Sharp China with Bill Bishop

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On today’s special crossover Sharp Tech/Sharp China episode, Ben Thompson and Bill Bishop discuss the private enterprise symposium and Xi Jinping's rapprochement with China's tech companies, and the connection between xAI and DeepSeek. Then, an extended debate on the chip ban, including its potential long-term consequences, and whether or not a course correction is possible. Finally, why the situation surround Taiwan is worrisome, and whether Trump is looking to make a deal. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi convenes private enterprise symposium; Wang Yi in Munich; Taiwan; Tesla FSD and US-China trade — Sinocism DeepSeek FAQ — Stratechery Grok-3, The Nvidia Shortcut, Competitive Implications — Stratechery Update The ZTE Ban, Tech’s Trade War Risk, China’s Delayed Approval and Apple’s Pain — Stratechery Update

Tariffs on Chinese goods spark a complex trade confrontation, intertwining with the fentanyl crisis's global implications. The conversation shifts to China’s investments in the strategically vital Panama Canal, highlighting its influence in Latin America. Meanwhile, Google and Apple find themselves under scrutiny from Chinese regulators, raising questions about competition and market dynamics. Finally, the hosts throw in some lighthearted Super Bowl predictions, blending serious analysis with playful banter.

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On today’s show Andrew and Bill wish a Happy Lunar New Year to the audience and interrupt the holiday week in the PRC to share various reactions to a week of DeepSeek discussion in the U.S. Topics include: The DeepSeek origin story, OpenAI and distillation questions, DeepSeek’s future in China after Liang Wenfeng’s meeting with Li Qiang, how the U.S. government might process these developments, and a dizzying spectrum of reactions from all around the Internet. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Microsoft Probing If DeepSeek-Linked Group Improperly Obtained OpenAI Data — Bloomberg America First Trade Policy — White House DeepSeek part 1: How new labor practices propelled an unknown AI firm to the top — Value Added DeepSeek part 2: An Outlier in China’s AI Innovation Ecosystem — Value Added On DeepSeek and Export Controls — Dario Amodei DeepSeek FAQ — Stratechery Trump Officials Discuss Tighter Curbs on Nvidia China Sales — Bloomberg

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi visits Shenyang; Regulators discuss measures to help capital markets; A TikTok deal “short of divestiture”?; “Anesthetics Not anesthetizing and laxatives not laxating” — Sinocism Xi in Liaoning; New plan to get long-term capital into the markets; Trump threatens 10% tariffs; TikTok; Dear Li Hua; Fukushima — Sinocism APPLICATION OF PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARY CONTROLLED APPLICATIONS ACT TO TIKTOK — White House Trump says he’s open to TikTok sale to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison — CNBC Donald Trump says China tariffs could hinge on TikTok deal — FT Trump says he’s considering a 10% tariff on China beginning as soon as Feb. 1 — CNBC US lawmakers seek to end China's special trade status, import duty exemption — Reuters One Weapon China Is Reluctant to Deploy Against Tariffs: A Weaker Currency — WSJ Taiwan reports unprecedented undersea cable damage this year — Nikkei Asia Taiwan lawmakers risk alienating Donald Trump with defence funds freeze — FT Wars and Rumors of Wars — N.Y. Times China Welcomes Back Hollywood Movies in Bid to Boost Spending — Bloomberg Shanghai’s old cinemas tell of a power reversal between China and Hollywood — L.A. Times

A deep dive into the recent Supreme Court ruling on TikTok unfolds in a lively discussion. The hosts explore the app's legal challenges amid national security concerns and the potential financial fallout. Political maneuvers and strategic partnerships highlight TikTok's navigation through the U.S. system. The possibility of divestiture raises questions about future ownership and antitrust issues. Engaging listener comments reveal the app's chaotic evolution, emphasizing the complex relationship between social media and governance.

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On today’s show Bill and Andrew begin with multiple reports that Chinese officials have considered working with Elon Musk to find a resolution for TikTok in the U.S., while TikTok‘s users have flocked to Xiaohongshu and inspired a few more questions for the future. Then: Parsing Xi Jinping’s speech in the first 2025 issue of Qiushi, why both the substance of his message and his audience heighten concerns, and reactions to a new fleet of barges in Guangzhou that could factor into the PRC’s plans for Taiwan. At the end: U.S.-China updates, including a final rule from the U.S. on connected vehicles, proposed rules on AI chips, more alarms being sounded on PRC hacking, looming tech bro fissures, and the emissary from the PRC who may attend next week’s presidential inauguration. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube RMB signaling; Trade surplus; New US AI export rules; TikTok to become XTok? — Sinocism Xi chats with European Council President Antonio Costa; US rule on connected vehicles; RMB talk; Supply chain binding; TikTok — Sinocism China Weighs Sale of TikTok US to Musk as a Possible Option — Bloomberg China discussing using Elon Musk as broker in TikTok deal — Financial Times China Officials Discuss Option of TikTok Sale to Elon Musk — Wall Street Journal US netizens calling themselves ‘TikTok refugees’ migrate to Chinese social media app ahead of US Supreme Court ruling — Global Times TikTok crisis builds unlikely ‘cyberspace bridge’ between US and China — Semafor Xi in Qiushi - Comprehensively Advancing the Building of a Strong Country and the Great Cause of National Rejuvenation Through Chinese Modernization — Sinocism China’s Trade Surplus Reaches a Record of Nearly $1 Trillion — New York Times China Suddenly Building Fleet Of Special Barges Suitable For Taiwan Landings — Naval News Post by John Culver — John Culver on X Commerce Finalizes Rule to Secure Connected Vehicle Supply Chains from Foreign Adversary Threats — BIS U.S. Targets China With New AI Curbs, Overriding Nvidia’s Objections — Wall Street Journal Former FBI Director Chris Way on 60 Minutes — Face the Nation on X How Chinese Hackers Graduated From Clumsy Corporate Thieves to Military Weapons — WSJ Jan. 6, 2025: Giant Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao Play In The Snow — YouTube

