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The move follows high-level talks involving the Financial Services Agency, the Bank of Japan, national cyber security officials, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group and Japan Exchange Group. The focus is Anthropic’s Mythos, a powerful AI model developed for defensive cyber security work but now regarded by regulators as a potential systemic risk if similar capabilities reach hostile actors.

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has framed the issue as an urgent challenge for core financial institutions, warning that Japan’s highly connected financial system could face cascading disruption if attackers used AI to identify and exploit weaknesses before institutions could repair them. No breach linked to Mythos has been reported, but officials are pressing banks to examine incident response plans, software exposure, vendor dependencies and market-continuity arrangements.

Japan tightens bank defences over Mythos as regulators confront a new cyber security problem: an AI tool built to strengthen software security may also demonstrate how fast the balance between defenders and attackers is shifting. Anthropic has said its Mythos Preview found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including flaws affecting every major operating system and web browser. The company has placed the model under restricted access through Project Glasswing, an effort to use frontier AI for defensive discovery before equivalent capabilities spread more widely.

Security specialists see the financial sector as particularly exposed because banks rely on layered infrastructure that includes legacy systems, cloud services, trading platforms, third-party vendors and customer-facing applications. A vulnerability in one component may not remain isolated. Settlement systems, payment networks and securities markets depend on trust, synchronised data and rapid processing, leaving little tolerance for prolonged outages or uncertainty.

Japan’s top lenders have spent heavily on cyber resilience after a series of global incidents involving ransomware, software supply-chain attacks and attacks on critical infrastructure. Yet regulators remain concerned that AI-enabled vulnerability discovery could compress the time between flaw identification and exploitation. Traditional patch cycles often take days or weeks, while advanced models may help attackers generate working exploit paths far faster.

The task force is expected to coordinate technical assessments, information sharing and emergency procedures across the financial sector. Officials are also likely to examine how institutions verify third-party software, monitor anomalous activity and isolate critical operations during a cyber event. For exchanges and clearing systems, the priority will be maintaining orderly trading and settlement even if parts of the technology stack come under pressure.

The concern extends beyond Japan. Regulators in Asia, Europe and the United States have been urging banks to review their cyber controls as AI systems become more capable of code analysis, vulnerability chaining and automated exploitation. The issue has moved from a narrow technology debate into the domain of financial stability, because a successful attack on a major bank or exchange could quickly affect liquidity, confidence and cross-border transactions.

Anthropic has presented Mythos as a controlled defensive tool rather than a public product. The company says the model is intended to help responsible institutions find and fix vulnerabilities before they are misused. That defence has not removed policy concerns. The same capability that enables security teams to uncover hidden bugs can also lower the barrier for sophisticated offensive activity if access controls fail or comparable models emerge elsewhere.

Japan’s response reflects a broader shift in cyber regulation. Authorities are moving away from treating cyber security as a compliance checklist and towards stress-testing how institutions would cope with fast-moving, AI-assisted threats. Banks may face pressure to shorten patching timelines, improve software inventories and strengthen board-level oversight of technology risk.

For Japan, the issue also intersects with its ambition to modernise finance while promoting digital innovation. The country is expanding fintech services, digital payments and AI adoption across corporate operations, but regulators are signalling that innovation must be matched by stronger safeguards. Financial institutions are being asked to prepare for a threat environment in which attackers may use tools that can scan, reason and adapt at machine speed.

The immediate test for the task force will be whether it can turn concern into operational readiness. That means clear reporting channels, shared technical indicators, realistic crisis drills and faster coordination between banks, regulators, exchanges and cyber agencies. Japan’s financial authorities are seeking to prevent an AI-driven security breakthrough from becoming a market-disrupting event.

“Retail today demands more than scale, it requires agility, digital precision and deep customer trust,” said Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson. “Being ranked among the world’s top 15 retailers is a timely affirmation that we are focusing on the right priorities: disciplined allocation of capital, an unwavering focus on customers, empowered by technology and executed with discipline.”

