

Sharp China with Bill Bishop
Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill Bishop
Understanding China and how China impacts the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Bill Bishop.
Episodes
Mentioned books

20 snips
Jul 12, 2023 • 0sec
(Free) Hollerin’ About Yellen; Gallium and Germanium Warnings; Understanding PRC Domestic Challenges; The Barbie Movie Banned in Vietnam
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
3 Takeaways From Janet Yellen’s Trip to Beijing — New York Times
Despite Yellen, U.S.-China Decoupling Has Momentum of Its Own — Wall Street Journal
Janet Yellen awkwardly bows to CCP official during Beijing trip: 'Optics the Chinese love' — Fox News
Chinese women economists called 'traitors' online for meeting with Yellen — Reuters
Column: China flexes critical metals muscles with export curbs — Reuters
After China’s Rare Earth Embargo, a New Calculus — New York Times
Co-Director of Think Tank Indicted for Acting as Unregistered Foreign Agent, Trafficking in Arms, Violating U.S. Sanctions Against Iran, and Making False Statements to Federal Agents — Department of Justice
‘Health reasons’: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to miss Asean meeting — SCMP
Is High-speed Rail in China a "Gray Rhino"? — reading, writing & investing
China Travel Advisory — US State Department
Studio defends Barbie movie after controversial map prompts Vietnam ban — The Guardian
How Do ‘Barbie’ and Blackpink Figure in a Dangerous Territorial Dispute? — The New York Times

Jun 28, 2023 • 0sec
(Preview) Biden’s ‘Dictator’ Curveball; Putin’s Latest Mess Validates Xi’s PLA Purge; Huawei Questions Around the World; China and the Fentanyl Crisis
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Weak holiday consumption; PRC-Russia; US-China; Patriotic education; Heat wave; Covid origins — Sinocism
Biden on the balloon, dictators and surprises; Fentanyl and Taiwan; Local debt survey again ; PRC-Cuba; Jack Ma — Sinocism
Biden labels China’s Xi Jinping a dictator — Politico
Biden calling China’s leader a ‘dictator’ opens new rift just after Blinken’s tensions-easing trip — Associated Press
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Remarks on the Wagner Group Incident — MoFA
Xi Jinping vows to fight 'tigers' and 'flies' in anti-corruption drive — The Guardian
Xi cages big tiger in anti-corruption drive — BBC
Xi Jinping has more tigers, foxes and flies in his sights — Nikkei Asia
U.S. Tracked Huawei, ZTE Workers at Suspected Chinese Spy Sites in Cuba — Wall Street Journal
When a Huawei Bid Turned Into a Hunt for a Corporate Mole — Bloomberg
Who Owns Huawei? — Christopher Balding and Donald Clarke
Who Really Owns Huawei? A response to Professors Balding and Clarke — Pekingnology
Secretive Chip Startup May Help Huawei Circumvent US Sanctions — Bloomberg
U.S. files first-ever charges against Chinese fentanyl manufacturers — Nikkei Asia
China’s role in the fentanyl crisis — Brookings
What is the Indo-Pacific region and why does the US keep using this term? — SCMP

Jun 21, 2023 • 0sec
(Preview) Blinken in Beijing; Modest Progress and Unresolved Core Tensions; Too Many Tarmac Takes; More Cuba and Less Balloon
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Blinken's Beijing meetings; Byebye spy balloon; Li Qiang in Germany; CYL Congress; Waiting for stimulus — Sinocism
Li Qiang in Germany; New report on Cuba-PRC cooperation; New old leadership at Alibaba; Rate cuts — Sinocism
Qin Gang Holds Talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — MoFA
President Xi Jinping Meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — MoFA
Biden’s gamble: Delaying sanctions and playing down Chinese espionage will improve relations with Beijing — NBC News
Spy balloon 'chapter should be closed’ after China talks, Blinken tells NBC News — NBC News
Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure — The White House
Beijing Plans a New Training Facility in Cuba, Raising Prospect of Chinese Troops on America’s Doorstep — Wall Street Journal
Buildup resumed at suspected Chinese military site in UAE, leak says — Washington Post
Leaked Pentagon documents give insight into China’s secret ‘Project 141’ — India Today
When a Huawei Bid Turned Into a Hunt for a Corporate Mole — Bloomberg
Messi mania: China embraces pitch-invading fan as millions line up behind ‘punished’ teen who hugged an icon and led security a merry dance — SMCP
Full Footage of Messi Reaction to a Chinese Fan Invading the Pitch to Hug Him — YouTube
Eveline Chao on Niubi! – a Chinese slang phrasebook — The Beijinger

