Asian Economic Weekly-25.03.24 3fd

# Aviation and Aerospace: 1. China Southern Airlines faces criticism for "ultra-thin seats" that increase capacity but reduce comfort, highlighting the tension between cost-cutting and enger experience. 2. COMAC plans to increase C919 production to 50 aircraft in 2025 with 30 deliveries, having already delivered 16 aircraft since 2023 while seeking international certification. 3. Global air cargo demand reached record levels in 2024 with 11.3% year-over-year growth, driven by e-commerce and shipping constraints. 4. DJI faces US restrictions requiring security verification within a year, responding by disabling geo-fencing in the US despite dominating the American drone market. # Consumer Related: 5. MINISO reported strong 2024 results with 22.8% revenue growth and record 44.9% gross margins, leveraging IP partnerships despite challenges in licensing costs and overseas expansion. 6. Yonghui Superstores is withdrawing from northeastern China markets amid mounting losses, implementing a comprehensive restructuring plan headed by MINISO's founder. 7. BESTORE faces collapse of its once-valuable private domain base as promotional strategies lost effectiveness and brand positioning became confused. 8. Elevator media advertising debts reveal industry risks, with eleven brands owing 180 million yuan primarily to Focus Media, raising questions about the sustainability of high marketing investments. 9. Bank consumer loan interest rates have fallen below 2.5%, creating historic lows as financial institutions compete to boost consumption in line with government policy. 10. Collectible card company Kayou seeks a $500 million Hong Kong IPO despite controversy over its extremely high-margin, "gambling-like" marketing to children. # AI Related: 11. Ant Group developed Ling-Plus with 290 billion parameters using domestic Chinese chips, reducing training costs by 20% while achieving competitive performance. 12. Xiaomi launched audio glasses rather than the anticipated AI glasses, while the broader AI glasses market is expected to reach 12.8 million global shipments in 2025. 8384x