HONG KONG, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” of China Taiping Insurance (Macau) Co., Ltd. (CTIM) (Macau). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect CTIM’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect the lift the company receives from its parent, China Taiping Insurance Holdings Company Limited. CTIM’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), returned to the strongest level at year-end 2018 from the adequate level a year ago, after settling the majority of its claims and receiving most of its reinsurance recoverables for two major loss events – Typhoon Hato and SJM’s Grand Lisboa Palace fire – in the second half of 2017. The company has demonstrated strong operating performance, with a five-year average return on equity of 18% from 2013 to 2017. Despite the major losses in 2017, the insurer turned a net operating profit due to investment income. CTIM maintains a leading position in Macau’s non-life insurance market through a balanced distribution network of banks, agents, brokers and direct channels. The company also enjoys a wide range of support from its parent and affiliates in areas including brand recognition, reinsurance and investment, as well as financial support in times of need. An offsetting rating factor is the company’s geographic concentration in Macau, a small market that is prone to tropical storms. Due to its underwriting of large commercial accounts and moderate dependence on reinsurance, CTIM also is exposed to potentially elevated reinsurer credit and liquidity risks in the event of large losses, which could lead to volatility in its risk-adjusted capitalization. Nonetheless, these risks are mitigated by prudent underwriting and a highly rated reinsurer panel. While positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term, negative rating actions could occur if there is a significant deterioration in the company’s operating performance, a material decline in its risk-adjusted capitalization, or a substantial loss of its market share in Macau. http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=34179
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KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Cliburn has announced Marin Alsop will be the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition from May 28 to June 12, 2021 in Texas, United States.
She will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury. She will be abstained from voting throughout the competition, except in the case of a tie after the final round. “We could not be more pleased with this new partnership with Marin Alsop and look forward to working closely with her to spread classical music around the globe and launch the careers of our new winners,” said Cliburn president and chief executive officer, Jacques Marquis. In addition to her role as jury chairman, Alsop will also conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the competition’s final round, according to a statement. She is among the world’s most distinguished and innovative conductors, having been recognised for her innovative approach to programming and deep commitment to education and development of audiences of all ages. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following. The international contest is organised to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honour of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilising contemporary tools to advance its reach. For more information, contact https://www.cliburn.org. -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) has awarded 11 tour products in six categories for trips to destinations in the ASEAN Member States as winners of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018.
The Member States are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The awards were organised to honour excellent, quality tour products to all ASEAN destinations and aimed at encouraging the Japanese tourism sector to diversify tour products and promote the ASEAN Member States as attractive tourism destinations. Two Malaysian recipients awarded the tour products were PURPOSE JAPAN CO LTD, Malaysia Airlines (Product: Try being Cabin Attendant at Malaysia Airlines training centres); and, U Tour Service Co Ltd, Ocean Delight Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia (Product: Wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Borneo, Bilit along Kinabatangan river). The judging committee comprising members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Overseas Tour Operators Association of Japan and AJC screened 76 entries to choose the winners. The award ceremony took place at Tokyo Prince Hotel early this March, participated by some 90 guests from travel agents, land operators and airlines, and representatives of tourism organisations and the governments of the ASEAN Member States and Japan. AJC is an intergovernmental organisation established by the ASEAN Member States and Japan to promote exports from ASEAN to Japan while revitalising investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the Member States and Japan. Full list of the winners is available at https://www.asean.or.jp/en. -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- JSR Corporation, the parent company of Crown Bioscience, a global drug discovery and development services company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB).