“As we celebrate our 185^th anniversary this year, this recognition is especially meaningful. Since 1841, AS Watson has evolved through generations of change – economic cycles, technological revolutions and shifting consumer expectations. Our presence across Asia and Europe has strengthened our ability to combine the speed and digital dynamism of Asia with the operational excellence and retail heritage of Europe.”

“In an increasingly digital retail world, we believe our true differentiation lies in combining advanced data, AI and seamless O+O (Offline plus Online) integrated capabilities with something far more enduring – the human touch. That combination of digital precision and human service drives stronger conversion, deeper loyalty and long-term trust. It is this balance that has sustained us for 185 years, and will continue to define our leadership in the years ahead.”

Scaling AI and Personalisation at Global Reach

AS Watson has accelerated investments in AI-powered personalisation, advanced analytics and digital ecosystems across its brands. By integrating loyalty data, online platforms and in-store engagement, the Group continues to enhance customer relevance while improving operational efficiency.

This data-driven approach enables:
– A strengthened focus on customer needs
– More precise assortment and pricing strategies
– Enhanced loyalty engagement
– Faster supply chain responsiveness

Resilient Growth in a Volatile Environment

Amid ongoing supply chain volatility, cost pressures and shifting consumer behaviour, AS Watson has demonstrated resilience through diversified geographic exposure, strong local market execution and disciplined cost management.

The Group’s scale, combined with agile regional operations, positions it to respond swiftly to market dynamics while sustaining long-term growth.

Hashtag: #ASWatson

https://www.aswatson.com/our-company/o-and-o-strategy/
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About AS Watson Group

Established in 1841, AS Watson Group is one of the world’s longest-standing and most recognised retail companies with roots in Asia. Today, the company operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 people globally. This makes AS Watson Group the largest international health and beauty retailer in the world.

In the fiscal year 2025, AS Watson Group reported revenue of over US$26 billion. The company’s technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms serve over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.

AS Watson Group supported over 180 charitable and non-profit organisations every year, dedicating over 40,000 hours of volunteer work to serve over 370,000 people in need in our operating markets.

AS Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has four core businesses ‐ ports and related services, retail, infrastructure and telecommunications in over 50 countries.

Please visit www.aswatson.com/our-company/o-and-o-strategy/ for more information.

Recognized for Strategic Excellence in Delivering AI-Ready, Secure, and Integrated Digital Infrastructure

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 April 2026 – DYXnet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VNET Group (Nasdaq: VNET) and a leading enterprise network and ICT service provider in Greater China, has been honored the BRONZE STEVIE^® Award for Innovation in Technology Management, Planning & Implementation at the 13th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie^® Awards.

Gaining this prestigious recognition not only affirms DYXnet’s dedication to delivering professional, high-quality ICT services but also underscores its ongoing commitment to advancing with the fast-evolving technological landscape—particularly in the AI era—empowering enterprises to achieve seamless digital transformation through innovative, integrated solutions.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world’s premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards^® for 24 years.

This accolade celebrates DYXnet’s proven expertise in guiding enterprises through the complexities of the AI era. By combining thoughtful strategic planning with precise, end-to-end execution, DYXnet has created a powerful, unified infrastructure that seamlessly brings together high-performance AI computing, flexible cloud resources, reliable network connectivity, and comprehensive cybersecurity protections.

This integrated “AI+ Cloud-Network-Cybersecurity” approach empowers businesses to deploy and scale AI initiatives with confidence—whether through rapid private AI environments, intelligent operations automation (AIOps), or tailored enterprise AI applications that enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and boost overall efficiency. It effectively addresses critical demands such as surging computational requirements, secure hybrid environments, regulatory compliance, optimized resource use, and seamless multi-cloud connectivity, all while maintaining robust data protection.

These capabilities have already delivered tangible value across industries: improving production efficiency and security modernization in manufacturing, accelerating R&D cycles in emerging technology sectors, and strengthening operational resilience through compliant, high-performance infrastructure.

