Signal Feed

36 Krypton learned that the offline interest activity community "Rough Gate" has completed a new round of financing, and the investor is a Hong Kong family fund that has long focused on the field of consumption and lifestyle. This round of funds will mainly be used to expand brand influence, improve the supply of high-quality managers, and accelerate the construction of community ecology and gameplay system. This is another financing following the acquisition of the Keep strategic investment in 2023. Thick doors are trying to reconstruct a thing that is gradually being overlooked - how people “play together in the real world.” Over the past two decades, the Internet has dealt with “links” and “content.” But today, a new problem is emerging: the richer the online entertainment, the more scarce the offline real experience. Short videos, games, and social platforms occupy a lot of time, but real face-to-face interactions between people are decreasing. Xiang Weng, the founder of Rough Gate, was responsible for casual fish products and Alipay B-end products. After many years of Internet experience, he made a less "mainstream" judgment: "AI can replace efficiency, but it can't replace experience. The most authentic connection between people is still offline.” Founded in 2022, Thick Door is positioned as a community of interest that connects the real world. Start your business with the Event Enrollment tool, but not just the tool. The thick door encourages users to not only be participants, the moderator is not just an organizer, and the activity is not just a single consumption, but a deeper participation. Xiang Weng hopes: "The gameplay can be designed, the activities can be produced, and the experience can be created."...

In April, the 6th China International Consumer Goods Expo (hereinafter referred to as "Consumer Expo") was grandly held in Haikou, Hainan. As an important financial service institution of this Consumer Expo, CCB deeply participated in the event with a full range of multi-level financial services, focusing on scenario-based interactive experiences, full-chain cross-border services, and multi-modal payment systems, providing one-stop financial solutions for global merchants and consumers, and helping the Consumer Expo to release stronger consumption momentum. Scenario-enabled interactive immersive financial experience The 6th Consumer Expo is the first Consumer Expo after the island-wide closure of Hainan Free Trade Port. It closely follows the trend of residential consumption upgrading and the quality of life, and injects a steady stream of new momentum to promote consumption upgrading and stimulate China's large market potential. Walking into the exhibition booth area of the Consumer Expo, a touch of eye-catching "Construction Bank Blue" combines a sense of science and technology with professionalism. Streamlined lighting, digital interactive interface and open space layout show the strength of CCB's multi-channel financial services in an all-round way. CCB set up a professional consulting service desk in the exhibition area, and selected the business backbone to be on the front line, providing exhibitors and customers with one-on-one exclusive financial advice. From account opening, fund settlement to financing and wealth management, cross-border business, the staff tailors the service plan to the needs of customers, responds to each inquiry with professionalism and enthusiasm, and achieves "zero distance" access to financial services....

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for closer strategic coordination between China and Russia to defend their interests and support Global South unity. This was discussed during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, emphasizing the importance of stability and responsibility as major world powers.

Beijing, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The mainland has no restrictions on the full resumption of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities should remove their unreasonable barriers to cross-Strait flights, a spokesperson said Wednesday. Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press conference that the obstacles to resuming flights are entirely due to the DPP authorities.