Under the agreement, CrownBio has an exclusive licence to provide pre-clinical oncology drug development and validation services using HUB Organoid Technology, including access to HUB’s highly characterised tumour organoid biobank. CrownBio and HUB will also launch a collaborative research and development programme to accelerate further development of Organoid Technology, while CrownBio establishes a new operations centre in Utrecht, Netherlands. Building on a global leadership in Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX), CrownBio will offer comprehensive pharmacology and translational services based on HUB Organoid Technology. The services will establish a unique platform that incorporates in vitro screening of Patient-Derived Organoids and PDX derived organoids, matched to downstream in vivo models. CrownBio chief executive officer, Dr Jean-Pierre Wery said the partnership positioned the company at the forefront of global preclinical research by creating an unparalleled translational platform to accelerate drug development and validation. Meanwhile, HUB executive director, Dr Robert Vries said the partnership equipped the drug development community with powerful new translational tools to guide the creation of novel and improved treatments for cancer. -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- EXIM Bank has donated RM10,000 to two charitable organisations in Melaka under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
In a statement today, the bank said the recipients were Rumah Seri Kenangan Cheng Melaka, a welfare home for the elderly, and Yayasan Toh Puan Zurina, which runs a haemodialysis centre for the underprivileged. Both homes received RM5,000 each from EXIM Bank head of communications and stakeholder relations Azmin Hamzah today. Rumah Seri Kenangan Cheng, which has been operating since 1982 through public and government donations, accommodates 159 old folks from different ethnicities and backgrounds. Meanwhile, Yayasan Toh Puan Zurina, which was set up in 2015, currently has 160 haemodialysis machines at its centre. -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment has gained momentum globally and the force is moving towards Asia, especially in the ASEAN Member States. According to a study by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), although ESG investment has been implicitly and unsystematically undertaken among ASEAN firms, it is nevertheless, promising. AJC has issued a study entitled, “ESG Investment: Towards Sustainable Development in ASEAN and Japan”. The study is aimed at urging investors to invest responsibly by understanding ESG investment and contribute to the betterment of, and sustainable investment environment and society in Japan and the ASEAN Member States. Based on the study, ASEAN-5 (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines) shows a promising trend of ESG investment, whereas more efforts are necessary for the rest of the member states. All companies, regardless of their size and whether they are listed in the stock market, should integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies and consider ESG investment as an essential part of the growth strategies. The investment also helps firms lower costs and boost revenue and profit. ESG firms’ profitability is, on average, higher than that of non-ESG firms. The ratio of net profits to total revenue is 11.4 per cent for ESG firms as opposed to 9.6 per cent for non-ESG firms. More details on the study at https://www.asean.or.jp/en/ -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels in Shinjuku city, will display amazing and awe-inspiring Japanese swords and armour at an exhibition from April 25 to June 27.
The exhibition entitled ‘Japan’s Soul and Beauty of Swords and Armor by Legendary Artisans’ will be held at the third floor lobby. It is part of the hotel’s series of cultural programmes designed to introduce various aspects of Japanese culture to guests from over 100 different countries globally. Seven swords from various periods in Japanese history dating back to the Heian Period (794-1185) to as recent as the Heisei Period (1989-2019) will be displayed to demonstrate the differing techniques used and improvements made over time. On May 14, two masters of sword-drawing from the Ryushin Shouchi School will give a live performance in the main lobby. Visitors will gain a good sense of the aesthetic beauty reflected in patterns left on the swords from tempering as part of the forging process, small one centimetre detailed ornaments, ‘tsuba’ sword handle guards and other aspects of the swords displayed. Swords have been one of the most important symbolic items reflecting the warrior class spirit in Japanese history, and their relevance as highly revered cultural and art items remains strong in modern-day Japan. -- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Kirin Beverage Co Ltd has managed to reduce the weight of its two-litre plastic bottle from 28.9 grams to 28.3 grams by making the bottle’s top part lighter to help further reduce environmental impact.
