Latest news with #HuaweiMateXT
The Star
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
China now offers instant tax refund to tourists in bid to boost consumption. Here's how it works
BEIJING: Visitors to China might soon find it easier to claim tax rebates at store checkouts – and that could mean a little extra cash to spend during their trip and fewer queues at the airport. Experts say this could boost the economy, but the key will be getting more retailers on board with the programme. China recently revised its tax rebate policy to allow foreign tourists to receive their tax refunds instantly at eligible stores, rather than only at the airport, and lowered the minimum spending required for such claims. Since April 27, tourists who spend at least 200 yuan (S$36) at the same store on the same day are eligible for the instant tax refund, down from the previous 500 yuan. The maximum cash refund amount has also been raised from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan. Refunds can be received instantly through mobile payments such as WeChat and Alipay's digital wallets, credit cards and in cash. Previously, tourists had to get paper forms and receipts in order, and could receive the refunds only at the tax refund counter at the airport right before leaving the country. The catch? Not all shops offer this service, but Chinese authorities said they are working to broaden the list of such tax-refund stores in major shopping areas, pedestrian streets, tourist sites, resorts, cultural venues, airports, passenger ports and hotels. Goods eligible for refunds include luxury items, those from time-honoured Chinese brands such as traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy Tong Ren Tang and silk store Rui Fu Xiang, craft, cultural and heritage items, renowned Chinese consumer goods and sports products. Food and beverage stores are not included in the list. Chinese state media China Daily noted that a tourist who buys a Huawei Mate XT smartphone with an original price of 23,999 yuan, or $4,300, including tax, can receive an in-store refund of about $462 – enough for a high-speed train ride from Beijing to Shanghai and one-night luxury hotel stay. The policy tweak aims to boost inbound tourist consumption in the world's second-largest economy by getting visitors to spend more and sooner, as Beijing attempts to cushion some damage from the ongoing US-China trade war. The revised model was piloted in several cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, before being rolled out nationwide in April. Auratic, a Chinese porcelain tableware brand, was the sole store in Beijing's Silk Street mall offering in-store tax rebates to tourists. - Photo: ST Shan Guo, a partner at business consultancy Hutong Research, said the departure tax refund, according to China's current value-added tax rate, is around 11 per cent. 'The revised policy means tourists have 11 per cent more cash to spend in China, instead of bringing it home after getting it upon departure,' she said. Assuming that tourists spend all the cash refunded, Guo estimated that it could translate to another 0.05 per cent support to China's gross domestic product (GDP) – a modest figure, but a boost nonetheless. 'The upside could be higher – if tourists spend more than what they were refunded and if the policy attracts more visitors. Cities such as Shanghai could benefit as it is usually tourists' first and last stop in China, as well as the go-to place for luxury shopping,' she said. In 2024, China's inbound tourist spending accounted for about 0.5 per cent of China's GDP, compared with 1 per cent to 3 per cent in major economies. Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping highlighted it as an area with significant growth potential on April 27 when announcing the measures. A total of 132 million tourists spent more than US$94.2 billion in China in 2024, an increase of 77.8 per cent from 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. With the policy in place, Guo noted that it was now a matter of getting more shops on board the instant tax rebate programme, as some retailers may not feel that offering this service benefits them. A sign near the entrance of luxury shopping mall SKP in Beijing indicating that the mall offers tax rebates to foreign tourists. - Photo: ST A check by The Straits Times in Beijing found that high-end shopping centres, SKP and China World Mall, have an instant tax refund counter, which is marked with a large blue sign. At Taikoo Li Sanlitun, a trendy shopping area popular with the young, most luxury international boutiques such as Gucci and Moncler offer the service. But a number of local Chinese brands, such as popular perfume brand To Summer, do not. The roll-out of the programme appears uneven, as smaller malls have not yet come on board. At Silk Street, a tourist-centric shopping mall in Beijing selling silk garments, leather goods and traditional handicraft, only one store selling porcelain tableware offered the service. Some sales assistants were perplexed when asked if their shop offered in-store tax rebates for foreign tourists, saying they had not heard of this new policy. But three sales assistants told ST that they have been informed there will be a mall-wide push to implement the in-store tax refund, although the timeline was unclear. A sales assistant selling Chinese brocade jewellery boxes, who wanted to be known only as Ms Wang, said: 'It'll be good for business because only tourists buy these items as souvenirs. But whether our in-store tax rebate system will be ready in two weeks or two months, I cannot say for sure.' How to get the in-store tax refund Spend at least 200 yuan at the same store on the same day. Present your passport at the store's checkout. The store will fill in a digital tax refund application form, which takes in your credit card number or e-wallet details, and does the tax refund on the spot or may direct you to a centralised refund counter within the mall or shopping area. At the refund counter, receive your funds via WeChat and Alipay e-wallets, credit cards or in cash. At the airport, before departure, present the digital form and receipts at the e-tax refund kiosk to validate your purchases. If you do not do this, your refund might be reversed and charged back to your credit card or e-wallets. