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Ancient Port, New Voyages: Ningbo's Smart Manufacturing Expands Global Trade Footprint via Maritime Silk Road

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA-  Media OutReach Newswire - 9 July 2026 - On July 4, 2026, the cultural exchange event  Encounter & Insight: Dialogue Between Ningbo, China and Colombo, Sri Lanka took place in Colombo. 
             
       On July 4, 2026, the cultural exchange event Encounter & Insight: Dialogue Between Ningbo, China and Colombo, Sri Lanka took place in Colombo.     
     
 Separated by thousands of miles, the two millennia-old port cities reconnected, leveraging their ports as a bond and cultural exchanges as a cohesive force to hold in-depth talks on integrated port-city development and bilateral economic and trade connectivity. 
  
 
 This cross-Indian Ocean dialogue echoes the ancient Maritime Silk Road while charting a brand-new outbound development path. As a pivotal starting port of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Ningbo is building a new global trade landscape powered by smart manufacturing. 
  
 
 A thousand years ago, merchant vessels from Mingzhou Port set sail southward loaded with Yue Kiln celadon porcelain, passing through Ceylon to deliver Oriental crafts across the Indian Ocean coasts. Precious gemstones and spices traveled the same sea route back to regions south of the Yangtze River, laying the groundwork for the earliest cultural exchange between the two ports through trade. Today, the cargo carried by giant cargo ships has undergone a dramatic transformation. Beyond traditional daily necessities, intelligent equipment, digital home appliances and industrial robots now dominate shipments. 
  
 
 Official statistics show that Ningbo's exports of intelligent equipment, including mechanical arms and industrial robots, hit 440 million yuan in 2025, surging more than 40% year-on-year. From January to May this year, Ningbo's exports of mechanical and electrical products maintained steady growth, reaching 247 billion yuan, a 4.1% year-on-year increase and accounting for 58.0% of the city's total export volume. The new energy foreign trade sector saw explosive growth, with exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products jumping 138.4% year-on-year, with electric vehicle exports skyrocketing 215.9%. Smart manufactured goods are continuously expanding the scope of Ningbo's foreign trade. 
  
 
 Complementing the Colombo forum, an exhibition highlights Ningbo's outstanding going-global enterprises and their products, vividly illustrating the profound shift in Ningbo's trade structure. 
  
 
 Alongside time-honored Maritime Silk Road staples such as celadon porcelain and silk, Ningbo's smart manufactured products—including AI translation glasses, intelligent outdoor gear and digital small home appliances—occupy prominent display spaces across the venue. In Sri Lanka, Ningbo smart water meters are widely adopted nationwide, while handheld cooling fans and intelligent kitchen appliances have entered ordinary households. 
  
 
 Leveraging Colombo Port's transshipment advantages, massive volumes of Ningbo smart manufactured goods are distributed onward to Europe, the Middle East and beyond. What Ningbo exports today is no longer mere commodities, but a complete outbound solution integrating technology, brand value and after-sales services. 
  
 Faced with mounting challenges including homogeneous global market competition and rising trade barriers, Ningbo's manufacturing sector has abandoned the old model of low-cost OEM production, relying on intelligent transformation to consolidate its competitive edge in overseas markets. 
  
 
 Over more than a decade of digital transformation efforts, Ningbo has achieved full digital upgrading of all industrial enterprises above designated size. A large number of local factories have built unmanned black-light workshops and flexible production lines, escaping vicious price competition through continuous technological iteration. Represented by five specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprises dubbed Ningbo's "Five Little Tigers"—famous for their core proprietary technologies, including highly sophisticated visual inspection equipment, heat-resistant materials, sun-proof coatings, puncture-proof materials and self-drilling fasteners—these niche manufacturers have developed differentiated technical routes and full-spectrum production capacity, cementing irreplaceable competitiveness for Ningbo smart manufacturing on global markets. 
  
 
 Beyond trade expansion, Ningbo has built a supporting cultural communication system to ensure "products go global, accompanied by local culture". 
  
 
 The launch of Sri Lanka's first "One-Meter Cultural Space" cultural station during the Colombo event marks a tangible milestone of Ningbo's go-global initiative. Built on enterprises' overseas outlets, these miniature cultural exhibition halls integrate intangible cultural heritage crafts, urban stories and smart products, enabling overseas clients to experience cutting-edge manufacturing while gaining insight into Ningbo's profound cultural heritage. 
  
 
 During the twin-city story-sharing session, Ningbo entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka and local designers blending Chinese and Sri Lankan aesthetics shared stories of bilateral exchanges. Economic and trade ties have evolved into a bond for people-to-people communication, bridging divides in cross-cultural trade. 
  
