Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

Food trends across Asia are shifting rapidly with declining populations, wealthier consumers eating more meat and climate change upending supply and prices. China is set to be overtaken by India as the world's number one driver of food demand, according to the UN, further shifting the picture. Darin Friedrichs, co-founder of Sitonia Consulting, speaks with Bloomberg Intelligence's John Lee and Bloomberg News' Asia economics correspondent Katia Dmitrieva about how best to navigate the changes to come.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weijian Shan, Executive Chairman of PAG and a veteran investor, shares his insights on China's economic landscape. He highlights the potential for further stimulus measures and the shift towards consumer-driven growth. Shan discusses the challenges facing China's property market and the need for ongoing support. He also reflects on his journey from the Cultural Revolution to the forefront of private equity, revealing lucrative investment opportunities in Asia, particularly Japan. His perspectives on economic resilience are both enlightening and thought-provoking.

Reports of active management's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Active continues to grow and evolve in ETFs while mutual funds prosper and define benefit plans. Bloomberg Intelligence strategy team uncover active opportunities and glean insights from active managers and those who cover the industry. Listen to Inside Active by Bloomberg Intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Projesh Banerjea, Director of Infrastructure at KKR and a leading expert in Asian data centers, joins the discussion on the burgeoning demand for data centers driven by AI in Asia. He highlights how capacity is set to double in four years. The conversation dives into strategic growth opportunities, challenges in building efficient centers, and the impacts of cloud computing and geopolitical factors. Banerjea also addresses the intricate balance between investment needs and the technological evolution reshaping the industry.

Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te gave his first National Day address last week, vowing he'd stand up to mainland China while maintaining the status quo of peace and stability. The speech elicited a swift response from Beijing, reminding investors of the ongoing geopolitical risks in the region. David Sacks, Asia Studies Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks with John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva from Bloomberg News about key takeaways from the speech and what it means for Taiwan's red hot equity market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ada Li, Senior Consumer Goods Analyst for Asia Pacific at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Diana Rosero-Pena, North American Consumer Staples Analyst, explore the booming pet economy, forecasted to exceed $500 billion by 2030. They discuss the trend of pet owners upgrading food and embracing premium services, including healthcare and elderly care for pets. The conversation touches on spending patterns, the rise of e-commerce in pet care, and emerging wellness trends, while highlighting the cultural shifts driving these changes.

The world's population is likely to peak in the next 60 years and nowhere is this trend felt more than Asia, with countries such as South Korea and Japan registering some of the lowest birth rates and oldest populations. Wei Li, Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, discusses the role demographics plays in investing and why it may be the most important megatrend. She joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central banks got the green light to begin easing policy last week after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by more than expected. Officials across Asia have perhaps been the most eager to move lower, but in this new era, each country faces a different path forward for monetary policy. John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva from Bloomberg News speak with Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis SA, about what the Fed cut means for the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI has been hailed as a transformative technology with McKinsey estimating it could add $26 trillion to the global economy. While many investors have already jumped on the AI bandwagon, not everyone agrees. Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT and author of books including Why Nations Fail, takes a critical look at AI and explains why the economic and social benefits may have been overstated. He joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shareholder activism is gaining traction in Japan, with the number of new campaigns surging by 70% in the first half of 2024. At the same time, homegrown activist funds are becoming more prominent in Japan’s corporate circles. Shuhei Furukawa, managing director and portfolio manager at Misaki Capital, and James Han, managing partner at Prodigies Group, join John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence to discuss this growing trend and how it differs to what’s happening in the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.