Latest news with #RMB10
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
Woman conned by strangers in Chinatown into giving up $700 and gold necklace to 'Chinese physician' for blessing
Woman conned by strangers in Chinatown into giving up $700 and gold necklace to 'Chinese physician' for blessing A woman was conned by strangers in Chinatown into giving up $700 and her Guan Yin pendant to a "Chinese physician" for "blessing". Three women and a man, aged between 47 and 61, were arrested for their suspected involvement after the police received a report from the victim on June 3. The victim was initially approached by one of the women seeking directions to a Chinese physician. A second woman then intervened, claiming to know of a suitable physician but explained that consultations could only take place outside the premises due to overcrowding. The second woman wanted the victim to pose as her relative and both women led the victim to meet a third woman who claimed to be a Chinese physician and told the victim she was experiencing misfortune due to negative spiritual elements. The three women and the victim then arranged to meet at Hong Lim Park where the victim was convinced to surrender $700 in cash and a gold necklace with a Guan Yin pendant to the "Chinese physician", who then placed the items in a black plastic bag and performed a purported blessing ritual. The victim was instructed to store the plastic bag underneath her bed and not open it for one month. But the next morning, she examined the contents of the plastic bag and discovered that her valuables had been replaced with leaves. A similar scam was reported in Clementi on June 4. Two women approached another victim and engaged her in conversation. After noticing cash in the victim's bag, they convinced her to place the $700 into a black trash bag for "safekeeping". The victim later discovered that her money was missing. Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of CCTV footage, officers established the identities of the three women and a fourth man who was believed to be working with trio. All four were arrested on June 5. The first victim's gold necklace was recovered from one of them. Cash amounting to S$1,311 and RMB10,050 were seized as case exhibits. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE The suspects were to be charged in court on June 6 with conspiracy to cheat, which carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine. The police said they would like to remind members of the public to be wary of strangers who claim to provide spiritual help or blessing services. No legitimate religiou spractitioner will ask for your money or valuables to be surrendered for any blessi ngritual. You should be vigilant and alert elderly family members about such scams. If approached by someone claiming you have bad luck or need spiritual cleansing, do not engage with them and call the police immediately. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
4 charged over suspected involvement in ‘blessing' scams
SINGAPORE – Three men and a woman have been charged in court over allegedly scamming victims of cash and gold in a series of 'blessing' scams. Chinese nationals Zhong Weifeng, 58, Huang Ximing, 61, Huang Meiling, 56, and Huang Qinyan, 47, were charged with conspiracy to cheat on June 6. On June 2, Zhong and Huang Meiling approached one of the victims and led her to Huang Qinyan, who claimed to be a Chinese physician. The victim was told she was experiencing misfortune due to 'negative spiritual elements', the police said on June 6. To ward off misfortune, the woman was said to have handed $700 in cash and a gold necklace to Huang Qinyan, who placed the items in a plastic bag. Huang Qinyan performed a 'cleansing ritual' on the valuables, and the victim was told to keep the plastic bag, untouched, under her bed for a month. The woman checked the bag the next day and found that her valuables had been replaced with leaves. On June 4, the police received a report of another scam with a similar modus operandi. A ccording to the police , the second victim was approached by two of the accused and convinced to place an envelope with cash into a black rubbish bag for safekeeping; she later discovered that her money had gone missing. Police investigations found that Huang Ximing was working together with the three women to cheat the victims. All four were arrested on June 5. A gold necklace, $1,311 in cash and RMB10,050 (S$1,800) were seized. If convicted of conspiracy to cheat, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q1 2025 PDD Holdings Inc Earnings Call
Lei Chen; Chairman of the Board, Co-Chief Executive Officer; PDD Holdings Inc Jiazhen Zhao; Co-Chief Executive Officer, Director; PDD Holdings Inc Jun Liu; Vice President - Finance; PDD Holdings Inc Alicia Yap; Analyst; Citi Kenneth Fong; Analyst; UBS Joyce Ju; Analyst; BofA Global Research (Hong Kong) Operator Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by, and welcome to PDD Holdings Inc.'s first-quarter 2025 earnings conference call. (Operator Instructions) Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded.I would now like to hand the conference over to your host today. Sir, please go ahead. Thank you, operator. Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. PDD Holdings' earnings release was distributed earlier and is available on our website at as well as through the GlobeNewswire we start, I'd like to refer you to our Safe Harbor statement in the earnings press release, which applies to this call, as well as make certain forward-looking statements. Also, this call includes discussions of certain non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to our earnings release, which contains a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP us today on the call are Mr. Chen Lei, our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Zhao Jiazhen, our Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer; and Ms. Liu Jun, our VP of Finance. Lei and Jiazhen will make some general remarks on our performance for the past quarter and our strategic focus. Jun will then walk us through our financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, the Q&A session, Lei and