​​Our guest today is economist Noah Smith, who made time for an in-person interview during his recent trip to Taiwan. He runs the Noahpinion substack and is the author of an upcoming book on the revival of the Japanese economy. 

We discuss…

• The goals of Silicon Valley's pro-Trump constituency, from deregulation, to tariffs, to China policy,
• Whether Elon is standing up for Taiwan behind closed doors,
• Whether Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Poland need their own nuclear weapons,
• How Taiwan could bargain for independence with China’s leaders post-Xi,
• National health insurance as a potential solution to China’s aggregate demand problem,
• A Georgist perspective on China’s real estate problem,
• Why China’s demographic issues are overstated, 
• Recommendations for Taiwan’s economic development.

To hear more of Noah's musings, check out Econ 102, a podcast by Turpentine.

Outtro music: Wifey by Dizzy Dizzo 蔡詩芸 (Youtube Link)

Cover art: 清 冷枚 梧桐双兔图

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