As a trusted enterprise network service provider in Hong Kong and Greater China, DYXnet places strong emphasis on the transformative power of AI. The company is committed to empowering enterprises with greater agility, resilience, and innovation through its one-stop “AI + Cloud + Network + Cybersecurity” solutions, and was amongst the first ICT service providers in the regions to obtain the prestigious ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI management systems last year. The company continues to turn strategic vision into tangible outcomes, enabling enterprises to achieve secure, intelligent, and sustainable growth in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Hashtag: #DYXnet #第一線 #AI #雲網安

https://www.linkedin.com/company/90470

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About DYXnet

DYXnet, established in 1999 in Hong Kong, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) in 2014. It is a leading ICT service provider in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region, delivering innovative technologies and solutions to enterprises of all sizes and helping them fully embrace digital transformation. DYXnet offers a comprehensive portfolio of services, including enterprise networks (MPLS and SD-WAN), cloud solutions, data center services, cybersecurity, and AI solutions, empowering businesses to realize their full potential.

Being a pioneer in the ICT sector, DYXnet operates over 200 PoPs worldwide, covering more than 700 cities and serving over 30,000 client sites. DYXnet was among the first ICT service providers in the region to obtain prestigious ISO certifications, including ISO/ IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000, and ISO 9001. Additionally, DYXnet is one of the inaugural official members of the China Cross-border Data Telecommunications Industry Alliance and has played a crucial role as one of the initial drafting units for SD-WAN service standards.

The survey shows that 68 per cent of Hong Kong SMEs recorded growth in 2025, up from 65 per cent in 2024 and marking the highest result on record. This positive momentum is expected to continue this year, with 71 per cent of SMEs expecting their businesses to grow and 76 per cent anticipating growth in the local economy — both at record highs. Customer loyalty and a strong workforce were identified as key drivers behind SMEs’ solid performance last year.

Mr Cliff Ip, Councillor of CPA Australia’s Greater China Divisional Council, said Hong Kong’s improving business environment played a critical role in supporting SME growth. “Hong Kong’s business confidence and economic growth strengthened last year, supported by robust capital markets, a recovery in tourism and consumption, and signs of stabilisation in the property market,” said Mr Ip. “Against this stable and supportive backdrop, small businesses not only benefited from increased business activity, but were also able to expand in a healthy and sustainable manner.”

Looking ahead, Mr Ip noted that while global geopolitical tensions and external uncertainties pose rising challenges, Hong Kong’s underlying strengths remain a key advantage for SMEs. “Rising geopolitical risks are likely to create headwinds for many sectors such as trade and logistics through higher fuel costs and supply chain disruptions. However, I remain confident about Hong Kong’s overall business outlook this year,” he said. “As many regions become more unpredictable or less secure, Hong Kong’s stable and consistent business environment, together with supportive policy settings including the city’s low and simple tax regime stand out as important advantages in attracting international companies and investors.”

Mr Ip added that these developments also present new opportunities for local SMEs, particularly as increased international interest creates scope to build partnerships, expand networks and tap into new markets. “This environment also creates favourable conditions for younger entrepreneurs to explore emerging markets and pursue new business opportunities,” he said.

Improved business performance has strengthened the solvency of many local SMEs. The share of businesses reporting difficulty paying debts fell sharply from 22 per cent in 2024 to just 3 per cent in 2025, while only 4 per cent expect to face difficulties this year, down markedly from 26 per cent previously. As a result, Hong Kong small businesses are now the least likely among the surveyed businesses to report solvency concerns.

Mr Ip said, “The solvency of many SMEs has notably improved, driven by stronger cash flow from improved business growth, a robust capital market and a recovering property market over the past year. This healthier cashflow has both supported easier access to external finance and reduced the need for such finance.”

Hong Kong SMEs have also strengthened their capability to invest in technology that delivers rapid improvements in profitability. In 2025, 64 per cent of SMEs reported that their technology investment in that year helped improve profitability, up from 59 per cent in 2024. Two in five Hong Kong SMEs invested in artificial intelligence (AI) last year, making it the leading technology investment among local SMEs, followed by customer relationship management (CRM) software.

At the same time, cyber protection has improved, with the share of Hong Kong businesses reporting losses from cyber incidents falling sharply from 72 per cent in 2024 to 43 per cent in 2025. However, as digitalisation accelerates, cyber risks remain elevated, with nearly three in five SMEs expecting to face cyber threats this year, above the survey average 42 per cent.

