwide, which places us at the forefront in the industry,' he added. Looking back on the years of work, Feng said this spring has been the most memorable, filled with good news from the children receiving treatment. A Swedish boy who had shown little progress with European therapies spoke his first word – 'Mama' – after completing a treatment cycle developed by Feng's company. Another six-year-old Japanese boy moved from relying on sedation to sleeping naturally within weeks; meanwhile, a girl from Lanzhou in northwest China is now navigating friendships at elementary school, milestones that once seemed out of reach for children labeled 'untreatable'. 'Every brain's wiring is unique, but love and patience are always a way of connecting minds,' Feng said. – Xinhua autism China treatment Xinhua
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zhibao Technology's Subsidiary, Sunshine Insurance Brokers, Expands into Low-Altitude Economy Insurance Market Through Strategic Cooperation with F+More
Strategic partnership positions Company to capitalize on China's fast-growing low-altitude insurance market opportunity projected at RMB 3.5 trillion by 2035 Shanghai, China--(Newsfile Corp. - May 27, 2025) - Zhibao Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ZBAO) ("Zhibao," "we," or the "Company"), a leading and high growth InsurTech company primarily engaging in providing digital insurance brokerage services through its operating entities in China, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sunshine Insurance Brokers ("Sunshine"), has officially launched a strategic partnership with Sichuan Fanmo Technology Co., Ltd. ("F+More"), an innovative Chengdu-based insurance solution provider for China's rapidly expanding low-altitude economy. This partnership marks Zhibao's official entry into China's fast-expanding drone and low-altitude economy insurance market. We believe the strategic partnership positions Company to capitalize on China's fast-growing low-altitude insurance market opportunity in the next decade. Value Creation and Synergies in China's Drone Insurance Market Following the signing of the cooperation agreement in February 2025, the strategic partnership became operational in April 2025; Sunshine has commenced delivering digital insurance brokerage services to F+More's initial client base. These services are [beginning to be delivered] across China through the joint distribution networks of both companies, with an goal to cover all provinces and regions in China. This broad geographic reach positions Sunshine to capture market share in the emerging low-altitude insurance segment-a relatively untapped market opportunity with substantial growth potential. Through this strategic collaboration, Sunshine Insurance contributes its core competencies in digital insurance brokerage, proprietary Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) technology infrastructure, and robust nationwide sales network. The integration of real-time flight data with dynamic risk assessment and alert mechanisms enables rapid online policy customization and distribution, as well as automated, event-driven claims processing. Through joint development and distribution of customized drone insurance products with F+More, we believe Sunshine is positioned to establish competitive advantages and drive innovation in the low-altitude insurance landscape across China and potentially in international markets. We believe this technological integration creates differentiated service capabilities that management believes will enable the partnership to capture meaningful market share as the drone insurance sector scales. Substantial Low-Altitude Economy Market Opportunities The low-altitude economy, which includes commercial drones, urban air mobility, and drone logistics, is emerging as a strategic growth frontier with significant long-term potential. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), China's low-altitude airspace economy exceeded RMB 500 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach RMB 3.5 trillion by 2035. Within this expanding ecosystem, the Swiss Re Institute projects the low-altitude insurance market could reach RMB 8-10 billion by 2035, highlighting the substantial growth potential for specialized insurance providers with appropriate capabilities and market positioning. Recent industry developments have accelerated commercialization momentum in the global low-altitude economy. The successful completion of the world's first public road test flight of a flying car by California-based Alef Aeronautics in February 2025 signals a critical inflection point, with the sector transitioning from conceptual development to commercial deployment. China maintains strategic advantages in drones, low-altitude logistics, and flight control systems, with leading companies such as XPeng HT Aero and EHang positioned to benefit from accelerating commercialization trends. We believe these market developments create a favorable environment for insurance providers with specialized capabilities and appropriate market positioning to pursue revenue opportunities as such insurance sector matures. "We believe this partnership reflects our strategic vision to identify and capitalize on high-growth sectors such as the low-altitude economy," said Botao Ma, CEO of Zhibao Technology Inc. "F-More's deep expertise and extensive customer base, combined with Sunshine's digital insurance platform and strong marketing capabilities, create a powerful working synergy. We're confident this collaboration will accelerate access to tailored drone insurance solutions across China and set a new standard for innovation in the sector." About Zhibao Technology Inc. Zhibao Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ZBAO) is a leading and high growth InsurTech company primarily engaging in providing digital insurance brokerage services through its operating entities ("Zhibao China Group") in China. 