SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 16, 2025--
Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, today announced its Sustainability Framework in its first independent Sustainability Report.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250615891282/en/
A New Chapter of Growth with New Mission and Vision at a Critical Moment
2024 is a transformative year for Ant International, which became independent after a reorganisation of Ant Group. With headquarters in Singapore and over 30 offices around the world, Ant International provides cross-border digital payment, commerce and finance solutions to merchants and financial institutions, connecting 100 million+ merchants to global consumers across its 4 business units:
In its new corporate identity, Ant International's mission is tomake it easy to do business anywhere, bringing small and beautiful changes to the world. Its vision is be the most innovative and trusted digital partner to bring inclusive growth to all.
The management reiterated that in the face of global economic turbulence, de-globalisation threats, and new risks of digital divide, tech companies need to enhance, not weaken their social commitments with concrete action. “The call for action on the digital tech community has never been so urgent: we need to take action to ensure innovation works for the many, not the few, so we can build a truly inclusive and sustainable global economy for the next generation,” said Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant International, in his opening message.
Yang Peng, Chief Executive Officer, and Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said, “We firmly believe that through our sustainability and business efforts, coupled with practical technological innovation, we can actively practice and promote a new, more inclusive, and broader ‘re-globalisation’.”
6T Principle Focuses on SMEs for Inclusive Growth and Re-globalising Commerce
The Sustainability Framework is anchored on an integration of social value and business value creation across its 6T Sustainability Areas. The Report shared highlights as of 2024 in these areas:
Payment: Promoting Global Connectivity with Travel and Trade
Beyond Payment: Democratising Technology for SMEs to Thrive
In the fast-growing Embedded Finance unit,
Collaboration on Trust and Talent to Drive Sustainable Growth
Ant International works to build a trust-based and future-ready digital ecosystem in collaboration with regulators, international organisations and over 1,000 financial institutions. The company invests in 2 pillars of Trust: a comprehensive, robust compliance structure, and AI-security capabilities and solutions. The company has started to share its trusted AI capabilities, such as anti-deepfake expertise, with the broader community.
Such collaboration expands to other community and global initiatives, ranging from MSME sustainability credentials and financing innovations, to joint research efforts on advancing privacy-enhancing technology to strengthen digital trust. The 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme, now in its 7 th year, has provided training on fintech and digital innovation to 7,157 talents across 110 countries and regions.
Earlier at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich in May 2025, global leaders and policymakers joined the soft launch event of Ant International’s inaugural Sustainability Report. Mr.Sing Chiong Leong, Deputy Managing Director of theMonetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), was the guest of honour and delivered opening remarks at the event.
Ms. Nan Li Collins, Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, who joined the event as a keynote speaker, resonated with Ant International’s commitment to bring equal access and growth opportunities for SMEs through trade. “While the digital economy is booming, developing countries still face a critical gap in essential infrastructure investment - a challenge we must address to ensure no one is left behind in the global transition to sustainable growth.”
Chen Leiming, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International, also commented, “Sustainability must be inclusive to be effective. At Ant International, by integrating sustainability into how we innovate, operate and grow, we ensure that every business outcome is also a step towards long-term societal progress.”
About Ant International
With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/
Ant International announces Sustainability Framework in its Inaugural Sustainability Report
HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.
The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.
But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”
U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.
The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.
Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.
Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.
Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”
About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.
The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.
But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.
Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.
Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”
Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