Mr Davy Leung, Deputy Chairperson of CPA Australia’s SME and Entrepreneurship Committee of Greater China, said the growing maturity and availability of AI tools is helping SMEs enhance productivity, reduce operating costs and improve customer experience.

“However, rising digital fraud, wider AI adoption and SMEs’ increasing reliance on digital banking have prompted the Hong Kong Government to significantly strengthen banking security and cybersecurity resilience over the past year. This includes the rollout of low-cost and practical initiatives such as the Cybersec One Programme and the continued implementation of the ‘9+5’ SME support measures. The decline of cyberattack-related losses reported in the survey in part reflects the effectiveness of these measures.

“As cybersecurity threats and digital fraud risks continue to escalate, SMEs should make better use of these available resources, including free website risk assessments and vulnerability identification services, to strengthen their defence capabilities and safeguard business operations.”

Mr Leung also suggested that the Government consider revamping the Technology Voucher Programme to support broader digitalisation efforts, including the adoption of both AI and non-AI technologies. He added that enhanced training support would help SMEs identify and implement modern tools to drive innovation, improve efficiency and strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Rising costs remain a key challenge for Hong Kong SMEs in 2025, with 29 per cent reporting it having a negative impact on their business. However, this was the second‑lowest level among all surveyed markets, underscoring Hong Kong’s relatively low inflationary environment last year. Notably, the share of SMEs citing staff costs as a negative factor rose from 35 per cent to 42 per cent, making it the most significant cost pressure for Hong Kong businesses in 2025. This increase may help explain why the proportion of SMEs hiring additional staff declined from 42 per cent to 38 per cent last year.

Mr Leung said, “Increasing costs remain a significant barrier for many SMEs across Asia‑Pacific region, but Hong Kong’s relatively low inflation has helped cushion the impact on local small businesses,” Mr Leung said.

Mr Leung added that while headcount growth has moderated, overall staff costs have continued to rise as businesses invest in higher‑value talent. “Greater digitalisation and automation have helped ease labour constraints in Hong Kong. When SMEs do add staff, they are increasingly recruiting employees with digital and AI capabilities, or creating new roles to support business transformation. These positions typically command higher salaries, which has contributed to higher overall staff costs despite slower hiring growth.”

The annual survey collected the views of 4,166 small businesses across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including Singapore, the Chinese Mainland, and Australia, with 305 respondents from Hong Kong.
Hashtag: #CPAAustralia

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About CPA Australia

CPA Australia is Australia’s leading professional accounting body and one of the largest in the world. We have more than 176,000 members in over 100 countries and regions. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. A CPA is a Certified Practising Accountant. More at cpaaustralia.com.au

Innovative insurance solutions to address the growing demand for wealth appreciation and management services

MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2026 – Banco Well Link, S.A. (“Well Link Bank”) and FWD Macau (“FWD”) today announced a bancassurance partnership in Macau, marked by an official launch ceremony. The collaboration enables Well Link Bank to offer a broader range of insurance products and services to customers in Macau, including high‑net‑worth individuals, further strengthening the Bank’s wealth proposition. Leveraging Well Link Bank’s strong client base and extensive branch network in Macau, together with FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach, the partnership will deliver cutting-edge insurance solutions and more convenient experiences for Macau residents and visitors, supporting customers in achieving their wealth appreciation and legacy planning goals.

This year marks Well Link Bank’s 30th anniversary and FWD Macau’s 26th, underscoring both companies’ longstanding commitment to excellence in wealth management. Through consistently delivering professional, high-quality products and services, the two companies continue to create value for customers and steer market development.

Huang Ruisheng, Executive Director and CEO, Well Link Bank, said: “Well Link Bank is committed to providing diversified and forward-looking wealth management solutions in Macau. Establishing this bancassurance partnership with FWD Macau is a significant milestone in our wealth management roadmap. We firmly believe that through close collaboration that leverages the Bank’s strong local customer network and FWD’s strengths in product innovation and technology, we can deliver more personalised and effective insurance solutions with higher growth potential. Looking ahead, Well Link Bank will continue to harness innovation and professional expertise to contribute to Macau’s diversified economic growth and the prosperity of its financial market.”