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China eases tax refund rules for tourists
Since April 27, tourists who spend at least 200 yuan (S$36) on the same day at the same store are eligible for the instant tax refund. ST PHOTO: MICHELLE NG China now offers instant tax refunds to tourists in bid to boost consumption. Here's how it works – Visitors to China might soon find it easier to claim tax rebates at the store's checkout – and that could mean a little extra cash to spend during the trip and fewer queues at the airport. Experts say this might boost the economy, but the key is getting more retailers on board the programme. China recently revised its tax rebate policy to allow foreign tourists to receive their tax refunds instantly at eligible stores, rather than doing so only at the airport, a nd also lowered the minimum spending for such claims. Since April 27, tourists who spend at least 200 yuan (S$36) on the same day at the same store are eligible for the instant tax refund, down from the previous 500 yuan. The maximum rebate amount for a cash refund has also been raised from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan. Refunds can be instantly received through mobile payments such as WeChat and Alipay's digital wallets, credit cards and in cash. Previously, tourists had to get their paper forms and receipts in order, and could get the refunds only at the tax refund counter at the airport right before they left the country. The catch? Not all shops offer this service, but the Chinese authorities said they are working to broaden the list of such tax-refund stores in major shopping areas, pedestrian streets, tourist sites, resorts, cultural venues, airports, passenger ports and hotels. Goods eligible for refunds include luxury items, time-honoured Chinese brands such as traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy Tong Ren Tang and silk store Ruifuxiang, craft, cultural and heritage items, renowned Chinese consumer goods and sports products. Food and beverage stores are not included in the list. Chinese state media China Daily noted that a tourist who buys a Huawei Mate XT smartphone with an original price of 23,999 yuan (US$3,299) including tax, can receive an in-store refund of about US$360, which is enough for a high-speed train ride from Beijing to Shanghai and one-night luxury hotel stay. The policy tweak aims to boost inbound tourist consumption in the world's second-largest economy by getting visitors to spend more and sooner, as Beijing attempts to cushion some of the damage from the ongoing US-China trade war. The revised model was piloted in several cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, before being rolled out nationwide in April. Ms Shan Guo, a partner at business consultancy Hutong Research, said the departure tax refund, according to China's current value-added tax rate (VAT), is around 11 per cent. 'The revised policy means tourists have 11 per cent more cash to spend in China, instead of bringing it home after getting it upon departure,' she said. Assuming that tourists spend all the cash refunded, Ms Guo estimated that it could translate to another 0.05 per cent support to China's gross domestic product (GDP) – a modest figure but a boost nonetheless. 'The upside could be higher if tourists spend more than what they were refunded and if the policy attracts more visitors. Cities such as Shanghai could benefit as it is usually tourists' first and last stop in China, as well as the go-to place for luxury shopping,' she said. A sign near the entrance of luxury shopping mall SKP in Beijing indicating that the mall offers tax rebates to foreign tourists. ST PHOTO: MICHELLE NG In 2024, China's inbound tourist spending accounted for about 0.5 per cent of China's GDP, compared with 1 to 3 per cent in major economies. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping highlighted it as an area with significant growth potential on April 27 when announcing the measures. A total of 132 million tourists spent more than US$94.2 billion in China in 2024, an increase of 77.8 per cent from 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. With the policy in place, Ms Guo noted it is now a matter of getting more shops on board the instant tax rebate programme as some retailers may not feel that its benefits justify them offering this service. A check by The Straits Times in Beijing found that high-end shopping centres, SKP and China World Mall, have an instant tax refund counter, marked with a large blue sign, where tourists can get their refunds. At Sanlitun Taikoo Li, a trendy shopping area popular with the young, most luxury international boutiques such as Gucci and Moncler offer the service. But most local