Jiazhen will answer questions in Chinese and will help translate. Please kindly note that the English translation is for reference only, and in case of any discrepancy, statements in the original language should it's my pleasure to introduce our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chen Lei. Lei, please go ahead. Lei Chen Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining our earnings call for the first quarter the past year, we accelerated the execution of a high-quality development strategy, extending our efforts from platform operations to a broader ecosystem and covering both the supply side and demand side. Through initiatives such as a RMB10 billion fee reduction program, logistic support for the remote regions, and high-quality supply initiatives, we broadened the product selection for consumers and accelerated supply chain transformation. This marks a new chapter in the e-commerce sector that prioritizes merchant support and ecosystem at the beginning of this year, we made substantial investments in our platform ecosystem and made a rapid shift in external environment. To increase merchant support, we established the Merchant Rights Protection Committee and launched the RMB100 billion support program, which is a major strategic decision for the next phase of our high-quality development one hand, the program is designed to further lower fees for our merchants, improving the business environment of our platform. On the other hand, we will also invest more to drive sales for our merchants and to help them better adapt to new Q1, our revenues were RMB95.7 billion, which slowed down notably amid rapid trends in the external environment and, at the same, time due to the mismatch between business investment and return cycles. Through our revenue growth and our substantial ecosystem investments led to a significant drop in communicated a few times in the past quarters, as our revenues grow and new challenges emerge, a slowdown in growth rate is inevitable. This trend has been further accelerated by the trends in the external environment in the past a disproportionate drop in profit this quarter can be attributed to three different factors, they all trace back to one underlying consideration. And that is, during a period of uncertainties, when merchants face difficulties, we choose to invest more to help our merchants grow their business and reduce at the factors one by one, at first, competitions in Chinese e-commerce sectors have further intensified. As a third-party marketplace, we face inherent limitations when it comes to passing on policy incentives to consumers, which puts our merchants at a clear disadvantage compared to our competitors that have a first-party business. While this issue has been discussed last year, the challenge is still here due to a limitation in our team's second, in our global business, radical trends in external policy environments, such as tariffs, have created significant pressure for our merchants, who often lack the capability to adapt quickly and effectively. And third, since the second half of last year, we significantly expanded our fee reduction program for merchants under the RMB10 billion fee reduction program, which is a key initiative in driving the high-quality development of the platform this year, after it has become increasingly clear that the merchants are expected to face further pressure and convinced in the long-term value of our merchant support initiatives, the management team made the strategic decision to launch the RMB100 billion support program. Under this updated program, we are committing significant resources to support the platform ecosystem through uncertain is not an empty slogan, but a real commitment backed by tangible investments. We understand a marketplace platform is built on collective success of its merchants. In challenging times like these, it is essential for us to step forward and to help our merchants endure and emerge more resilient. If we do nothing, merchants could be overwhelmed by these external shocks. Only when merchants strive can consumers receive quality products and services, and only then can the platform achieve long-term sustainable management team believes that, in a fast-changing market where merchants are facing challenges, it is our obligation to invest decisively to support consumers and merchants, putting their needs ahead of those of the platform. And we believe that these initiatives are investments that will ultimately lead to a stronger and higher quality merchant ecosystem over the long run. These efforts will likely weigh on our profitability in the short term and even for a considerable period of time to as stated in our first shareholder letter, we are not a conventional company and we do not evaluate our strategic decisions based on quarterly financial results. Instead, our focus is on long-term intrinsic value over five years, 10 years, or even longer, and we believe our long-term investors will share this seen from another angle, the decline in profit this quarter can be attributed to one overarching factor, which we consider our merchant support initiatives long-term investment. They are treated as accounting expenses. A timing mismatch between when expenses are recorded and when the long-term returns materialize is expected to persist for some time to come and will continue to weigh on our are firmly committed to long-term investments in our platform ecosystem and to deepening our execution of high-quality development strategies. And we believe by prioritizing the needs and interests of our merchants and consumers through these uncertainties, we can help them emerge stronger and create the room for focus on high-quality sustainable now, I will hand it over to our Co-CEO, Zhao Jiazhen, to share more about our development plans in 2025. Jiazhen Zhao (interpreted) Thank you, Lei. Hello, everyone. This is Zhao Jiazhen. Thank you for joining our first-quarter 2025 earnings the past few quarters, our high-quality development strategy has entered a new phase. A series of initiatives such as fee reductions and merchant support programs have delivered solid results. Our fully-committed efforts to build a win-win ecosystem are