Ken Lau, Managing Director of Greater China and Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer, FWD, said: “FWD Macau is delighted to establish this bancassurance partnership with Well Link Bank in Macau. By combining the professional edge and corporate strength of both companies, we are committed to changing the way people feel about insurance in the Macau market. We look forward to working closely with Well Link Bank to help customers achieve their wealth appreciation and legacy planning goals through FWD’s prudent, customer-led insurance solutions, thereby creating long-term value. This partnership not only enhances our product distribution capabilities but also represents an important step in expanding our footprint in Macau and with Macau visitors.”

Hashtag: #WellLinkBank #FWD

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About Well Link Bank

Banco Well Link, S.A. (hereinafter referred to as WLB) is a fully licensed commercial bank registered in Macao. Upholding the “bridge” spirit, WLB is committed to serve as a bridge to success for clients, serves enterprises and individuals, promotes the country’s development and contributes to our mutual benefit society.

WLB unceasingly strengthens its technology leadership, enhancing the capability to offer comprehensive services to customers through optimization of financial technology, making full use of its advantages of featured finance and professional services, and mapping a financial ecology. WLB, acting as an inclusive finance practitioner, devotes itself to small and medium customers and personal consumption operations.

WLB’s products and services include: Savings Deposit & Time Deposit, Transfer, Credit Card & Debit Card, Personal Loan; Services by channels: ATM, STM, Mobile Banking and Online Account Opening; Personal Banking services: Well Link Securities Service, Insurance Agency, Payroll Service and Tax Rebate.

For more information about Well Link Bank, please visit the Bank’s website at https://www.wlbank.com.mo/.

About FWD Macau

FWD Macau is part of the FWD Group (1828.HK), a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves more than 38 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD Macau provides a suite of life and medical insurance products.

FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828.

For more information about FWD Macau, please visit www.fwd.com.mo.

Allianz Trade and DBS Hong Kong brief businesses on evolving geopolitical trade risks and the critical need for granular liquidity visibility.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2026 – One year after the US Liberation Day, tariffs continue to disrupt global trade and supply chains while many economies and corporates still struggle to find their footing. The broke out of the Middle East conflict has compounded on the effect by driving lower global GDP growth (+2.6% in 2026), higher global inflation (4.3% in 2026) and stronger fiscal pressure. Amid such highly uncertain times, Allianz Trade in Hong Kong partnered with DBS for an exclusive session where industry experts and thought leaders dissected into today’s shifting geopolitical landscape and heightened credit risks, and offered their views on trade opportunities in an increasingly fragmented world.

“The Middle East conflict has added a new layer of shocks to an already fragile environment shaped by tariffs, weakening demand and declining consumer confidence. The good news is that firms have taken operational steps to adapt since the trade war began, with the most common strategies including inventory building, market diversification, sourcing from new suppliers and rerouting through third markets. Asia Pacific has emerged as the clear structural beneficiary of supply chain realignment. Hong Kong, as a major trading and financing hub in the region, continues to play a pivotal role in facilitating trade and investment flows. Together with DBS, we are here to offer our combined intelligence and support to help companies achieve customer and market diversification, better risk selection, and providing them with confidence to trade and grow safely,” states Hassan Omaish, CEO for Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan at Allianz Trade.

Jolynn Wong, Managing Director and Head of Global Transaction Services, DBS Hong Kong, says, “We are witnessing a lengthening of cash collection cycles across sectors impacted by trade route and inventory disruptions, leading to a growing proportion of receivables held at extended tenors. In this climate of heightened volatility, the role of trade finance extends beyond mere credit extension; it must now assure corporates of timely critical cash flow realisation and enable strategic suppliers to maintain production amidst disruptions. Leveraging DBS Hong Kong’s robust capital and liquidity, we provide clients with the necessary extended tenors and contingent liquidity to navigate prolonged inventory and shipping cycles, thereby fortifying their resilience. By integrating guarantees, letters of credit, credit insurance, and treasury hedging into a unified architecture through our digital platforms, we empower clients to transform volatile receivables into reliable cash flows and turn disruptions into investable growth opportunities.”