 
 From Tang-dynasty celadon porcelain sailing across the Indian Ocean to intelligent equipment shipping to every corner of the globe, Ningbo, the ancient Maritime Silk Road port, has preserved its enduring gene of openness. Where exchanges once relied purely on commodity trade, today smart manufacturing underpins a stable, diversified and high-value-added global trade network. 
  
 
 The Ningbo-Colombo dialogue stands as a vivid microcosm of this transformation: the port still links lands and seas, yet the core of its trade has undergone a full intelligent upgrade. 
  
 
 Rooted in its historical legacy as a key Maritime Silk Road hub, Ningbo has consolidated its industrial foundation through a decade of digital development, expanded global market reach via worldwide port networks, and softened trade cooperation through cultural exchanges. This brand-new outbound shipping route forged by smart manufacturing has not only reshaped the city's foreign trade landscape, but also delivered a replicable port-city development model for Chinese manufacturing to go global. 
 Hashtag: #NingboSmartManufacturing #MaritimeSilkRoad #GlobalTrade
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IWUF 4th Taolu World Cup Successfully Wraps Up in Hainan, China

HAIKOU, CHINA -  Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 - The IWUF 4th Taolu World Cup successfully wrapped up in Haikou, Hainan, China, on July 8, 2026. The competition featured 11 men's and 11 women's events, covering four major categories, including fist routines, long weapons, short weapons, and duilian. Over two days, a total of 22 gold medals were contested. 
             
       Athletes in competition     
     
 The Taolu World Cup is one of the six flagship official events of the IWUF (International Wushu Federation) and stands as the highest-level and most influential elite professional competition in the global taolu discipline. This November, wushu will make its historic debut as an official medal sport at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, marking the first time this traditional Chinese martial art has been incorporated into the Olympic sports program. 
  This event marked the first high-level international wushu single-discipline competition hosted by Hainan since the inception of the Hainan Free Trade Port. It attracted 206 athletes, team leaders, and coaches from 29 countries and regions worldwide, including 117 elite competitors. Ultimately, athletes from 18 countries and regions secured medals with their outstanding competitive performances. 
  Leveraging the unique geographical and policy advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port, combined with visa-free access for citizens of 86 countries and the 240-hour transit visa-exemption policy, overseas participants, technical officials, and media personnel have enjoyed fast-track customs clearance. Meanwhile, specialized competition equipment has benefited from zero-tariff treatment and simplified cross-border customs clearance procedures. 
  Hainan boasts a rich and distinctive wushu culture. Through centuries of inheritance and development, it has integrated the essence of various martial arts schools and blended them with local island folklore and regional characteristics to form a unique "Qiong-style" wushu system. Two counties and one city in Hainan, namely Tunchang, Qiongzhong, and Wanning, have been designated as "National Wushu Hometowns," reflecting a deep-rooted local tradition of martial arts appreciation. Indigenous fighting styles such as the Li ethnic group's Li Family Fist, Tunchang Pochen Five-Form Stakes, and Wanning Mazai Kung Fu have been passed down through generations, standing as treasured gems of Hainan's folk culture. 
  During the event, Hainan concurrently hosted the inaugural Hainan International Wushu Culture Month event, featuring multiple "wushu + tourism" travel routes. These activities allowed domestic and international guests to enjoy Hainan's island scenery and duty-free shopping benefits while taking in high-level wushu competitions. 
  Looking ahead, Hainan will continue to deeply integrate wushu elements into its sports-tourism product system, developing a range of wushu-themed tourist destinations, study and research bases, and signature events. This will make "spectator travel" a new model for Hainan's cultural tourism. At the same time, Hainan will continue to promote the hosting of various international wushu competitions, training camps, professional development programs, and cultural exchange activities, attracting wushu enthusiasts and professional teams from around the world to compete, train, and study in Hainan, with the goal of establishing the island as a global hub for wushu development and cultural exchange. 
  Separately, the 43rd Executive Committee Meeting of the IWUF has decided that Haikou City in Hainan Province will host the 12th Sanda World Cup. 
  
Hashtag: #IWUF
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CGTN: Navigating the South China Sea Before GPS

BEIJING, CHINA -  Media OutReach Newswire - 9 July 2026 - Ten years after the South China Sea arbitration, CGTN has published an article exploring the story of the  Genglubu – a handwritten navigation manual that guided generations of Hainan fishermen long before GPS, shedding light on a chapter of South China Sea history unfamiliar to many outside the region. 
     