2B2C ("to-business-to-customer") digital embedded insurance is the Company's innovative business model, which Zhibao China Group pioneered in China. Zhibao China Group launched the first digital insurance brokerage platform in China in 2020, which is powered by their proprietary PaaS ("Platform as a Service"). Zhibao has developed over 40 proprietary and innovative digital insurance solutions addressing different scenarios in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to travel, sports, logistics, utilities, and e-commerce. Zhibao acquires and analyzes customer data, utilize big data and AI technology to continually iterate and enhance its digital insurance solutions. This iterative process, in addition to continually improving its digital insurance solutions, will keep it abreast of the new trends and customer preferences in the market. For more information, please visit: About F+More Sichuan Fanmo Technology Co., Ltd (F+More), founded in 2015, F+More is steadily advancing with a development strategy of "specialization, standardization, and globalization," committed to leveraging its years of accumulated massive data and algorithmic advantages to deeply address industry pain points, aiming to become a service-leading, objective, fair, and data- & algorithm-driven professional third-party service provider. F+More has provided coverage for over twenty risk scenarios, including inspection, security, surveying and mapping, and has established after-sales cooperation with over 500 drone manufacturers. Its three major products include F+More Feibao, F+More Excellent+, and F+More Cloud E. Among them, F+More Feibao is a drone insurance product that has been continuously operated for over a decade. F+More Excellent+ offers one-stop after-sales solutions for drone insurance to insurance institutions, while F+More Cloud E provides insurance institutions with a precise pricing engine for drone insurance. For more information, please visit: Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "is/are likely to," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations that arise after the date hereof, except as may be required by law. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company's registration statement and other filings with the SEC. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at Investor Relations Contact Zhibao Technology Relations OfficeEmail: ir@ Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLCScott Powell, PresidentAvenues Tower1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th floorNew York, NY 10036Office: (646) 893-5835Email: info@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Japan Times
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan
Western intelligence agencies are warning of an increasing threat from Beijing's security services using malicious mobile phone applications to surveil Taiwanese independence activists, Tibetan rights advocates and others opposed by the Chinese government. An advisory issued late on Tuesday warned of "the growing threat" posed by malicious surveillance software deployed by a Chengdu-based contractor reported to have ties to China's Ministry of Public Security. The advisory was signed by cybersecurity agencies in Britain, the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Germany. Those most at risk include people connected to Taiwanese independence, Tibetan rights, Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, democracy advocates (including in Hong Kong) and the Falun Gong spiritual movement, according to Britain's National Cyber Security Centre in the advisory. The warning comes amid increasing tensions surrounding Taiwan, including April 1 Chinese military drills around the island and a March 28 visit to the Philippines by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in which he reaffirmed Washington's commitment to deterring Chinese aggression in the region. The Chengdu-based contractor, Sichuan Dianke Network Security Technology, was linked to the deployment of a pair of distinct malware packages. They were tracked as "BADBAZAAR' and "MOONSHINE' and used to ferret sensitive information from mobile devices while also giving operators remote access to devices' cameras, microphones and location data, the advisory said. The warning is for nongovernmental organizations, journalists, businesses and other individuals who advocate for or represent the groups, the NCSC said in the advisory. "The indiscriminate way this spyware is spread online also means there is a risk that infections could spread beyond intended victims," it said. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said that Beijing "firmly opposes the smear attacks against China without any factual basis," and that the tracing of cyberattacks is complex. "We hope that relevant parties will adopt a professional and responsible attitude when characterizing cyber incidents, basing their conclusions on sufficient evidence rather than unfounded speculation and accusations." The warnings build on previous cybersecurity industry reporting that detailed malware and infrastructure have been used by the contractor going back several years. The advisory cited a Jan. 29 report published by Intelligence Online, a news organization focused on international intelligence operations, linking the malware to the contractor. The report said the contractor has provided services to China's Ministry of Public Security. The FBI and National Security Agency in the U.S. as well as intelligence agencies in Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand participated in the advisories, according to the NCSC. The FBI declined to comment and the NSA did not respond to requests for comment.