Notes to editors:
To gauge how global exporters fared through tariffs and the Middle East conflict, Allianz Trade recently published its flagship Global Survey, where 6,000 exporters across 13 countries were polled on their export performances over the past year, as well as outlook and coping strategies for the short- to medium-term. The Survey revealed that 75% of exporters expect positive export growth in 2026, which was much more optimistic than the 2025 tariff shock where expectations dropped by -40pp.

“For now, the impact of the Middle East conflict seems moderate, but such level of optimism remains fragile and could quickly fade if the conflict drags on. Allianz Trade’s Global Survey revealed that geopolitical and political risks are the leading threat globally for corporates (65%), while supply-related issues, such as bankruptcy of suppliers and shortage of inputs, came at second place (57%). The Middle East conflict has also tightened trade finance conditions. Not only payment cycles are lengthening, 43% of companies expect payment terms to deteriorate further. Pharmaceuticals, construction and computers/telecom are the most exposed sectors, while larger companies face disproportionately longer payment cycles,” says Ana Boata, Head of Economic Research at Allianz Trade.

Hashtag: #allianztrade #dbshongkong

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About Allianz Trade

Allianz Trade is the global leader in trade credit insurance and a recognized specialist in the areas of surety, collections, structured trade credit and political risk. Our proprietary intelligence network is based on instant access to data of 289 million corporates. We give companies the confidence to trade by securing their payments. We compensate your company in the event of a bad debt, but more importantly, we help you avoid bad debt in the first place. Whenever we provide trade credit insurance or other finance solutions, our priority is predictive protection. But, when the unexpected arrives, our AA credit rating means we have the resources, backed by Allianz to provide compensation to maintain your business. Headquartered in Paris, Allianz Trade is present in over 40 countries with 5,900 employees. In 2025, our consolidated turnover was EUR4 billion and insured global business transactions represented EUR1,400 billion in exposure. For more information, please visit allianz-trade.com.

About DBS

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank’s “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings are among the highest in the world.

Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named World’s Best Bank by Global Finance, World’s Best Bank by Euromoney and Global Bank of the Year by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named World’s Best Digital Bank by Euromoney and the world’s Most Innovative in Digital Banking by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the Safest Bank in Asia award by Global Finance for 17 consecutive years from 2009 to 2025.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged, and fosters inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

This scene is not from a typical ecological farm’s spring planting but represents a significant transformation taking place within a traditional coal enterprise.

Minda Coal Mine is the largest open-pit mine in Dongsheng District, producing up to 8 million tons of coal annually. Just a few hundred meters away, mining operations continue as usual; meanwhile, on the other side, 300 greenhouses flourish all year round, and the livestock area produces 6,000 pigs, 2,000 heads of cattle, 4,000 sheep, and 10,000 chickens annually.

This transformation began in 2018. Initially, the goal was simple: to provide mine workers with safe, locally produced vegetables and meat. Seven years later, this integrated “planting and breeding circular chain” has achieved tangible economic results. In 2025, the agricultural output value reached 12 million yuan, benefiting 150 farming households in Tongchuan Town, with each household seeing an average annual income increase of 30,000 yuan. The ecological supermarket in Toudao Lane, Dongsheng District, which opened just five months ago, now serves approximately 300 customers daily, with daily sales exceeding 10,000 yuan.

The challenges here extend beyond deciding what to plant.

Situated on the Ordos Plateau, Minda Coal Mine experiences less than 400 millimeters of annual rainfall, with drought occurring nine years out of ten. The reclamation area initially consisted largely of stripped rock and soil, with organic matter content as low as 0.2%. To address this, the mine invested 150 million yuan to construct 11 water storage ponds that collect rainwater from slopes, roads, and rooftops, creating a “rainwater bank” with a total capacity of 5,000 cubic meters, achieving 100% utilization of collected rainwater. Soil quality was enhanced through screening, backfilling, and the application of biological fertilizers, increasing the organic matter content across 14,000 mu of reclaimed land from 0.2% to 1.5%.