        
  
 Before GPS. Before weather forecasts. Before satellite navigation. 
  How did generations of Chinese sailors find their way across the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest and most challenging waterways? 
  A new CGTN documentary,  Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea, explores the answer through a little-known ancient navigation manual passed down for generations of fishermen in Tanmen, Hainan Province. The  Genglubu recorded routes, compass bearings and sailing distances, helping fishermen navigate reefs, islands and open seas. The documentary follows the fishermen who crossed the sea, the families who preserved their knowledge and a maritime tradition that connected China with Southeast Asia and beyond. 
  The People Who Brought the    Genglubu to Life 
  To outsiders, the  Genglubu looks like a secret code. A single line of just fourteen Chinese characters can contain an entire sea route: the departure point, direction, destination, distance and estimated sailing time. 
  "Generation after generation, Hainan fishermen rode the waves – not to rule the sea, but to make their living from it." 
  Xin Lixue, Curator, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea 
  The documentary follows veteran fishing boat captains whose lives were inseparable from the sea. Wang Shitao first went to sea at the age of nine. At twelve, his fishing boat was caught in a typhoon. Everyone else on board died. Clinging to a piece of floating timber, he drifted alone for three days. Four years later, another violent storm struck. Once again, he was the only survivor. Yet each time, he returned to the sea. Late in life, reflecting on decades spent sailing the South China Sea, he summed up his feelings: 
  "I love the South China Sea. I hate it. I miss it." 
  Wang Shitao, fishing boat captain 
  The sea demanded sacrifice even as it provided a livelihood. A storm or mishap could wipe out an entire crew. 
  "Children and brothers should never sail on the same boat." 
  Wang Shubao, fishing boat captain 
  A Maritime Tradition Connecting Asia 
  The documentary challenges the common assumption that the  Genglubu was only about the South China Sea. Research on the Liang Family Genglubu reveals routes extending to Singapore, Malacca and Indonesia, showing that Hainan fishermen also played a role in regional maritime trade. 
  "Hainan fishermen also took part in overseas trade." 
  Zhao Jueqi, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea 
  Not every route was written in words. Some  Genglubu manuscripts contain mountain-and-water charts. They combine sketches of coastlines with compass bearings, water depth and sea conditions. These drawings helped sailors identify islands, reefs and coastlines and determine their position at sea. 
  "The Americans and the British produced their own navigational records, which identify the Chinese as being engaged very heavily in fishing on these islands and other forms of economic activity." 
  Anthony Carty, International Law Sholar 
  Today, satellites, weather stations and lighthouses have transformed navigation across the South China Sea. But the purpose remains the same: helping sailors travel safely and return home.  Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea traces a maritime tradition shaped by generations of ordinary people. It is a story of navigation, memory and resilience, one that forms part of the shared maritime heritage of Asia. 
  
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World Population Day: Swiss Re Life &Health CEO says the next decade will re-write the intergenerational contract

By Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re

SINGAPORE -  Media OutReach Newswire - 9 July 2026 - Op-ed by Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re. 
  Ten years. 
  That is roughly how long we have before many societies reach one of the most defining demographic tipping points of our era: the point at which the "new" silver economy (over 65's) outnumber people aged 30-59 who have traditionally been the bedrock of the life and pensions system. 
             
       The intergenerational contract needs a re-write     
     
 The significance of this shift goes far beyond demographics. 
  It represents a symbolic moment that forces us to rethink the intergenerational contract: how we provide care and financial security for people as they move into later life – and how we finance a new set of needs. 
  The demographic evidence is already visible across major economies. In the US, adults aged 65 and over already outnumber children in 11 states. Singapore's over-65 population has nearly doubled in a decade to 21%. Japan is approaching 30%. The UK, France and Germany are not far behind 
  These numbers are well-known. But their meaning is not yet fully reflected in our industry's existing product strategy. 
  The tipping point is also more than a statistical curiosity. We will experience it through the decisions we make coming into retirement and to secure the future of the generation coming after us. We will need to make new choices on how we fund care. We will need to make new assumptions about when to retire. And we will face a new reality around how much of the financial burden falls on the state, families or the individual. 
  Families have always carried the weight of old age, even as pensions, healthcare systems and social care programmes have broadened that responsibility across society. 
  But the arithmetic underpinning the system is breaking. Globally, the ratio of working-age people financially supporting each person over 65 is projected to fall from around five-to-one in 2021 to three-to-one by 2050. Across developed markets, debates about pension reform, healthcare funding and retirement ages reflect the same underlying question: how do we maintain security and dignity later in life when there are fewer hands to carry the weight? 
  It's not a crisis of demographics. It's a crisis of design – our systems were built for shorter lives and larger workforces, and they haven't been rebuilt for the world we are actually entering. 
  That insight matters because it challenges how we think about insurance's role. I believe we have less than a decade to develop the products that the older consumers who make up the Silver Economy – and their families – will need. 
  There will be no silver bullet. We cannot return to a single solution based around family care versus public provision. The individual retiree will be the focus, but our thinking will need to be based on a more collaborative model in which families, governments, communities and the private sector work together. 
  Recent Swiss Re consumer research in France and Germany revealed something striking. People don't think about later life in terms of pensions or insurance policies. They think about practical outcomes: staying independent, being resilient when health shocks hit, not becoming a burden to their children. 
  Our industry has spent decades optimising for wealth accumulation and income protection during working years. Ageing societies demand we apply the same rigour to what happens after. 
  That does not mean the intergenerational contract has failed. It means it is evolving. 
  We are already seeing what that evolution looks like in practice. 
    