now generating tangible benefits to a broad base of users and tens of millions of the beginning of this year, as Chen Lei mentioned, to tackle new challenges together with our merchants, we have scaled up our commitment to high-quality development and upgraded initiatives such as the RMB10 billion fee reduction program to the more comprehensive RMB100 billion support program. This upgraded strategy calls for the entire company to work together and fully devote ourselves to take on our social responsibilities as a platform at such a critical stage, providing merchants with greater certainty and offering consumers a more trustworthy shopping the supply side, under the RMB100 billion support program, we will further increase investment in high-quality supply, expanding our support for high-quality merchants from top and mid-tier merchants to small and medium-sized. We are committed to focusing more on supporting the smaller merchants, which is the heart of critical steps toward achieving high-quality one hand, we will continue exploring more fee reduction initiatives to help merchants lower costs and create more room for cost flexibility, business growth, and innovation. On the other hand, we will extend comprehensive support, including traffic resources, black label premium store programs, digital resources, and technology capabilities, to empower small and medium-sized merchants, unlock their potential, and drive broader, higher-quality upgrades across the supply the beginning of this year, our dedicated team for high-quality merchant support programs has visited frontline manufacturing bases such as Coupwear in Yongkang, Women's Fitwear in Wenzhou, Consumer Electronics in Shenzhen, Athletic Shoes in Jingjiang, and Running Shoes in Jing'an. We are pleased to see that the merchants and the broader supply chain have made notable progress in transformation with the platform's comprehensive merchants are transitioning from traditional OEM and distribution mindsets toward user-oriented and brand-driven approaches. This shift has enabled them to pursue differentiated development paths amid homogeneous competition. Moreover, fee savings are being reinvested into new product development, warehouse upgrades, and supply chain transformation, accelerating high-quality transitions across major a platform rooted in agriculture, our RMB100 billion support program will also enhance support for agricultural products. Recently, we officially launched the 2025 Duoduo Specialty initiative. The first phase of the initiative has covered key agricultural regions including Jiangsu Lianyungang, Fujian Ningde, Hainan Wanning, Shanxi Yuncheng, Guangdong Maoming, Sichuan Chengdu, and Liaoning are implementing tailored strategies across agricultural product categories such as local farm products, fruits, seafood, and poultry, deeply integrating with regional agricultural industries and providing one-on-one guidance to small merchants. Through these initiatives, we aim to explore new models for agricultural product distribution, enhance value-add, and drive production and income growth across the agricultural the papaya-producing region of Yunnan Mengzi, with the support from our platform, local merchants have developed a digital system for agricultural product operation, enabling automation across harvesting, listing, pricing, logistics, after-sales services, and traceability. This system addresses key industry pain points such as unclear pricing and high spoilage rates, driving the transition from experience-based to data-driven operations and enabling the modernization of the traditional agriculture supply the demand side, the RMB10 billion support program has also launched several giveback initiatives to benefit consumers. Our RMB10 billion program has introduced a new RMB10 billion merchant giveback program, rollling out RMB10 billion consumer coupons. Through dedicated campaigns such as the RMB10 billion coupon program and RMB10 billion level-up program, we deliver additional coupons across all product categories to meet consumers' functional and personalized needs, while improving supply-demand matching efficiency and supporting business growth for high-quality merchants and addition, we further enhanced our direct discount program. While fully safeguarding merchants' interests, we benchmarked prices against the national subsidy program across multiple categories to provide real savings to consumers and stimulate consumer demand, aiming at compensating for the disadvantages under the national subsidy schemes and support merchants in strengthening their overall market position. While such investments may weigh on short-term profitability, we believe they are necessary and worthwhile as they help create unique opportunities to achieve high-quality growth for the small and medium-sized merchants on our the face of a complex and evolving environment, we remain committed to building a business ecosystem in which users, merchants, and the platform thrive together. We will continue to increase investments on both the supply and demand side to help our merchants emerge stronger from these uncertainties, create more valuable experiences for consumers, and generate greater positive impact for the society.I will now hand it over to Jun. She will provide you with an update on our Q1 financial performance. Jun Liu Thank you, Jiazhen. Hello, everyone. Let me walk you through our financial performance for the first quarter ended March 31, terms of income statement, in the first quarter, our total revenues increased 10% year over year to RMB95.7 billion. This was mainly driven by an increase in revenues from online marketing services and transaction services. Revenues from online marketing services and others were RMB48.7 billion this quarter, up 15% from the same quarter of 2024. Revenues from transaction services were RMB47 billion, up 6% from the same quarter last on to costs and expenses. Our total cost of revenues increased 25% from RMB32.7 billion in Q1 2024 to RMB40.9 billion this quarter, mainly due to increase in fulfillment fees and payment processing fees. On a GAAP basis, total operating expenses this quarter increased 37% to RMB38.6 billion from RMB28.1 billion in same