The lightest plastic bottle in Japan will be used for ‘Kirin Alkali Ion Water’, beginning this April, according to a statement. It was developed in collaboration with the Kirin Group’s Research Laboratories for Packaging Technologies by successfully reducing its weight through modification of the threaded portion of the bottle top with a narrower screw thread and a shorter screw. By utilising this plastic bottle, the company will be able to reduce the use of polyethylene terephthalate resin by about 107 tonnes per year and cut CO2 emissions by about 375 tonnes per year. The achievement is a result of improving the sustainability of raw materials for plastic bottles under the ‘Kirin Group Plastic Policy’ - an initiative established by Kirin Holdings Co Ltd - to promote the sustainable use of plastics and circulation of resources. Kirin Beverage has been pursuing activities to reduce environmental impact by developing environmentally conscious containers and packaging. It introduced an ultra-light ‘pecology bottle’ for the two-litre plastic bottle (42 grams) of ‘Alkali Ion Water’ in June 2003. The bottle was further applied to the two-litre plastic bottle of ‘Kirin Nama-cha (green tea)’ and ‘Kirin Amino Supli’ in March 2005, and to the 1.5-litre plastic bottle of ‘Kirin Gogo no Kocha (black tea)’ in April 2008. -- BERNAMA SHONAI, Japan, Mar. 25, 2019 /Kyodo JBN - AsiaNet/ -- - Tasty Japanese Food Isn't Only Found in Kyoto and Osaka! - The Shonai Branch Office of the Yamagata Prefectural Government has produced a promotional video titled "Food Capital: Shonai," to be released on March 25, 2019. The Shonai Branch Office hopes that people all over Japan and the rest of the world will know the many charms of food sourced in and around the Shonai region in northeastern Japan. 1. Why people say "Food Capital: Shonai" 1) Abundant land surrounded by the ocean, mountains and rivers brings various delicious ingredients Fertile plains on an alluvial fan surrounded by an abundant ocean and Mt. Gassan and Mt. Chokai, each measuring around 2,000 meters high. A miraculous natural environment brought about by varied terrain and a clearly defined difference in temperatures across the four seasons. Abundant fishing grounds where warm and cold currents meet. 2) Ingredients with a story Rare ingredients few in number but high in variety -- there exist over 70 types of native produce passed down throughout the generations. Each type of produce has its own folklore, and each has its own special flavor suited to Shonai, making them "edible cultural assets." 3) Delicious cuisine The Three Mountains of Dewa's "shojin ryori" -- vegan meals eaten by Japanese monks and priests -- refined by its long history (Tsuruoka City designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy). Traditional local cuisine and creative Western cuisine using local fish and native produce in abundance, soy sauce-flavored ramen with clear broth, with "dashi" made from seafood, and more! 2. Closer than you think! "Food Capital: Shonai" Transfer at Haneda Airport and arrive at Oishii Shonai Airport in just one hour! Four return flights a day between Haneda Airport and Oishii Shonai Airport. (Oishii = Delicious) 3. Take the chance to try it in Hong Kong! Fresh ingredients imported to Hong Kong by special express! Japanese restaurants across Hong Kong are planning to use these ingredients in their cooking. For further information, please check the following website. Website: http://syokunomiyakoshounai.com/international/ Promotion video website: https://youtu.be/hcf6XRKaygA https://youtu.be/JNEOkwxkiOI SOURCE: Yamagata Prefectural Government http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=34122 KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- The World Free Zone Organization (World FZO) will set up its Asia-Pacific headquarters at the Jiangdong New Area in Haikou, China.
World FZO director-general (China Office), Li Guanglian said the World FZO would support the development of China's free trade zones (FTZs), especially Hainan FTZ and Hainan free trade port by providing related services for governments, enterprises and investors. It will also support the development of China’s related industries, strengthen liberalisation and facilitation of bilateral investment, promote economic globalisation, and develop Haikou into the gateway for China's communication and cooperation with others. The Asia-Pacific headquarters will be the administration centre for the region, and will also deal with some businesses of the Dubai headquarters. It will develop the hub for international free trade, and attract the world's major FTZs and related enterprises to set up regional offices. A research institute on world free zones will be established to conduct research and provide training on free zones to establish standards for China's FTZs, as well as collect and compile data on China's FTZs. Registered in Geneva and headquartered in Dubai, World FZO has a profound global impact launched by 14 FTZs, including Shanghai Free Trade Zone and Dubai Airport Free Zone, according to a statement from The Municipal Government of Haikou City. The organisation has members from 100-odd countries and regions, and has established long-term and stable cooperation with many important international organisations, including the World Trade Organisation. -- BERNAMA |
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