Li Zhenxiu, the establishment committee of the Democratic Party, has lost the qualification of independent commissioners. The election committee announced this afternoon that the list of alternate candidates is the People's Party Xu Zhongxin. (Photo) Li Zhenxiu, the Central Commissioner who violated the "Nationality Law" and "Cross-Strait Relations Ordinance" and did not give up Chinese nationality, was expelled from the Democratic Party on the 13th due to party discipline issues. Under the completion of the relevant processes of the Democratic Party, the House of Representatives and the Mid-term Electoral Commission, Li Zhenxiu has lost the qualification of independent commissioners without distinction. The election committee announced this afternoon that the list of alternate candidates is the People's Party Xu Zhongxin. The CEC said that the Democratic Party had expelled Li Zhenxiu, a former member of the party, from the Election Committee in a letter dated 13th, and that the CEC had, according to law and in accordance with the provisions of Article 73, Paragraph 2 of the Public Offices Election and Strike Act, on the same day. The letter requested the Legislative Yuan to cancel the name of its lawmakers. Subsequent elections will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 73, Paragraph 5 of the Public Offices Election and Strike Act after receiving the official letter of the Legislative Yuan cancelling the registration. Please continue reading... The Electoral College today disclosed that it has received an official letter from the Legislative Yuan on the cancellation of registration this morning. Subsequently, the substitution operation will be carried out in accordance with Article 73, Paragraph 5 of the Public Offices Election and Strike Act, and this substitution case will be confirmed by the subsequent committee meeting. The CEC announced on its official website in the afternoon that "the 11th Legislative Council members elected by nationals of all regions of the country and those living abroad will be substituted for the list of elected members", replacing Xu Zhongxin, who is a member of the People's Party, and his term of office will expire on the date of the expiration of the term of office of the 11th Legislative Council members.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. (Reuters Photo) In order to strengthen the defense of remote islands, Japan plans to deploy anti-aircraft missile units in Okinawa Prefecture and Nakuni Island, about 110 kilometers from Taiwan. It has now obtained the consent of the local government and is expected to complete the deployment in 2030. In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized at a press conference on the 15th that Japan deployed offensive weapons and equipment on the Chinese coast under the guise of "defense" and "counterattack", far exceeding the scope of self-defense and special defense, and angrily bombarded the Japanese side with this move "threatening regional peace". According to comprehensive Japanese media reports, Tsuneo Kamiji, the mayor of Nakuni Town, met with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on the 13th of this month. During the meeting, he talked about the Defense Ministry's plan to deploy missiles on Nakuni Island. He told Shinjiro Koizumi that he "will not raise objections", which is equivalent to formally agreeing to the deployment of missiles. Tsuneo Uechi mentioned that he had widely exchanged opinions with the townspeople and determined that the missiles were defensive and equipment for interception purposes, but some residents still objected. Therefore, he also asked the Ministry of Defense to continue to provide adequate and detailed explanations. If there are additional deployment plans in the future, the local government will carefully evaluate them. Read on...

The first two stablecoin issuer licences in Hong Kong were issued last week. Chen Weimin, vice president of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said that Hong Kong is a pioneer in the field of stablecoins, so it is necessary to be cautious and review the application one by one according to the standards listed in the law to ensure that the issuer meets the requirements. More importantly, it is hoped that the licensee will have viable use cases, the business can continue to develop, and bring value to enterprises and individuals. It is also necessary to ensure that the licensee has the ability to manage various risks, including maintaining the linkage and stability mechanism, reserve management, private key security, anti-money laundering, operational risks, etc. He mentioned that it took the authorities about six months to review the first 36 applications and found that two truly met the requirements. At the HSBC Global Investment Summit, Chen Weimin said that the regulation of digital assets will become clearer. Regulators in different jurisdictions, including Europe, the United States, Asia, and other jurisdictions, are developing a framework that believes that a consensus is forming that digital assets must be regulated. He believes that the role of supervision should be to identify and intervene in risks earlier, in addition to working with the private sector to promote the development of the industry. The HKMA's Ensemble project brings together banks, regulators, infrastructure, technology companies and other stakeholders to jointly identify pain points, solutions and risks in the financial system. At present, 20 use cases have been reviewed, and it is believed that the private sector plays a very important role in shaping the regulatory framework and ecosystem.

Amnesty International's Hong Kong Overseas Branch released its annual report, saying that as Hong Kong's freedom of expression continued to deteriorate, the Hong Kong National Security Law judge sentenced a Falun Gong practitioner to 12 months in prison for inciting him to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party and Guangfu Hong Kong and other posts on social platforms. The judge made it clear that the defendant's speech was a smear against the central government, but it was still justified by freedom of expression and was a blatant challenge to the state regime. Published: 15/04/2026 - 09:10 The Hong Kong Overseas Chapter released the "Hong Kong Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation 2025" report on the eve of the National Security Education Day in China (14th), indicating that the legal system of Hong Kong's national security was further consolidated last year, and the overall human rights situation was deteriorating. Overall, it was the continued deterioration of freedom of expression, restrictions on freedom of association and assembly, prolonged pretrial detention and inhumane treatment in prison, escalation of cross-border repression, LGBTI (five areas of gender equality) and limited progress in labor rights....

The Iran war has shifted U.S. military capabilities out of the Indo-Pacific. Will Beijing try to take advantage?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivered a speech during the inauguration of the Spain-China Business Meeting in Shanghai, China, on September 10, 2024. /VCG Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is paying an official visit to China from April 11 to 15, his fourth visit to the country in four years. The robust vitality of ties Sanchez previously visited China in April 2025, September 2024, and March 2023.

Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun visited China, meeting President Xi Jinping. This is the first visit by a sitting KMT chair since 2016 and aligns with Beijing's party-to-party diplomacy strategy. The trip included stops in Nanjing, Shanghai, and Beijing, where Cheng emphasized cross-strait peace and economic ties. Amid rising tensions, this move aims to bridge gaps between Taipei and Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President To Lam attended a signing ceremony in Beijing for cooperation documents covering areas such as inter-party exchanges, public security, economy, and science and technology. The event signifies strengthened bilateral relations between China and Vietnam.