“Coal will eventually run out, but the land must be preserved for future generations.” A statement from the head of Minda Coal Mine highlights a long-term challenge faced by resource-dependent regions.

Currently, Dongsheng District has achieved an 87% green mine certification rate, completed reclamation greening of 820 hectares, and manages 1,525 hectares of goaf areas. New industries such as sea buckthorn cultivation, photovoltaics, agriculture, and animal husbandry have been established in the reclamation area. Where coal mining once accounted for 90% of income, ecological agriculture now contributes 18%, with projections of an increase to 35% by 2027. Plans are underway for slaughterhouses, food processing plants, feed factories, fertilizer plants, and breeding bases.

From coal mining to farming, from the “rainwater bank” to supermarket shelves, the spring of 2026 at Minda Coal Mine offers a promising answer to a common question in China’s resource-based regions: after underground resources are depleted, how can above-ground advantages be sustainably leveraged?
Hashtag: #DongshengDistrictIntegratedMediaCenter

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The AI Compute Continuum: from intelligent endpoints to advanced AI workloads

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 April 2026 – Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) today outlined how enterprise AI adoption across Asia Pacific (APAC) is moving from experimentation to implementation, with 48% of organisations with more than 500 employees in the region already deploying AI PCs and 95% expecting workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years. Together, these trends point to a more distributed AI environment – one that brings intelligence closer to users while supporting increasingly complex and compute-intensive workloads.

Two IDC InfoBriefs, commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel reinforce this shift – Future-Ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption and Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You. The research highlights growing enterprise momentum behind both intelligent endpoints and higher-performance systems as organisations shape the next phase of AI adoption.

For Dell, this shift reflects a broader industry trend toward aligning the right compute resources with specific workload requirements, as organisations balance intelligent endpoints for everyday productivity with high-performance systems designed for advanced AI and professional use cases. Enterprise AI deployments are increasingly spanning client devices, edge environments and the data centre, reflecting a more distributed approach across the IT environment.

AI PCs: Bringing intelligence closer to everyday work

AI PCs are becoming a core component of the modern workplace, enabling AI workloads to run directly on the device to deliver faster, more responsive user experiences while reducing reliance on continuous cloud connectivity. This approach also supports enhanced data privacy and security, provides IT teams with greater control over deployment and management across device fleets, and enables more consistent scaling of AI capabilities across the workforce.

The IDC research commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel underscores this momentum. As AI becomes embedded in day-to-day work, device strategy is shifting accordingly. 89% of APAC organisations now consider AI capabilities a very important factor in future PC purchasing decisions.

In Singapore, 54% of organisations have already deployed AI PCs – 12% higher than the regional average – highlighting strong early adoption momentum. Southeast Asia’s AI PC adoption is outpacing the regional average by 6%, driven by the ability to adopt new technologies without legacy constraints, strong infrastructure in markets like Singapore, favourable market conditions and supportive government initiatives.

APAC Organisations with over 50% AI PCs in their fleet report saving 2.17 hours per employee per day, a 30% productivity increase compared to using AI on traditional PCs. AI PCs are enabling a new class of enterprise use cases – from real-time collaboration and report generation to natural language search and content creation – delivering tangible productivity gains.

In practical terms, this can translate into faster proposal turnaround for sales teams, quicker analysis cycles for finance and operations, streamlined drafting for HR, faster document review for engineering teams, and more responsive support for customer-facing employees. As organisations prepare for more autonomous and agentic AI in hybrid work environments, AI PCs are increasingly becoming the governed way to scale intelligent experiences across the workforce – safely, consistently, and with clearer business impact.

Four out of five APAC organisations expect AI PCs to drive adoption of agentic AI, with the same proportion agreeing they enhance control and security for these applications. The broader momentum is clear: within APAC, 84% of organisations expect AI PCs to increase employee productivity, while 78% cite security benefits and 77% highlight cost advantages of running AI locally.