Jun 14, 2023 • 10min
(Preview) A PRC Spy Station in Cuba; Xi and “Extreme” Scenarios; Domestic Stimulus and Foreign Money Exodus; What Beijing Did to Improve Air Quality
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Honduras President in China; Blinken visit to PRC; PRC-South Korea; Valuation system with Chinese characteristics — Sinocism
Xi in Inner Mongolia; Extreme circumstances 极端情况; Fentanyl; Monkey laundering; PRC spy base in Cuba? — Sinocism
Cuba to Host Secret Chinese Spy Base Focusing on U.S. — Wall Street Journal
China Weighs Broad Stimulus With Property Support, Rate Cuts — Bloomberg
Xi Prepares China for ‘Extreme’ Scenarios, Including Conflict with the West — Wall Street Journal
China’s Local Debt Woes Seen in $700 Fine for Cucumber Dish — Bloomberg
U.S. to Allow South Korean, Taiwan Chip Makers to Keep Operations in China — Wall Street Journal
South Korea's diplomacy drifting further away from being 'confident': Global Times editorial — Global Times
China Reduced Air Pollution in 7 Years as Much as US Did in Three Decades — Bloomberg
‘Extraordinary progress’ – Beijing meets air pollution goals after coal crackdown — Climate Home News
China to hold first nationwide village basketball tournament — CGTN
Under the Dome (Part 1 of 8) — YouTube

Jun 8, 2023 • 1h 6min
(Free) A New Blinken Visit?; US-China Drama in Singapore; The Post-Covid Stimulus Calculus; Travel to the PRC in 2023
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Blinken to China?; Xi on desertification; Li Qiang to Germany and France; Economic concerns; Disappearing "Glory to Hong Kong" — Sinocism
Trade data; Waiting for stimulus; EU-China; Gaokao; SOE cadre's career-ending stroll — Sinocism
US Secretary of State Blinken Set to Travel to Beijing for Talks in Coming Weeks — Bloomberg
U.S. and China lock horns at Asia’s top security forum — Washington Post
Statement on Unprofessional Intercept of U.S. Aircraft over South China Sea — USINDOPACOM
Popularity of China’s ‘New Security Initiative’ is inevitable: Global Times editorial — Global Times
Fareed Zakaria — Twitter
Xi urges sustained efforts to curb desertification — Xinhua
China, Mongolia aim to stop spread of shared desert that threatens mining and agriculture on both sides — SMCP
What Engagement With China Has Meant for Me — Wall Street Journal
China Is Drilling a 10,000-Meter-Deep Hole Into the Earth — Bloomberg
In a geologic triumph, scientists drill a window into Earth’s mantle — Washington Post
The most shocking photo of Beijing air pollution I’ve ever seen — Washington Post

May 31, 2023 • 9min
(Preview) The Latest Failed Attempt at US-China Defense Dialogue; Beijing’s Misread of Europe; Musk in China; Microsoft Finds Malware in Guam
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
National Security Commission meets; Politburo study session on education; US-China; Musk in the PRC; More allegations of interference in Canadian politics — Sinocism
Xi meets Russian Prime Minister; Wang Huning visits Xinjiang; US-China; Malware — Sinocism
China Rebuffs Pentagon Chief, Blunting Push for Rapprochement — Wall Street Journal
China turns down US invitation for defence chiefs meeting in Singapore — Financial Times
Statement on Unprofessional Intercept of U.S. Aircraft over South China Sea — US Indo-Pacific Command
In China’s words, it’s open for business. In actions, not so much. — Washington Post
Nathaniel Sher — Twitter
Europe Rebuffs China’s Efforts to Split the West in Pushing Ukraine Cease-Fire — Wall Street Journal
Xi urges accelerated efforts to modernize national security system, capacity — Xinhua
Elon Musk meets Chinese foreign minister, who calls for ‘mutual respect’ in U.S. relations — NBC News
China’s C919 Takes Maiden Commercial Flight—and First Bite From Boeing — Wall Street Journal
China’s COMAC: An Aerospace Minor Leaguer — CSIS
Chinese Malware Hits Systems on Guam. Is Taiwan the Real Target? — New York Times
Why do planes get water salutes? — YouTube
Elon Musk pulls off dance moves at Tesla's Shanghai plant — YouTube

