Sharp China with Bill Bishop

Tensions soar as Taiwan's President labels the PRC a 'foreign hostile force,' prompting potential responses from Beijing. Xi Jinping's displeasure over a Panama ports deal sparks concerns regarding Chinese foreign investment reactions. Meanwhile, TikTok navigates its U.S. operations amid escalating security talks and Oracle's push for Project Texas 2.0. The implications of these geopolitical moves reflect deeper complexities in U.S.-China relations, with Trump’s comments about Xi's visits adding further intrigue to the unfolding drama.

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 begin with takeaways from the Two Sessions, including good news for tech companies as the push for new quality productive forces continues, the rhetoric surrounding domestic consumption alongside modest stimulus measures so far, the NDRC's plan to mobilize 1 billion yuan to support the startup ecosystem, and more. From there: The PRC announces new tariffs on Canadian exports and state TV warns against Canada cooperating with the U.S. on tariffs, and dueling reports on a potential Trump-Xi meeting as communication remains frustrated between high level US and China leaders. At the end: Cuts to USAID provide a win to the PRC as China-watching NGOs go offline, a whistleblower highlights Facebook’s failed attempts to enter China, and TikTok rumors continue to churn as the apparent deadline for a sale approaches in April. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube NPC concludes without Zhao Leji; Dalai Lama; Robots and embodied AI; US-China — Sinocism Two Sessions; Xi's PLA/PAP meeting; Wang Yi's presser; Trump-Xi meeting chatter — Sinocism Government work report; NDRC national economic and social development plan; Xi meets with his fellow Jiangsu delegates — Sinocism What Slowdown? Xi Says China Must Win the Global Tech Race. — NYT Trump’s Tariffs Push Xi to Overhaul China’s Ailing Growth Model — Bloomberg China’s consumer prices fall for first time in more than a year — FT China to set up national venture capital guidance fund, state planner says — Reuters China Hits Canada With Tariffs in Indirect Riposte to Trump — NYT U.S., China Discuss a Trump-Xi Summit for June — WSJ Exclusive | Trump may meet Xi in China as soon as April despite escalating trade war, insiders say — SCMP US-China Tariff Talks Stuck at Lower Levels, Stoking Frustration — Bloomberg U.S. Foreign-Aid Halt Is Making Scrutiny of China Even Harder — WSJ Rumormonger Australian 'think tank' ASPI suspends bogus 'research' on China as US funding cuts bite — People's Daily Online Zuckerberg’s Meta considered sharing user data with China, whistleblower alleges — Washington Post Trump Says Four Bidders in Play for TikTok Deal ‘Soon’ — Bloomberg TikTok hasn't negotiated with prospective buyers as deadline looms — Axios

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 begin with Trump raising tariffs on the PRC by 10%, the PRC's response, and the phone call Xi-Trump phone call that was rumored a month ago but still hasn't happened. Then: What to watch for during Two Sessions week, Xi has always supported private enterprises, a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on fentanyl, and why the U.S. focusing on domestic enforcement only goes far. From there: A roundup of news on chips, including an investigation in Singapore, TSMC's investment in the United States, a Wall Street Journal report on Nvidia, and questions facing the Trump team as new policy takes shape. At the end: The New York Times reports on "plea leniency," FIFA won't play ball with the PRC, and a variety of Moutai thoughts as Kweichow Moutai struggles to find demand. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube US Tariffs; Two Sessions; Xi has always supported private enterprises; Peaceful China Initiative; Chips — Sinocism Response to US tariffs; Two Sessions begin; DeepSeek — Sinocism FURTHER AMENDMENT TO DUTIES ADDRESSING THE SYNTHETIC OPIOID SUPPLY CHAIN IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA — The White House Xi Leaves Door Open for Talks With Measured Response to Trump — Bloomberg Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — MoFA on Twitter BlackRock to buy Panama Canal ports after pressure from Donald Trump — Financial Times Canadian Police Say They Dismantled Country’s Largest Drug Lab — New York Times How Dirty Money From Fentanyl Sales Is Flowing Through China — Wall Street Journal Chinese Buyers Are Ordering Nvidia’s Newest AI Chips, Defying U.S. Curbs — Wall Street Journal Singapore Probes Potential Fraud in Nvidia AI Chip Shipments — Bloomberg Cover Story: DeepSeek Sets Up Race for Chinese Dominance in AI — Caixin Trump, Chip Maker TSMC Announce $100 Billion Investment in U.S. — Wall Street Journal The ‘Leniency’ Trap: How China’s Plea System Gives Prosecutors More Power — New York Times China’s tech minister removed from office — Financial Times Ebbing demand for China's favourite firewater adds to debt concerns — Reuters The Patrón of Xinghuacun - a modest proposal for Fenjiu — Moatless Musings Xi Jiu, A Baijiu Bet on Xi Jinping — Sinocism

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 Document #1; Xi-Putin call; US trade and investment pressure on the PRC; AI development — Sinocism Trump's recent hawkish moves on China policies and personnel — Sinocism America First Investment Policy — The White House China hawk picked for key US Commerce Dept job — Reuters Trump administration pushes out top China export policy official, sources say — Reuters Trump Team Seeking to Toughen Biden’s Chip Controls Over China — Bloomberg AI Promise and Chip Precariousness — Stratechery As Trump Courts Putin, China’s Leader Xi Emphasizes Close Ties With Russia — New York Times Putin, Xi Reaffirm Ties on Anniversary of Ukraine War — Wall Street Journal Taiwan detains Chinese-crewed ship suspected of cutting undersea cable — CNN NZ defence minister warns of 'extremely capable' Chinese warships in Tasman Sea — ABC Trump Team Seeks to Toughen Biden’s Chip Controls Over China — Bloomberg Chinese Companies’ New Tactic to Stop Damaging Research: Legal Threats — New York Times A newly opened basketball court in Beijing, transformed from the former cooling towers of Capital Steel and Iron Company. — China in Pictures on X

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.

The charisma of TikTok meets the potential of Xiaohongshu as users shift platforms amid political tensions. Elon Musk's discussed role in TikTok's future raises eyebrows while Xi Jinping's latest speech reveals China's aspirations for national rejuvenation. The evolving PLA capabilities towards Taiwan signal strategic ambitions, all while the U.S. tightens AI export controls in response to China's growing tech prowess. As diplomatic nuances emerge, the podcast offers a colorful blend of serious analysis and lighthearted banter.