Chen Tingfei, a member of the Southern Municipal Party Committee, called on the government to strengthen the system and introduce private forces to supplement the campaign funds. (Provided by the Chen Tingfei Service Office of the Southern Municipal Party Committee) Cultivating a "light of Taiwan" is often not the efforts of a single player, but the efforts and huge funds invested by the entire family over the years. Legislator Chen Tingfei said frankly in the question on the "Sports Industry Project Report" in the Legislative Yuan today (15) that the most serious problem in Taiwan's sports is the long-term shortage of grassroots funds and resources. From the top national hands to grassroots potential players, they generally face the dilemma of lack of resources. Chen Tingfei pointed out that many athletes from small training, participation to accumulation of points, behind which often parents and even grandparents lean on the support of the whole family, especially in the trend of fewer children, parents are more worried about the ability to let their children on the road of sports, becoming a heavy burden. Please continue reading... She further said that although the current "Measures for the Training of Excellent Athletes" divides athletes into 4 levels, the subsidies at each level are very different from the actual demand, and the system cannot effectively support the long-term development of athletes. The government should make a stronger commitment to introduce private resources from the system to help cover the funding gap, so that parents can believe that their children are no longer alone in their pursuit of dreams. Regarding the resource matching mechanism, Chen Tingfei pointed out that even if the policy direction is correct at present, if there is no effective platform and promotion, it is still difficult to establish a connection between the enterprise and the players, resulting in the inability to accurately invest resources. Transparency and reciprocity are key, she stressed, “for people who want to donate to know where they're going, and for people who want to be helped to know where they're going.”...

Mastercard and LianCa Center jointly hosted the "Payment Security and Data Trust Summit in the AI Era", with Chen Yiwen, Managing Director of Mastercard Taiwan, and Lu Weirong, General Manager of LianCa Center, on the left. (Reporter Li Yanhui/Taipei Report) [Reporter Li Yanhui/Taipei Report] With the rapid popularization of AI technology, proxy AI is gradually entering business applications. Lu Weirong, general manager of the Liankan Center, today pointed out that in response to the trend of Agentic Commerce, the Liankan Center will build a local, own AI Agent (artificial intelligence agent), not a ready-made AI agent such as lobster. At present, the Liankan Center has formed an alliance with local operators in Taiwan to build a Taiwanese model and a PoC (proof of concept). It is expected that it can be launched this year. It is feasible to further discuss and negotiate for verification. The purpose is to provide credit card business services. Mastercard and the United Credit Card Processing Center jointly hosted the "Payment Security and Data Trust Summit in the AI Era" today (15), inviting industry, government, and academic representatives to jointly discuss the new type of consumer ecology and authorization verification mechanism brought about by the gradual entry of proxy AI into business applications. It is hoped that through dialogue between all parties, a consensus will be forged for the regulatory framework and innovative development of Taiwan's payment industry. Read on...

Xia Baolong, Director of the Central Hong Kong and Macao Office and Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Office of the State Council, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony and keynote lecture of the National Security Education Day for All. Chen Maobo, Financial Secretary, said that Xia Baolong mentioned the important discussion of President Xi Jinping on the need to pay more attention to coordinating development and security during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, to safeguard the new development pattern with a new security pattern, and the clear requirements of the SAR Government to take the initiative to match the "15th Five-Year Plan", firmly promote high-quality economic development, and better integrate and serve the overall development of the country. These provide fundamental guidance for the future development of Hong Kong and for the stability and far-reaching development of "one country, two systems". Chen Maobo said that in the current 100 years of accelerated evolution and the complex and changing international situation, we must better base ourselves on the overall situation and focus on the future, so as to promote safety and security development, so as to ensure a new development pattern with a new security pattern, grasp the new opportunities brought by national development, and open a new chapter for Hong Kong's development. Chen Maobo also said that to be safe, we must not only defend passively, but also take the initiative and accelerate development. The country is accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, promoting a high level of openness and high-quality development. As one of the most international cities in the country, Hong Kong can play a greater role in finance, trade, shipping, innovation, professional services and international connections.

Vice Premier and Foreign Minister of the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, Wang Yi, met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Beijing on Tuesday (April 14). They communicated about preparations for a meeting between their respective heads of state later this year and exchanged in-depth views on the US-Iran conflict, Asia-Pacific situation, and the Ukrainian crisis.