quarter of 2024. On a non-GAAP basis, total operating expenses increased to RMB36.5 billion this quarter from RMB25.6 billion in Q1 the first quarter, we further increased our platform ecosystem investments through expanded merchant support initiatives to help merchants increase sales and reduce costs. Our total non-GAAP operating expenses as a percentage of total revenues this quarter was 38% compared to 29% in the same quarter last to specific expense items. Our non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses this quarter were RMB32.8 billion, up 44% versus the same quarter last year. In the first quarter, we continued to give back to consumers through promotional programs and increased marketing support for high-quality margins to help grow their businesses. On a non-GAAP basis, our sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of our revenues this quarter was 34%, versus 26% for the same quarter last non-GAAP general and administrative expenses were RMB735 million versus RMB572 million in the same quarter of 2024. Our research and development expenses were RMB3 billion this quarter on a non-GAAP basis and RMB3.6 billion on a GAAP basis, up 23% year over a GAAP basis, operating profit for the quarter was RMB16.1 billion versus RMB26 billion in the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating profit was RMB18.3 billion versus RMB28.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating profit margin was 19% this quarter, down from 33% for the same quarter last income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB14.7 billion for the quarter, compared to RMB28 billion in the same quarter last earnings per ADS was RMB10.59 and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB9.94, versus basic earnings per ADS of RMB20.33 and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB18.96 in the same quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB16.9 billion versus RMB30.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was RMB11.41 versus RMB20.72 in the same quarter of the first quarter, we see a slowdown in revenue growth as our business scales and challenges emerge. Looking ahead, our financial results may continue to reflect the impact of sustained investments in ecosystems as we support merchants and consumers through uncertain times. That concludes the income let me move on to cash flow. Our net cash generated from operating activities was RMB15.5 billion compared with RMB21.1 billion in the same quarter last year. As of March 31, 2025, we have RMB364.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term you. This concludes my prepared remarks. Thank you, we'll move on to the Q&A session. Today's Q&A session, Lei, Jiazhen, and Jun will take questions from analysts on the line. We will take a maximum of two questions from each analyst. Lei and Jiazhen will answer questions in Chinese, and we will help translate for convenience we're open for questions. Operator (Operator Instructions) Alicia Yap, Citigroup. Alicia Yap (spoken in foreign language) I have 2 questions. First is that we noticed in management's prepared remarks that recent macro policy changes, including the tariffs have placed considerable pressures on the merchant. And the market is also keen to understand what preparations and measure the platform has taken in response to such a highly uncertain external environment. How are we adjusting our business model in certain markets? And also what's the current progress?The second question is on this quarter, we obviously noticed a very significant decline in the company's net profit margins, along with a year-over-year decrease in the net profit number. Can management elaborate a little bit more on the factors that contributing to this decline? And what are we seeing in the second quarter? Does the management expect this trend to continue? Thank you. Lei Chen (interpreted) Alicia, this is Chen Lei. Let me take your first question. As we have emphasized in the past few quarters, in response to macro policy changes and external headwinds, we will continue to take proactive actions while strictly upholding regulatory compliance. Over the past few years, our long-term investments next supply chain, together with our work in advancing new business models have enabled us to accumulate substantial supply chain and operational know-how. And guided by our high-quality development strategy and operating under strict regulatory compliance, we'll stay focused on our core business and enhance our competitive strength through sustained investments in supply chain service capabilities and the platform merchants are under considerable pressure given the recent policy changes and many like capability to respond effectively, making it very challenging for them to keep up. In light of these circumstances, we believe it is our obligation as a platform to increase support for merchants and invest platform resources to support their businesses. the RMB100 billion support program we mentioned earlier is designed for this exact reason and to increase our support efforts for small and medium-sized merchants. And through stabilizing sales and lowering cost for them, we see help them manage risks arising from the rapidly evolving market environment and given them the time and flexibility that will be necessary to pursue sustained growth. In addition, we will continue to explore new business models, deepen our market presence and expand into new product categories and services to build a more robust platform a rapidly changing external environment, our global business is working with merchants across the region to bring stable prices and abundant supply to consumers around the world. No matter how policies shift, we'll continue to strengthen our operations in the markets we serve, helping more local merchants grow on our platform and enabling more orders to be fulfilled from local warehouses. And right now, we are seeing these merchants becoming more proactive with better stock inventory and more value passed on to consumers through differentiated products and services. Platform is a selective of merchants. We believe only will merchants achieve long-term sustainable growth, can our consumers receive