Chinese brands, such as popular perfume brand To Summer, do not. The rollout of the programme appears uneven, as smaller malls have not yet come on board. At Silk Street, a tourist-centric shopping mall in Beijing selling silk garments, leather goods and traditional handicrafts, only one store selling porcelain tableware offered the service. Auratic, a Chinese porcelain tableware brand, was the sole store in Silk Street mall in Beijing that currently offers in-store tax rebates to tourists. ST PHOTO: MICHELLE NG Some sales assistants were perplexed when asked if their shop offered in-store tax rebates for foreign tourists, saying they had never heard of this new policy. But three sales assistants told ST that they have been informed that there will be a mall-wide push to implement the in-store tax refund, although the timeline is unclear. A sales assistant selling Chinese brocade jewellery boxes, who wanted to be known only as Ms Wang, said: 'It'll be good for business because only tourists buy these items as souvenirs. But whether our in-store tax rebate system will be ready in two weeks or two months, I cannot say for sure.' How to get the in-store tax refund Spend at least 200 yuan (S$36) on the same day at the same store. Present your passport at the checkout. The store fills in a digital tax refund application form, which takes in your credit card number or e-wallet details, and does the tax refund on the spot or may direct you to a centralised refund counter within the mall or shopping area. At the refund counter, receive your funds via WeChat and Alipay e-wallets , credit cards or in cash. At the airport before departure, present the digital form and receipts at the e-tax refund kiosk to validate your purchases. If you do not do this, your refund might be reversed and charged back to your credit card or e-wallets. Michelle Ng is China Correspondent at The Straits Times. She is interested in Chinese foreign policies, property trends, demographics, education and rural issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Samsung Tri-Fold smartphone price leaked: Will this smartphone launch in India? Here is what we know so far
Samsung Tri-Fold price leaked: The smartphone industry is on the verge of a revolution, and Samsung is leading the charge. Rumors have circulated about the tech behemoth's latest creation, a tri-foldable phone that is expected to take the market by storm. As enthusiasm grows, people eagerly await the release of this innovative product. In this article, we'll tell you the latest on Samsung's tri-foldable phone, including its planned release date, probable features, and implications for the future of smartphones. Whether you're a Samsung fan or simply curious about the latest tech trends, we've got all the information you need. Samsung Tri-Fold launch timeline Galaxy Tri-fold all set to launch in Q3 this yearSamsung is only launching it in 2 markets : South Korea & ChinaLimited quantities with a price between $3000 - 3500 According to tipster Yogesh Brar, Samsung's tri-fold smartphone will be available in the third quarter of 2025. This contradicts a prior story, which stated that the larger foldable will arrive much later, after the Galaxy Z series is released this year. Galaxy G Fold. A recent leak has confirmed the foldable's screen size, which is smaller than the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold handset. The leaker reiterates previously disclosed information, stating that the Samsung tri-fold model would be released in restricted quantities and will only be available in South Korea and China. Samsung Tri-Fold expected specifications While normal book-style foldables have a huge display and a single hinge, Samsung is expected to follow in the footsteps of Huawei Mate XT Ultimate and release a smartphone with two hinges. We've previously seen patent leaks indicating similar arrangements, including one with two hinges and another with three hinges and four connected panels. Indeed, these foldables will open up into full-size tablets, as opposed to the current state of foldables, which provides a user with the width of two standard smartphone displays side by side. According to Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, Samsung's rumored triple folding smartphone, which could be called the Galaxy G Fold, will have a screen size of approximately 9.9 inches when fully unfolded. This means it will have a smaller primary display than Huawei's Mate XT, which has a 10.2-inch internal foldable display. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 expected to launch with Exynos 2500 chip? Here is what you need to know Samsung Tri-Fold's expected price Yogesh Brar, a well-known tipster, estimates that the price will be between $3,000 and $3,500. With a straight currency conversion at today's rates (which Samsung will not use), the difference is £2,225-£2,595 or AU$4,650-AU$5,425. For the latest and more interesting tech news, keep reading Indiatimes Tech.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
New Samsung tri-fold leak gives us another hint about how big the 'G Fold' phone might be
