On today’s show Andrew and Bill return from the holidays and begin with the PRC’s reaction to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. Topics include: PRC outrage and embarrassment, the propaganda value of the U.S. disregard for international law, oil questions, why most of the Taiwan takes were misplaced, looming tension at the Panama Canal, and Iran as a wildcard. From there: A Ministry of Commerce directive on rare earths for Japan, and questions about how this standoff might end. At the end: A report that PRC companies have been asked to pause purchases of the H200 chips, thoughts on the Manus-Meta deal and a review in Beijing, and a recorded recruiting call offers a window into how CCP propaganda works in the modern era.

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Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism

To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm

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China’s Venezuela Calculations; Real Estate Market Expectations; December Politburo and Democratic Life Meetings; Museum Scandal; 2026 Propaganda Tasks — Sinocism

Tightening export controls on dual-use items to Japan and threatening rare earths export licenses; Stock market on a roll; Influencers to help improve “international communication” — Sinocism

What Trump’s Ousting of Venezuela’s Maduro Means for China — Bloomberg

US capture of Maduro tests limits of China’s diplomatic push — Reuters

Trump demands Venezuela kick out China and Russia, partner only with US on oil: Exclusive — ABC

‘China is not Cuba’s sugar daddy’: ties between communist nations weaken — Financial Times

The U.S. Venezuela Operation Will Harden China’s Security Calculation — Carnegie Endowment

Trump’s Enormous C-Length Win over China — Collapse Intelligence Agency

Chinese refiners expected to replace Venezuelan oil with Iranian crude, traders say — Reuters

China’s Threat to Block Rare Earths Has Put Japan on High Alert — New York Times

Inside China’s Six-Decade Campaign to Dominate Rare Earths — New York Times

Exclusive: Nvidia sounds out TSMC on new H200 chip order as China demand jumps, sources say — Reuters

China Tells Tech Companies to Halt Nvidia H200 Chip Orders — The Information

China reviews Meta’s $2bn purchase of AI start-up Manus — Financial Times

The Smear Campaign Against Guan Heng: A Transnational Repression Operation From the CCP’s External Propaganda Machine — Human Rights in China

Breaking news: Another “#China shock” — Chinese Embassy to the US

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