high-quality products and therefore, in times of external shocks of policy changes, for merchant space difficulties, we feel a strong obligation to support our merchants to navigate through these external uncertainties. And this is why we launched the RMB100 billion support program to foster long-term and healthy merchant ecosystem that will be essential to achieving high-quality development. Thank you. Jun Liu Alicia, this is Jun. Let me take your second question regarding profitability. As we have communicated over the past few quarters, a slowdown in growth rate is inevitable as our business scales, competition intensifies and external uncertainty match. This trend has been further accelerated by changes to make internal environment in the first quarter. And our revenue growth has slowed the same time, the slowing revenue growth and our continuous ecosystem investments result in a significant drop in profit this quarter. This is mainly due to the mismatch between the business investment and writing cycles. As mentioned in our prepared remarks, the market is ongoing road changes at the moment. FM e-commerce platform, merchants and platforms work together in serving our consumers. It has done the best to such have increased our investments in the platform ecosystem. Putting our consumers and merchants first, we believe this responsibility, the platform must take on in this environment. In owing batteries, we can build an ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders in the long term. Our initiative to support emerging ecosystem include merchant fee reduction and marketing support for high-quality merchants. This will have financial impact on revenue growth and we view these expenses with long-term investments. They're remaining a match between the return and business investment cycles. Therefore, our profitability is likely to face challenges in the near term, and potentially over a longer period. As I mentioned, we're not a conventional company. In our investment decisions, we do not place too much emphasis on financial performance in a single quarter, but we already had long-term intrinsic fluctuations will not change our focus on long-term value creation. In the past 2 quarters, through initiatives such as the Canons reduction program, we're already seeing positive impacts on ecosystem. Going forward, we will expand the reach for merchant support to benefit more SME businesses, helping them navigate market cycles and achieve high-quality growth. Thank you. Operator, let's move on to the next analyst on the line. Operator Kenneth Fong, UBS. Kenneth Fong (spoken in foreign language) We noted that following the company's substantial support for the merchants for the RMB10 billion fee reduction program last year, you have initiated and upgrade RMB100 billion support program. The market is keen to understand how this initiative will be delivered to the merchants. And would that be -- and how would you think about the long-term impact on the company's financial performance?And the second question is a few quarters ago and the prepared remarks just now, management mentioned that the company has certain limitation and disadvantage when it comes to benefiting from the macro policy initiative. Could management elaborate on how the company responds to the policies such as the national subsidies program? And what plans are in place to address the current situation? Thank you. Jiazhen Zhao (interpreted) Hello, this is Zhao Jiazhen. Let me take your question on RMB100 billion support program. Since the second half of last year, our merchant support initiatives, including the RMB10 billion fee reduction program, logistics support for remote regions and the high-quality merchant support program have delivered solid results, enabling tens of millions of merchants to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs and building merchants and the broader supply chain transition towards a new stage of high-quality supply. We're fully aware that our investments in the merchant ecosystem and supporting measures for supply chain transformation will ultimately translate into higher quality product offerings and services, which benefit consumers and create a win-win platform ecosystem. We believe this is the path to long-term healthy development for our the face of increasing external uncertainties, we believe it is our responsibility as the platform to strengthen ecosystem support and prioritize the interest of merchants and consumers. Therefore, our upgrade RMB100 billion support program will be backed by substantial financial commitment and if not an empty's locus. The core of the upgraded RMB100 billion support program is the significant increase in investment on bare feet supply and demand side. On the supply side, more merchants will receive our support as we extend the coverage of high-quality merchant support program from top and mid-tier merchants to small- and medium-sized ones. This means more high-quality merchants will benefit from the platform's high-quality aim to help release the full potential of these smaller merchants and drive broader and higher-quality supply chain upgrades across the platform. On the demand side, beyond the improvement in product and service quality brought by the supply side upgrade, the RMB100 billion support program also includes a range of new gift-back initiatives. For example, under the RMB10 billion program, we launched a new RMB10 billion merchant give back program, offering additional coupons across all categories to meet diverse consumer demand. In addition, we have further upgraded our direct discount programs by benchmarking prices against the national subsidy program across multiple categories, offering real savings to consumers while improving sales for merchants, faltering a healthier operating environment. We are a platform that is a collective of together with merchants to deliver high-quality products and services to consumers is the foundation of our business development. We believe that long-term investment in the platform ecosystems and prioritizing the needs of consumers and merchants amid external uncertainties is the only path to achieving long-term, high-quality and sustainable growth in