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On a bonus episode following up on Wednesday morning's show, Andrew and Bill react to the news—which broke later Wednesday morning—that the Supreme Court has granted cert to TikTok in its appeal of the D.C. Circuit's decision earlier this month upholding the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Topics include: A bit more hope for TikTok, revisiting the D.C. Circuit’s answer to the First Amendment question that’s now before the Supreme Court, various Trump unknowns, and a busy holiday season for Jones Day associates. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Supreme Court Fast-Tracks TikTok Case in Face of Jan. 19 Deadline — New York Times TIKTOK INC. AND BYTEDANCE LTD v. MERRICK GARLAND — D.C. Circuit

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with a few updates on the Central Economic Work Conference, economic headwinds facing the PRC economy, including weaker-than-expected retail data, mixed data from the real estate market, and concerns from an economist assessing the conditions on the ground. From there: Reactions to last week's PLA exercises around Taiwan, divergent reactions from policymakers in Taipei and Washington, and a new report on the process behind the Biden Administration's latest round of updates to the semiconductor export controls. At the end: President-elect Trump on his relationship with Xi Jinping, TikTok takes its case to the Supreme Court, and the NBA (sort of) announces plans for a series of preseason games in Macau. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube China Consumer Slowdown Shows Urgent Need to Encourage Spending — Bloomberg Prices Won’t Stop Falling in China, and Beijing Is Grasping for Solutions — Wall Street Journal China's 2024 property sales on course to reach just half the peak — Nikkei A top Chinese economist just said what many people suspected: China's official GDP numbers may not be accurate — Business Insider Big Chinese naval exercise leaves Taiwan and US struggling for response — Financial Times How U.S. Firms Battled a Government Crackdown to Keep Tech Sales to China — New York Times An Interview with Gregory Allen About the State of China Chip Export Controls — Stratechery Interview President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks — CNBC YouTube TikTok Asks Supreme Court to Block Law Banning Its U.S. Operations — New York Times New trade hawk on the block — Politico Real Estate: Bret Baier Home Listed for a Record $32 Million — The Georgetowner NBA to return to China with multiyear deal in Macau — Reuters

Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the latest messaging from Beijing on efforts to stimulate the economy in 2025 and beyond. Topics include: Politburo language that echoes 2008, muted reactions from the mainland markets, why the ultimate policy decisions may not be made until the PRC has more clarity on Trump's intentions, and more. From there: Nvidia finds itself at the center of an antitrust probe, while the PRC restrictions on critical minerals are broader than initially thought, and drone components are now also being restricted from export to the US and Europe. At the end: Reviewing last Friday's verdict from the DC Circuit in TikTok v. Garland, and charting the next steps for TikTok and the Trump administration as January 19th approaches and TikTok faces a ban in the United States. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube December Politburo meeting ahead of the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) — Sinocism Politburo meeting and CEWC; Nvidia antitrust investigation; Trump and China; TikTok's narrowin path in US — Sinocism China’s Politburo revives crisis-era language in pledge to bolster economy — SCMP China loosens monetary policy stance for first time in 14 years — Financial Times Nvidia Probed in China Over Possible Antimonopoly Violations — Wall Street Journal Nvidia Is Now Too Powerful for Beijing to Constrain — New York Times China’s Critical Minerals Embargo Is Even Tougher Than Expected — New York Times Geopollutical Warfare — Doomberg China Tightens Its Hold on Minerals Needed to Make Computer Chips — New York Times China Is Cutting Off Drone Supplies Critical to Ukraine War Effort — Bloomberg Unidentified Drones Light Up New Jersey’s Skies, Baffling Residents — New York Times TIKTOK INC. AND BYTEDANCE LTD. V. MERRICK B. GARLAND — DC Circuit Incoming national security adviser says Trump is 'ready to take big swings and do big things’ — Fox Business Rep. Mike Waltz calls out the Biden campaign's TikTok account: 'They should be ashamed' — Fox News Inside the Strange, Strained Courtship of Donald Trump and Mega-Donor Jeff Yass — Vanity Fair Big Republican Donor Jeff Yass Owned Shares in Trump Media Merger Partner — New York Times TikTok Hires Francisco And Mooppan For High Court Fight — Law360

The podcast dives into the latest updates on Biden's semiconductor export controls and questions their effectiveness against China. Tensions within the PLA are spotlighted, with a focus on leadership challenges and corruption investigations. Speculation surrounds the upcoming Central Economic Work Conference and the unusual absence of a November Politburo meeting. Economic tension is further discussed, particularly regarding BRICS currency and recent developments in U.S.-China relations, all while examining shifts in younger generations' media consumption habits.