     Senior health products in Asia are closing a real gap —The median age of cancer diagnosis is 67, yet many critical illness policies expire before retirement even begins. The result is high out-of-pocket expenses, stressed public healthcare, and increased burden on families. With dedicated products to cover later life illnesses, such as senior cancer products we are effectively closing a protection gap.   
   
     Long term care in France has had some success with private solutions alongside public provision. With over 1.4 million people covered by private long term care insurance, France has built a strong risk pool that directly addresses one of the strongest concerns expressed by consumers: not becoming a burden on the next generation.   
   
     Deferred annuities offer a third path beyond the binary "draw-down versus annuity" thinking. By combining flexibility today with guaranteed income later, they help transform longevity from an individual financial risk into one that can be shared more broadly.   
  At first glance these solutions appear very different. In reality, they are pieces of the same puzzle. Each expands the circle of support around the individual. They help families carry less of the burden alone, and they complement the work of state safety nets. 
  That is what the next evolution of the intergenerational contract looks like in practice. 
  Ageing societies are one of humanity's great achievements. But if our products and institutions stay built for a demographic reality that no longer exists, achievement curdles into liability. 
  We have a decade to close that gap. Let's treat it as a product-development window, not a deadline. 
  Disclaimer 
 Certain statements and illustrations contained herein are forward-looking and are made for informational purposes only. These statements (including as to plans, objectives, targets, and trends) and illustrations provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to a historical fact or current fact. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Swiss Re undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further information on forward looking statements and the use of information contained in this publication can be found in the Legal Notice section on Swiss Re's website. 
  
Hashtag: #SwissRe #lifeinsurance #reinsurance

https://www.swissre.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/swiss-re/
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About Swiss Re
The Swiss Re Group is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cyber crime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 70 offices globally.

SS Innovations International (NASDAQ: SSII) Subsidiary Graduates First Cardiac Robotic Surgery Training Class

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StarCharge Releases Industry White Papers: From Infrastructure to Network Systems, Microgrids Moving from Customization to Scaling Up Development

CHANG ZHOU, CHINA -  Media OutReach Newswire - 7 July 2026 - The global new energy vehicle market has seen rapid growth in recent years. With continued strong expectations for new energy vehicle exports, the global electric vehicle (EV) charging market is entering a new stage of rapid expansion. Recently, StarCharge, the global leading brand of EV Charging equipment and smart energy systems, held a major industry seminar in Hong Kong and released two new  white papers at the event, exploring two major transformative trends in the industry that are worth paying attention to. 
       