today's environment. Regarding your second question, as stated in our prepared remarks, our third-party marketplace model has inherent limitations when it comes to certain policy incentives. And we are at disadvantages compared to platforms that primarily operate under the third-party model. This also affects the price competitiveness of our merchants in certain protect the interest of both consumers and merchants on our platform, we have leveraged internal resources and responded resolutely with increased investments, helping our merchants and medium-sized merchants maintain competitiveness and increase sales. Since January this year, we have launched a dedicated page for the national subsidy program. In addition, portfolio support for merchants entered RMB100 billion program, we are also enhancing our promotional efforts on the consumer side. Currently, our dedicated national subsidy churn already covers more than 20 provinces and we provide additional coupons on top of the government subsidies, delivering further savings directly to consumers. Moreover, the platform will continue to benchmark prices against the national subsidy program and expand the promotion coverage to categories such as daily measures aim to provide more savings to consumers, stimulate broader consumer demand and create incremental market opportunities for the merchants. While such investments may weigh on short-term profitability, we believe they are necessary and worthwhile as they help the merchants improve inventory position, manage capacity and get the small- and medium-sized merchants, the room to focus on high-quality, differentiated growth on our platform. Thank you, Kenny. Operator, let's move on to the next analyst. Operator Joyce Ju, Bank of America. Joyce Ju (spoken in foreign language) I will translate myself. First, we know China's e-commerce competition remains intense. And as Manage mentioned, is facing challenge in competing with first-party online retailers due to disadvantage in getting trading subsidies. How does management view competition in current market environment? And what are strengths and limitations of your third-party platform model?Secondly, may we have an update on overall consumption momentum as this year's June promotion already underway. Could management share some colors on platform performance and also key trends observed so far? Thank you very much. Lei Chen (interpreted) Hello, this is Chen Lei. Let me take your first question. As we mentioned earlier in the prepared remarks, platform is collective of its merchant and our development cannot be separated from the health of the merchant ecosystem. And in today's environment, with increasingly intensifying competition and rapidly evolving policy landscape, many of the merchants lack the capabilities to respond and adapt and are indeed facing challenges. As an e-commerce platform, we are very aware that we and the merchants are in this business model is a marketplace naturally shaped the simpler and more direct response to the challenges we face. If the platform sells to stepping and offer support when merchants are experiencing difficulties, the merchants may be overwhelmed by the short-term market volatilities. It is only where merchants are doing well, can we deliver high-quality products and services to consumers and meet their increasingly diverse consumption needs. We believe this is not only the responsibility that e-commerce platform should take on, but also fundamental to building a healthy and sustainable e-commerce over the years, in order to better serve the merchant, we have rooted ourselves in the e-commerce supply chain and made substantial investments and leveraging our technology economies of scale. And the platform's digital capabilities and resources, we supported merchants to innovate in the product development, technology and operations and we'll help them expand market reach. And these long-term efforts have allowed us to accumulate the relevant supply chain knowhow and saw encouraging results from the RMB10 billion fee reduction program launched in the second half of last year, which brought tangible benefits for our merchants. And building on this foundation, we decided to launch the updated RMB100 billion support program to further expand the coverage of our merchant support efforts. And these initiatives will extend support to more small- and medium-sized merchants, enabling more high-quality merchants to benefit from the platform's high-quality development. And in this current environment, we believe it is the platform's responsibility to invest more to help merchants navigate the market cycles. We are confident that such efforts will ultimately lead to a more robust merchant ecosystem over the long run. Jiazhen Zhao (interpreted) Hello, this is Zhao Jiazhen. Let me take your second question. When it comes to shopping festivals, what consumers value are simplified mechanisms and real savings, which is the philosophy that allies with our approach we've always taken on the consumer side. We've continued to up this point appearing this year's June 16 shopping festival. By combining the campaign with our RMB10 billion program, we are enabling consumers to access high-quality products at compelling prices, while driving sales for our on this, we are also enhancing quality and services to better cater to consumers' evolving needs. This year, we've introduced the price drop protection service for product participating the June 16 promotion to further improve consumers' shopping experience. We hope that our platform and our merchants can together excel in quality and service, build consumer trust safeguard consumer rights and, in turn, drive sustainable sales growth. This is part of our vision for a win-win e-commerce ecosystem that benefits our stakeholders. Thank you. Joyce Ju Thank you. Thank you, Joyce, and thank you all for joining us today. It's about time, and we look forward to speaking with you again next quarter. Thank you, and have a great day. Operator Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude our conference for today. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect. Portions of this transcript that are marked (interpreted) were spoken by an interpreter present on the live call. The interpreter was provided by the company sponsoring this event. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Malay Mail