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Another Samsung tri-fold leak has emerged The main screen size is said to be 9.9 inches It seems the phone will be launching this year Samsung has confirmed that it's working on a tri-fold foldable phone, and while we don't have too many details about it yet, the latest leak around the handset gives us some more information about the screen size. This tip comes from well-known leaker Digital Chat Station (via Notebookcheck), who says that we're looking at a main screen size of around 9.9 inches. That's a little smaller than the 10.2-inch display sported by the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold. It also lines up rather neatly with previous rumors around this Samsung device: those rumors have predicted a main screen size of 9.96 inches and an outer screen size of 6.49 inches, which also indicates a key difference from the Huawei Mate XT. Whereas the three panels of the Mate XT fold back on each other, leaving a third of the screen visible when it's closed, the Samsung tri-fold is expected to fold inwards – so all of the main display gets covered up when it's shut, and a second display is needed. This same leak suggests that the Samsung tri-fold will be launching this year. It may show up sometime in July, which is when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 are expected to be unveiled. Other whispers we've heard around this Samsung tri-fold are that it'll offer 2,600 nits of brightness on its screens, which is a very decent figure and matches up with what's already offered by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. There's also been talk that the tri-fold might end up being called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. That's by no means official yet, but that moniker would fit in neatly with the other foldable phones that Samsung already manufactures. It's going to be interesting to see how Samsung prices this phone. Obviously, it's going to have to cost a lot because of the tech, but we're hoping that it's not prohibitively expensive – and that it goes on sale worldwide. Why this tri-fold concept phone is my new favorite thing 5 key rumored features of the Galaxy tri-fold Samsung may have solved the tri-fold naming problem
Mid East Info
14-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Blis achieves omnichannel campaign success for Huawei in partnership with JCDecaux Play+ and Group M - Middle East Business News and Information
Blis, a trusted leader in location-powered advertising and analytics, achieved remarkable success in its first-ever omnichannel campaign executed in partnership with JCDecaux Play+ and Group M. The campaign's success was announced at the JCDecaux Play+ programmatic launch event in Dubai. The campaign, specially tailored for the launch of Huawei's premium luxury phone 'Mate XT', aimed to position the device as a premium offering and raise awareness among the target audience segments. Its primary objective was to position the device as a premium offering and raise awareness among the target audience. In line with this, Blis, JCDecaux Play+, and Group M, collaborated to deliver a solution that combines the diverse capabilities of programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (pDOOH) and geotargeted mobile advertising. The campaign specifically sought to reach passengers from the GCC region and China using premium advertising assets and a cross-channel strategy, to maximise efficiency and measurability. As part of this, programmatically targeted ads were displayed at high-impact large format screens at Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminals 1 and 3 Arrivals, appearing only when flights from the GCC region and China land. Moreover, geotargeted mobile campaigns were broadcasted by Blis to further enhance the precision targeting and engage audiences primed by the pDOOH exposure. The campaign yielded exceptional results, with the pDOOH garnering 10,225 plays and 1.2 million impressions, achieving 3.03 times more efficiency as compared to traditional DOOH advertising. Mobile retargeting, on the other hand, recorded an impressive 2.3 million impressions, gaining double the engagement rate as compared to industry benchmarks. Karim Hassan, Commercial Director at Blis said: 'We are honoured to announce the success of the personalised campaign that we executed for Huawei in partnership with JCDecaux Play+ and Group M. The success exemplifies our longstanding commitment to facilitating seamless omnichannel experiences that reach the right users at the right time, securing quantifiable results for our clients. We look forward to forging more impactful partnerships in the future, offering our clients best-in-class targeted advertising solutions which can maximise engagement.' Dom Kozak, Director of Programmatic at JCDecaux Play+ said: 'Our successful partnership with Blis and Group M for the Huawei omnichannel campaign demonstrates the immense capabilities of pDOOH. The technology, particularly when combined with other channels like mobile advertising, can be a powerful tool to drive the success of geo-targeted advertising.' Yasmine Al-Turk, Advanced DOOH & Digital Supply lead GrOUPM NEXUS from Group M said: 'At Group M, we believe that the synergetic capabilities of pDOOH and mobile advertising can help deliver exceptional results, as demonstrated by the success of the Huawei Mate XT launch campaign. Furthermore, by combining the power of data and technology, brands can significantly increase their conversion rates, paving the way for long-term growth.' The campaign's success highlights the effectiveness of a unified omnichannel strategy in reaching target audiences with precision and impact, positioning it as a powerful new approach for premium brand launches. Bolstered by this achievement, Blis, a subsidiary of JGroup, remains steadfast in its efforts to help brands understand, reach and engage consumers.