 Charging stations are becoming a key connection of smart energy systems 
  According to the 'Technical White Paper' by StarCharge, for years, EV charging infrastructure has mainly been seen as support for vehicle sales expansion: building more chargers, expanding coverage, and speeding up charging. 
  However, this role is starting to change. 
  As electrification scales up, charging networks are becoming a part of the energy system itself. They are no longer just places for vehicles to top up; they are evolving into smart energy nodes connecting vehicles, the grid, distributed energy, storage, and digital management. 
  This shift from charging infrastructure to charging network systems shows that the industry is moving from basic access to integrated value: from charging services to energy services, from standalone stations to PV-storage-charging systems, from equipment deployment to scenario-based infrastructure. 
  StarCharge believes that the future charging network ecosystem will go through four major turning points. 
  Four Key Points Reshaping the Ecosystem  
  1. Charging Networks Are Becoming Energy Infrastructure 
  Charging infrastructure is going beyond its original role as just a support for EVs. As EV adoption grows, charging networks are becoming strategic energy infrastructure: they connect mobility demand with the grid, distributed energy, storage, digital platforms, and future energy services. 
  2. Defining the Scenarios for the Network 
  The future charging network won't be shaped by hardware alone. Policies determine whether infrastructure should be built, technology determines the speed of construction, but real-world scenarios determine what the charging network actually needs to look like. 
  Urban commuting, highway trips, ride-hailing, logistics fleets, county and rural coverage, holiday peak demand, heavy trucks, mining areas, ports, airports, and autonomous driving all create different charging needs. Therefore, a mature charging network can't be 'one-size-fits-all'; it has to be designed around different vehicle types, operating hours, power requirements, reliability needs, and grid conditions. 
  3. Digital platforms turn charging networks into operable assets 
  A large charging network only truly has value when it can be scaled, optimized, and managed. This is exactly the core role of cloud platforms. They turn millions of charging points, users, stations, transactions, and energy flows into a measurable, controllable, and continuously optimized operating system. 
  StarCharge's platform capabilities cover site selection, pricing, marketing, station operations, smart maintenance, charging safety, station robots, AI-based smart charging, fleet management, energy optimization, and ESG reporting. In other words, digital platforms are the key to transforming charging infrastructure from a heavy-asset network into smart, operable, and scalable assets. 
  4. Charging stations are becoming grid-friendly energy resources 
  The next-generation charging infrastructure won't be defined by any single technology. It will be built on a complete tech stack, combining high-power charging, liquid cooling, integrated PV-storage-charging, DC bus architecture, V2G, automated charging, and AI-driven operations. In other words, future charging stations shouldn't just be passive electricity consumers that add stress to the grid. Through energy storage, renewable energy integration, V2G, smart scheduling, and AI-based energy optimization, charging stations can become grid-friendly energy resources. 
  This means that aside from charging vehicles, a charging station can absorb renewable energy, buffer peak loads, respond to demand-side signals, support peak shaving and valley filling, regulate frequency, and provide carbon-neutral ESG data for fleet operators. Its business model will also go beyond charging fees, creating new value through energy services, data services, carbon-related benefits, and grid interaction capabilities. 
  Microgrids Have Emerged at the Right Time 
  At the same time, with the continuous development of distributed energy and photovoltaic energy, microgrids have emerged at the right time. They are not just a product, but a local energy system built around real-world scenarios. 
  In the latest "White Paper" on scenario-based microgrid technology, StarCharge points out that microgrids are moving from customized engineering projects toward scalable, replicable energy systems. 
       
 A microgrid is a scenario-based local energy system 
  According to StarCharge, a microgrid is not a single device, nor is it just an energy storage product. It's a local energy system designed around the needs of a specific scenario, coordinating local generation, loads, storage, control, and operational strategies within a defined electrical boundary. 
  Moreover, depending on the scenario—such as data centers, individual charging stations, zero-carbon industrial parks, or green mines—the energy challenges are completely different. The right microgrid is defined by the scenario it serves. 
  The white paper also highlights four high-value paths: electricity-computing synergy, independent power supply, zero-carbon parks, and green mines. In areas with weak grids or limited grid access, microgrids ensure the operation of critical loads. In emerging load scenarios like data centers and industrial parks, microgrids support renewable energy integration, energy resilience, and cost optimization. In high-tech-demand scenarios like mines, microgrids become the foundation for ensuring production continuity, energy transition, and ESG competitiveness. 
  The three-stage evolution of microgrids 
  As power sources and loads become increasingly DC, microgrid architectures are evolving from AC-dominated systems to AC-DC hybrid systems, and eventually toward microgrids with a higher proportion of DC. 
  Microgrid 1.0 — dominated by AC architecture. It integrates renewable energy into the existing AC grid framework, but its control heavily relies on grid-following management and support from the external grid. 
  Microgrid 2.0 — the AC-DC hybrid stage. AC and DC buses coexist, allowing PV, storage, and DC loads to connect more directly. Bidirectional power hubs, solid-state transformers (SST), and energy routers become important bridges between AC and DC systems. This stage balances strong AC compatibility with higher DC efficiency and is expected to remain mainstream in the next 10-15 years. 
  Microgrid 3.0—it's the era of DC microgrids. As solar PV, wind power, battery storage, data centers, LED lighting, and EV charging increasingly move toward DC, DC microgrids can reduce repeated AC-DC conversion losses, simplify control, and support millisecond-level responses. 
  This evolution is closely linked to the mission of microgrids: breaking through energy access bottlenecks, enabling sustainable development, connecting technology, industry, policy, market, and community needs, and unlocking the integrated value of local energy systems. 
  In the future, StarCharge will steadily expand into the growing global markets for new EVs and renewable energy, building on its smart energy systems that have been widely validated in the Chinese market. 
  
  
Hashtag: #StarCharge
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.