22-04-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Lee Kum Kee gives support to the 8th International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner
Event brought together 2,300 chefs and guests to raise funds for the needy and promote Chinese culinary culture exchanges Over 1,000 master chefs from around the world gathered at the Xueye Lake International Conference Centre in Jinan. Master chefs from around the world at the Lee Kum Kee booth. JINAN, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 April 2025 - From 14 to 16 April 2025, the 8International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner was held at the Xueye Lake International Conference Centre in Laiwu, Jinan, marking the first-ever hosting of the event in mainland over 2,300 distinguished chefs attending from around the world – including overseas Chinese chefs, master chefs, celebrities and Michelin-starred chefs – the dinner not only set a new participation record, but raised over RMB10 million to be donated to the Jinan Charity Federation and Shanghai Charity Foundation to support public welfare its inception in 2014, the International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner has been held in locations such as Taipei, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Hong Kong. As well as showcasing mainland China's thriving foodservice industry, the 8edition in Jinan promoted Chinese culinary skills globally by facilitating international cultural exchanges and culinary innovation. A longtime supporter of this event, this year Lee Kum Kee acted as a strategic partner, demonstrating its leading status in the global food gala dinner was a resounding success, with Yang Li, Vice Mayor of Jinan; Ip Sio Man, President of the International Master Chef Charity Association; Yang Liu, President of the China Cuisine Association; Dodie Hung, Executive Vice President – Corporate Affairs of Lee Kum Kee Sauce; and Ross Tang, General Manager – Marketing of Lee Kum Kee Sauce in China being among the notable figures attending. Yang Liu remarked, "This is not only a gathering of the world's master chefs but also an international event celebrating 'Chinese Flavours and Love' – a magnificent demonstration of global chefs embracing social responsibility." During the event, Dodie Hung received an "Outstanding Contribution" award on behalf of Lee Kum three-day event featured four key activities: the 8International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner, a Global Flavours Tasting Dinner, a Chinese Food Exhibition, and the International Chef Influence Forum cum "10 Celebrity Chefs Showcase."The charity dinner was sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, with chefs from around the world using the brand's products to showcase their culinary skills and creativity. Dishes such as "Shandong-style Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions", "State Banquet Cuttlefish Roe Soup" and "Premium Oyster Sauce Braised South African Dried Abalone" were served, highlighting the unique brilliance of Chinese the "10 Celebrity Chefs Showcase", master chefs gave live cooking demonstrations using Lee Kum Kee sauces. Master chef Lu Yongliang's opening speech, "Maintaining the artisan spirit, spreading love, and the taste of China," moved fellow chefs to continue their pursuits of culinary 300 sauces and condiments from Lee Kum Kee were featured at the Global Flavours Tasting Dinner, providing creative inspiration for chefs from 26 countries and regions. The event explored culinary connections across the globe, resulting in a singular gastronomic experience that transcended geographical and cultural Lee Kum Kee presented its "Extraordinary Taste of China" promotion at the Chinese Food Exhibition, which included the launch of a limited-edition customised Premium Oyster Tang remarked "Lee Kum Kee's core value, 'Si Li Ji Ren' [considering others' interests] aligns perfectly with the mission of the International Celebrity Chef Charity Gala Dinner. Through our high-quality products, we aim to support chefs and families worldwide with diverse dining options, promote Chinese culinary culture, and make 'Chinese Flavours' a staple on dining tables around the world."Hashtag: #LeeKumKee The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LEE KUM KEE Lee Kum Kee is the global gateway to Asian culinary culture, dedicated to promoting Chinese culinary culture worldwide. Since 1888, it has brought people together over joyful reunions, shared traditions, and memorable meals. Beloved by consumers and chefs alike, Lee Kum Kee's range of more than 300 sauces and condiments sparks creativity in kitchens everywhere, inspiring professional and home chefs to experiment, create, and delight. Headquartered in Hong Kong, China and serving over 100 countries and regions, Lee Kum Kee's rich heritage, unwavering commitment to quality, sustainable practices, and "Constant Entrepreneurship" combine to enable superior experiences through Asian cuisine for people worldwide. For more information, please visit About the 8th International Master Chefs Charity Gala Dinner The 8th International Master Chefs Charity Gala Dinner was jointly organised by the International Master Chefs Charity Association and the Shandong Catering Industry Association, with support from the Asian Culinary Culture Promotion Association and World Chef Association. The event received endorsements from both the China Cuisine Association and Jinan Municipal People's Government and marked Jinan's first hosting of a charity event by an overseas non-profit organisation in several years. During the event, master chefs visited charitable organisations in Jinan and donated the RMB 10 million raised during the gala dinner to the Jinan Charity Federation and Shanghai Charity Foundation. The opening forum brought together leading Chinese and overseas Chinese culinary masters, including master chefs of a variety of Chinese cuisines, as well as food industry experts and hospitality sector representatives, fostering a dynamic exchange.