This shift is leading to a tangible investment. Across APAC, 65% of organisations are willing to pay a premium of 10% or more for AI PCs, reflecting their role as core infrastructure for enterprise AI.

Workstations: Powering advanced AI and specialised workloads

While AI PCs distribute intelligence across the workforce, workstations continue to serve as the performance backbone for more demanding workloads – particularly as organisations shift more AI development on-premise. Developers, engineers, designers, and data teams rely on workstation-class systems for AI model development, simulation, rendering, data preparation, and other compute-intensive activities that require reliability, low latency, and sustained performance.

The IDC research on workstations reflects this reality. 95% of organisations across APAC expect workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years, while 50% would choose a workstation as their preferred device for AI development, and 97% of organisations agree workstations are high-performance devices that fuel innovation for the organisation by empowering teams to explore cutting-edge technology like AI and Machine Learning models.

Across Southeast Asia, 92% of organisations surveyed reported higher productivity among workstation users, while 52% expect the share of workstations in their fleet to grow over the next five years. Organisations in this part of the region also reported workstation use for data preparation (66%), model fine-tuning (62%), and foundational model training (55%), underscoring the role of high-performance systems in advanced AI and professional workloads.

Use cases vary by sector – from engineering and architecture workflows in manufacturing, to content rendering in media, software development in technology, and risk modelling in financial services. AI has become the top technical computing use case for workstations, supporting the full lifecycle from data preparation (62%) and model training (60%) to fine-tuning (59%), deployment (44%) and inference (29%).

This also shifts the conversation from upfront device price to total cost of ownership – including lifecycle longevity, scalability, performance consistency, and risk reduction. As AI initiatives move closer to production, workstations are increasingly seen as long-term platforms that can scale with evolving workloads, rather than short-term tools for experimentation.

Toward an AI compute continuum that supports the next phase of enterprise AI

Together, AI PCs and workstations form an AI compute continuum, supporting everything from everyday productivity to advanced AI development and professional workloads across the enterprise.

For organisations across Asia Pacific, the next phase of AI will not be defined by a single environment or device category, but by the ability to place the right workload on the right compute. AI PCs are extending AI into everyday workflows, while workstations are helping organisations industrialise more advanced, compute-intensive, and specialised AI use cases. Combined, they give leaders a more practical foundation for scaling AI with greater speed, control, and long-term value.

Perspectives:

“AI is changing where work happens and where intelligence needs to live,” said Jacinta Quah, vice president, client solutions group, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC), Dell Technologies. “AI PCs and workstations are not simply device categories in a refresh cycle – they are foundational platforms built for the next phase of enterprise AI era. AI PCs bring intelligence to everyday workflows, at the fingertips of employees where data is generated. Meanwhile, workstations provide the performance and control needed for more specialised, compute-intensive workloads. Together, they enable organisations to scale AI more effectively, strengthen security and privacy, and drive meaningful business outcomes.”

“AI is placing new demands on compute, requiring both local intelligence and high-performance processing to work seamlessly together,” said Jack Huang, regional sales director, PC client commercial and channel, Asia Pacific and Japan, Intel. “As AI workloads become more diverse, organisations need silicon innovations and platforms that can support both efficient on-device experiences and more demanding workstation use cases. Together with Dell, we are helping to enable the next phase of enterprise AI with technologies built for responsiveness, efficiency and scale.”

“The speed at which AI models are being compressed to run on-device has been remarkably fast,” said Bryan Ma, vice president, client devices, IDC. “In the next year or two, very robust models will run on PCs that far exceed today’s capabilities. At the same time, organisations continue to depend on high-performance workstations for advanced AI development and specialised workloads, reinforcing a more distributed AI environment across the enterprise.”

Research Methodology:
The findings are based on two IDC InfoBriefs:

• IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel, Future-ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption, Doc. #AP242547IB, January 2026
• IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel, Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You, Doc. #AP242550IB, February 2026

Future-ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption is based on a survey of 720 IT and business decision-makers across Asia Pacific organisations with more than 500 employees. Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You surveyed 960 IT and business decision-makers in the region to assess workstation adoption, usage, and their role in enterprise AI strategies.
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