Exchange student, 13, arrested after fatal stabbing of 14-year-old
A 13-year-old Chinese exchange student has been arrested over the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old girl in the NSW Lake Macquarie Region.
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The Star
6 minutes ago
- The Star
McDonald's China eyes 10,000 outlets
Customers take photos at a McDonald's restaurant in Zhengzhou, Henan province, in May. ZUO DONGCHEN/FOR CHINA DAILY McDonald's China's plan to open 1,000 new stores annually and reach as many as 10,000 locations by 2028 is on track, boosted by innovation and localisation, according to its top executive. The food service chain unveiled a report recently to mark the eighth anniversary of its transition to a developmental licensee model under the "Jin Gong Men" (Golden Arches) banner. McDonald's China was acquired by a consortium led by CITIC Capital in 2017. The report coincides with the company's rapid expansion, with more than 7,100 outlets across 280 cities — more than triple the number in 2017 — and over 1.3 billion annual customer visits. Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's China, said, "The 'Jin Gong Men' model — a global brand empowered by local ownership and operations — has enabled us to respond faster to market dynamics, drive innovation, and scale impact across food, sustainability, talent, and community." McDonald's China has committed to local execution across management, operations, and innovation. Cheung said the fully localised management team allows the company to stay "closer to customers" and move "faster than ever", making decisions independently and feeding successful China-born innovations, like its spicy menu series and CUBE-style restaurant design, back into McDonald's global system. "We have a Chinese team and Chinese speed. That's our local advantage," Cheung said. "Even our suppliers in China are producing to a level where their products — like pies and chicken — are being considered for global distribution." Speaking on store expansion, the CEO said the chain "has long-term confidence in the Chinese market "and is opening two to three new stores every day. "By year-end, we will expand into the Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Qinghai province, achieving 100 percent coverage of all provincial-level administrative regions on the Chinese mainland." The company also plans to penetrate further in the market to accelerate development into third and fourth-tier cities. China's consumer landscape is evolving rapidly, with a growing focus on value-for-money and a dislike of overpaying. McDonald's has responded with pricing innovations such as its 22.9 yuan ($3.18) set meal known as the "Big Bite Meal". The company considers its supply chain one of its pillars of strength. With over 90 percent of ingredients sourced locally, the company leverages its supply chain to maintain pricing power and quality. It has invested more than 12 billion yuan alongside suppliers in the past five years to build the McDonald's China supply chain ecosystem. Innovation has also propelled its communication with consumers. Its menu is continuously refreshed with offerings catering to local tastes and consumption trends, such as the breakfast combo (9.9 yuan) and protein-packed beef burger for fitness-focused consumers. Digital transformation also enhances its customer experiences. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's China orders are placed via mobile devices or self-order kiosks. More than 6,000 stores feature smart pick-up lockers, allowing contactless retrieval through QR code scans. They are not just digitising operations, said the CEO. "Customers can choose when and how to place and pick up their orders, giving them a sense of autonomy and control," Cheung said. Changes in consumer lifestyles are also quickly reflected in how McDonald's China innovates around consumption scenarios. The company is piloting voice-activated drive-through orders designed for new energy vehicle drivers, said the CEO. Listening to their customers is what keeps them localised and innovative. McDonald's China tracks more than 20,000 daily social media posts related to the brand. "We hold regular focus groups to go deeper into what customers love — or don't love — about our offerings," Cheung said. "Our goal is not just to grow with China, but to co-create with Chinese consumers." - China Daily/ANN
The Star
6 minutes ago
- The Star
Swiss President to meet U.S. Secretary of State Rubio for talks on Wednesday
FILE PHOTO: Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter talks to the medias after a news conference, after meeting in separate bilateral meetings with Chinese and U.S. delegations ahead of trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo ZURICH (Reuters) -Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter will meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, the State Department said, as Switzerland tries to win a reprieve from U.S. tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports. Keller-Sutter and Business Minister Guy Parmelin flew to Washington on Tuesday for last-minute negotiations before the tariffs go into effect on Thursday. The Swiss president, who is leading a delegation of officials, will meet with Rubio for a closed meeting at the State Department at 10.15 Washington time, according to the public schedule of the department. The meeting is scheduled to last one hour. Switzerland desperately wants to negotiate down 39% tariffs on its exports to the United States announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday. The European country was stunned by the announcement, which threatens major damage to its export-orientated economy by reducing access to its biggest overseas market. The United States is a big buyer for Swiss watches, machinery and chocolate, which would all suffer from the tariff that is much higher level than import duties agreed between the U.S. and the European Union, Britain and Japan. (Reporting by John Revill, Editing by Miranda Murray)
The Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Sun
Hit by US tariffs, Indonesia plans to sell shrimp to China instead
PANDEGLANG, INDONESIA: At a shrimp farm in Indonesia, more than 16,000 km (9,942 miles) from Washington D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump 's import tariffs have left Denny Leonardo's expansion plans in disarray. Leonardo had aimed to add about 100 new ponds this year to his 150-pond farm on the southwestern tip of Java island, but was forced to reconsider when U.S. orders dried up in the wake of Trump's initial tariff threats in April. And while the latest 19% tariff, agreed with Washington in July and due to take effect this week, is less than the initial 32%, Leonardo is counting the cost to his business. 'With the U.S. pressuring Indonesia's exports, everyone is eagerly looking for new opportunities to diversify, to reduce their dependence on the U.S.,' the 30-year-old prawn farmer said after July's announcement. The United States is the biggest market for Indonesian prawns, buying 60% of the country's $1.68 billion in shrimp exports last year. Andi Tamsil, the head of Indonesia's shrimp farmers' association, estimates the 19% tariffs could see total exports plunge by 30% this year compared to 2024, putting the livelihoods of one million workers at risk. Even with July's agreement, most U.S. customers are still putting their shrimp purchases on hold, said Budhi Wibowo, who heads an association of seafood businesses. He notes the new rates put Indonesia at a disadvantage against Ecuador, the world's top producer of farmed shrimp, whose import tariff was set at 15%. China is the world's biggest importer of shrimp by volume, but Indonesians have preferred to sell to the U.S. where they could get better prices, Budhi said. Before the tariffs, China typically bought only 2% of Indonesia's exports of the seafood. Now the industry is having to work hard to promote its products to Chinese buyers. In June, Tamsil, of the shrimp farmers' association, travelled with a delegation of industry representatives to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to meet importers, restaurant owners and agri-commerce platforms. More trips are planned. 'We have a very big opportunity in China that imported around 1 million tonnes of shrimps,' Tamsil said. 'Imagine if we could take just 20% of China's import market.' Budhi, of the seafood association, said Indonesia could also diversify exports to the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan, and the European Union, especially as Jakarta is close to signing a free trade agreement with Brussels. Back on his farm, Leonardo is confident his business, which he inherited from his father, can weather the U.S. tariff storm. But it might not expand as quickly as he once hoped. 'I am optimistic that my company could survive because there will still be supply and demand. But for growth, I am not that optimistic,' Leonardo said. - Reuters