Zawya
22-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Lee Kum Kee gives support to the 8th International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner
Event brought together 2,300 chefs and guests to raise funds for the needy and promote Chinese culinary culture exchanges JINAN, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 April 2025 - From 14 to 16 April 2025, the 8 th International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner was held at the Xueye Lake International Conference Centre in Laiwu, Jinan, marking the first-ever hosting of the event in mainland China. With over 2,300 distinguished chefs attending from around the world – including overseas Chinese chefs, master chefs, celebrities and Michelin-starred chefs – the dinner not only set a new participation record, but raised over RMB10 million to be donated to the Jinan Charity Federation and Shanghai Charity Foundation to support public welfare development. Since its inception in 2014, the International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner has been held in locations such as Taipei, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Hong Kong. As well as showcasing mainland China's thriving foodservice industry, the 8 th edition in Jinan promoted Chinese culinary skills globally by facilitating international cultural exchanges and culinary innovation. A longtime supporter of this event, this year Lee Kum Kee acted as a strategic partner, demonstrating its leading status in the global food industry. The gala dinner was a resounding success, with Yang Li, Vice Mayor of Jinan; Ip Sio Man, President of the International Master Chef Charity Association; Yang Liu, President of the China Cuisine Association; Dodie Hung, Executive Vice President – Corporate Affairs of Lee Kum Kee Sauce; and Ross Tang, General Manager – Marketing of Lee Kum Kee Sauce in China being among the notable figures attending. Yang Liu remarked, "This is not only a gathering of the world's master chefs but also an international event celebrating 'Chinese Flavours and Love' – a magnificent demonstration of global chefs embracing social responsibility." During the event, Dodie Hung received an "Outstanding Contribution" award on behalf of Lee Kum Kee. The three-day event featured four key activities: the 8 th International Master Chef Charity Gala Dinner, a Global Flavours Tasting Dinner, a Chinese Food Exhibition, and the International Chef Influence Forum cum "10 Celebrity Chefs Showcase." The charity dinner was sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, with chefs from around the world using the brand's products to showcase their culinary skills and creativity. Dishes such as "Shandong-style Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions", "State Banquet Cuttlefish Roe Soup" and "Premium Oyster Sauce Braised South African Dried Abalone" were served, highlighting the unique brilliance of Chinese cuisine. During the "10 Celebrity Chefs Showcase", master chefs gave live cooking demonstrations using Lee Kum Kee sauces. Master chef Lu Yongliang's opening speech, "Maintaining the artisan spirit, spreading love, and the taste of China," moved fellow chefs to continue their pursuits of culinary excellence. Over 300 sauces and condiments from Lee Kum Kee were featured at the Global Flavours Tasting Dinner, providing creative inspiration for chefs from 26 countries and regions. The event explored culinary connections across the globe, resulting in a singular gastronomic experience that transcended geographical and cultural boundaries. Additionally, Lee Kum Kee presented its "Extraordinary Taste of China" promotion at the Chinese Food Exhibition, which included the launch of a limited-edition customised Premium Oyster Sauce. Ross Tang remarked "Lee Kum Kee's core value, 'Si Li Ji Ren' [considering others' interests] aligns perfectly with the mission of the International Celebrity Chef Charity Gala Dinner. Through our high-quality products, we aim to support chefs and families worldwide with diverse dining options, promote Chinese culinary culture, and make 'Chinese Flavours' a staple on dining tables around the world." Hashtag: #LeeKumKee The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LEE KUM KEE Lee Kum Kee is the global gateway to Asian culinary culture, dedicated to promoting Chinese culinary culture worldwide. Since 1888, it has brought people together over joyful reunions, shared traditions, and memorable meals. Beloved by consumers and chefs alike, Lee Kum Kee's range of more than 300 sauces and condiments sparks creativity in kitchens everywhere, inspiring professional and home chefs to experiment, create, and delight. Headquartered in Hong Kong, China and serving over 100 countries and regions, Lee Kum Kee's rich heritage, unwavering commitment to quality, sustainable practices, and "Constant Entrepreneurship" combine to enable superior experiences through Asian cuisine for people worldwide. For more information, please visit About the 8th International Master Chefs Charity Gala Dinner The 8 th International Master Chefs Charity Gala Dinner was jointly organised by the International Master Chefs Charity Association and the Shandong Catering Industry Association, with support from the Asian Culinary Culture Promotion Association and World Chef Association. The event received endorsements from both the China Cuisine Association and Jinan Municipal People's Government and marked Jinan's first hosting of a charity event by an overseas non-profit organisation in several years. During the event, master chefs visited charitable organisations in Jinan and donated the RMB 10 million raised during the gala dinner to the Jinan Charity Federation and Shanghai Charity Foundation. The opening forum brought together leading Chinese and overseas Chinese culinary masters, including master chefs of a variety of Chinese cuisines, as well as food industry experts and hospitality sector representatives, fostering a dynamic exchange. Lee Kum Kee
