China Southern Airlines

• SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan, Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct flights between Samarkand and Urumqi have been initiated between Air Marakanda, operator of Samarkand International Airport, and China Southern Airlines, China's largest air carrier.
• An opening ceremony, attended by the management of Air Marakanda and China Southern Airlines, took place at the terminal of Samarkand International Airport, where passengers enjoyed a thematic photo zone, a tea ceremony with sweet treats and Samarkand mulberry paper adorned with Chinese calligraphic inscriptions.
• According to tradition, a water arch greeted the arrival of the flight at the airfield of Samarkand Airport, and the first passengers arriving from China enjoyed the sounds of karnaya and harsh played by local musicians.
• China Southern Airlines will operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft for the flights, with ticket prices starting from $200 one way.

• SHANGHAI, Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a niche industry in the past, Alpaca products have thrived in Chinese market thanks to the China International Import Expo (CIIE).
• Considering China's large population and expanding middle-income group, the enterprise's manager Hu Tao set his sights on its market.
• In June 2022, Pacific Alpacas transported 3.3 metric tons of alpaca fiber to China, marking the largest export of alpaca fiber in New Zealand's history.
• BBFAT has developed alpaca wool-made plush panda toys for Chinese markets, while Pacific Alpacas has created a variety of alpaca coats.

• India’s population will overtake it this year at an estimated population of 1.42 billion.
• It’s an epochal transition which speaks to other underlying demographic changes across the world, including the fact that China’s population has peaked and is now falling.
• Meanwhile, the region with the fastest-rising population – from a current base of around 1.4 billion – is Africa.
• However, as I outline in my new paper, the transition embodies a number of opportunities and risks for many African countries.

Opportunities

• The broad passing of this abundance – in terms of both price and quantity – theoretically opens a window for other “younger” and low-wage economies.
• They will need enough qualified workers to take part in manufacturing opportunities; affordable and reliable energy; and competitive labour productivity.
• Ethiopia, for instance, has been attracting Chinese foreign direct investment in recent decades with more than 70% going into manufacturing.
• This presents new opportunities for African goods and services providers too.

Risks

• As it’s one of the world’s largest economies, a stagnation would cause ripples across the world.
• Nigeria, Angola, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also major exporters of goods to China.
• This could challenge African government budgets and leave many in poverty and unable to find formal jobs in their working-age prime.
• Products demanded by an older Chinese population, with inputs sourced in Africa, may elevate existing regulatory challenges.

Conclusion

• On the surface this may reduce the scale of opportunity for Africa.
• Africa is the world’s youngest continent, and fast-ageing population-declining China is the continent’s most important trade partner and economic partner.

• "The final quarter of 2022 set yet another record in number of transactions and Gross Booking Value.
• Revenue was $19.1 million for FY 2022, an increase of 71.7% year-over-year, or 76.2% on a constant currency basis.
• Transaction Growth: Freightos saw a record 668,185 Transactions, up 154%, and record GBV (Gross Booking Value) of $611 million, a 102% growth rate, and a 121% growth rate in constant currency.
• Despite a cooling global freight market towards the end of 2022, Q4 saw a record 211 thousand Transactions, up 117% from 97 thousand Transactions in Q4 2021.