May 24, 2023 • 11min
(Preview) The G-7 Summit and the PRC Response; Making Sense of Biden’s China Approach; $23 Trillion in Local Debt; Censorship Domestically and Abroad
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
G-7 on China; PRC response; Biden says a thaw coming in US-China relations; Micron ban; Covid second wave — Sinocism
G7 issues strongest condemnation of China as it intensifies response to Beijing — Financial Times
Flaring tensions over G7 and Micron show limits to US-China reset — Financial Times
Biden Sees Coming ‘Thaw’ With China, Even as He Rallies Allies Against Beijing — New York Times
Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon — Reuters
China’s $23 Trillion Local Debt Mess Is About to Get Worse — Bloomberg
Cover Story: China’s Effort to Move Mountain of ‘Hidden Debt’ Faces Uphill Climb — Caixin Global
Chinese comedian arrested after joke about army — BBC
Nigel Ng — Twitter
ESPN Has Reportedly Pulled Notable Sports Documentary — The Spun
K Tse — Twitter
Iconic Moments: Chang vs Lendl - Roland Garros 4th Round, 1989 — YouTube

May 10, 2023 • 12min
(Preview) US and China Dreaming of Bali; A Changing Risk Profile for Investors; Canada Expels a PRC Diplomat; Plans for Population and Youth Unemployment
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Sinocism Podcast: Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights on the rise of the China vehicle industry — Sinocism
CCFEA on industrial system on population; Canada expels a diplomat; Details of the Capvision investigation; Qin Gang meets US Ambassador — Sinocism
Chinese FM meets U.S. ambassador — Xinhua
Biden Administration Tamps Down Talk of US-China Decoupling — Bloomberg
US, China spar in first face-to-face meeting under Biden — Associated Press
China Signals Spying Fears Amid Probe of Consulting Firms — Wall Street Journal
U.S. Think Tank Reports Prompted Beijing to Put a Lid on Chinese Data — Wall Street Journal
Why leaked spy docs have sent China and Canada’s fraught relationship to a new low — NBC News
Two high-level memos allege Beijing covertly funded Canadian election candidates — Global News
China Focus: China pursues high-quality population development to support modernization — Xinhua
America’s Bad Bet on India — Foreign Affairs
The Chip Ban Seven Months Later, China's Response, More on Intel and Tower Semiconductor — Sharp Tech
An Interview with Chip War Author Chris Miller — Stratechery Interviews
Entrapment (1999) — YouTube

May 3, 2023 • 1h 4min
Open for Business (and Raiding Foreign Businesses); Xi Calls Zelenskyy; India, Pakistan and the PRC; Decoupling with an Asterisk
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
China Locks Information on the Country Inside a Black Box — Wall Street Journal
China’s ‘men in black’ step up scrutiny of foreign corporate sleuths — Financial Times
U.S. Chamber Statement on Concerns Over PRC Investment Climate — U.S. Chamber of Commerce
China's exit bans multiply as political control tightens under Xi — Reuters
New Report: Trapped - China’s Expanding Use of Exit Bans — Safeguard Defenders
Xi calls Zelensky — Sinocism
Xi-Zelensky call; Bain's Shanghai troubles; Counter-espionage law; Li Ganjie heads Organization Department; Employment measures — Sinocism
Speak Plainly, Mr. Chairman — China Media Project
America’s Bad Bet on India — Foreign Affairs
Sinocism Podcast: Tania Branigan on her book Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution — Sinocism
An excerpt from Tania Branigan's Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution — Sinocism

Apr 26, 2023 • 11min
(Preview) The Lu Snafu; A Broadened Espionage Act; China’s Own Regional Banking Crisis; A Beginner’s Guide to the Taiwan Status Quo
Subscribe to Stratechery Plus to get full episodes of Sharp China, plus Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Sharp Tech, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm
Lu Shaye creates a mess in the EU; Covid; PLAN turns 74; Guizhou debt; Dong Yuyu — Sinocism
Macron and VDL brief Biden on their PRC trips; Yellen's China speech; “农管“, agricultural administrative law enforcers; BYD — Sinocism
Baltics blast China diplomat for questioning sovereignty of ex-Soviet states — Politico
China doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, Czech president warns — Politico
The Man Behind China's Aggressive New Voice — New York Times
Prominent Chinese journalist faces espionage charges — Washington Post
China Accuses Newspaper Editor of Espionage After Meeting With Diplomat — Wall Street Journal
Janet Yellen offers an olive branch to China — Financial Times
Biden tells 60 Minutes U.S. troops would defend Taiwan, but White House says this is not official U.S. policy — CBS News
One of the Most Influential Ambassadors in Washington Isn’t One — New York Times


