China’s financial regulators have started 2026 with a flurry of activity.
- On January 14, the securities regulator raised margin requirements on stock trading in a bid to cool investors’ exuberance.
- The following day the central bank expanded a bunch of its relending facilities, and cut the interest rate on all of its structural lending tools.
- Then on January 20, the finance ministry rolled out a bunch of measures designed to bolster investment by small, private sector firms.
What’s driving this hyperactive policymaking? That’s what Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Head of Markets Research, discuss on the first Trivium podcast of 2026.
They look at:
- How weak Q4 economic data has lit a fire under regulators
- Why authorities have settled on this particular combination of policies
- And what signals Beijing is trying to send markets
But wait, there’s more! On the second half of the pod, Andrew is joined by a new guest to the podcast, Trivium’s lead AI and semiconductor analyst Linghao Bao. Linghao joins to discuss:
- Beijing’s intervention in Meta’s recently announced acquisition of Chinese AI start-up Manus
- The specific regulatory tools China is using to slow – or maybe even stop – the deal
- The wider implications for China’s AI start-up ecosystem
The gents cover a lot of ground in this one – enjoy!
