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Sharp China with Bill Bishop

Latest episodes

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Sep 26, 2024 • 16min

(Preview) Unpacking the New Stimulus Measures; A Top Economist Disappears; US Moves on Connected Vehicles; The Future of China Policy for Democrats

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 raft of measures announced this week to stimulate the economy. Topics include: A pop to the stock market just in time for the PRC's 75th anniversary, stimulating mergers and acquisitions, whether this week's measures indicate more relief in the months to come, and more. Then: The disappearance of prominent economist Zhu Hengpeng, and a reminder of structural problems under Xi that have continued to intensify, regardless of monetary policy. At the end: The Ministry of Commerce announces that the owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger is under investigation, the US Commerce Department moves forward with a proposed rule that would effectively ban Chinese vehicles from the US, and a Substack post offers a taxonomy of Democrat China policies and questions about who might set the agenda for a Kamala Harris administration. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Addressing employment concerns; Stimulus!?; Connected vehicles and EU EV tariffs; CASS purge; Xinjiang cotton; ICBM test — Sinocism September Politburo Meeting to Analyze and Study Current Economic Situation and Economic Work; Investors Pumped — Sinocism China's central bank unveils most aggressive stimulus since pandemic — Reuters Five Key Takeaways as China Unveils Stimulus to Boost Economy — Bloomberg Xi’s Economic Adrenaline Shot Is Only Buying China a Little Time — Bloomberg Top Economist in China Vanishes After Private WeChat Comments — Wall Street Journal Beijing Threatens to Block Calvin Klein Owner’s Access to China — Wall Street Journal US proposes banning Chinese software and components in vehicles — Financial Times Relitigating China Policy — Matt Turpin Washington’s Playbook for China Must Change — Foreign Policy The Case Against the China Consensus — Foreign Affairs
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Sep 18, 2024 • 16min

(Preview) Retirement Age Reforms; A Sabina Shoal Win for the PRC and Questions for the US; Chip Companies in DC; Japan and TikTok

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 by wishing a happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all. Then: The PRC government implements the Decision on Gradually Raising the Statutory Retirement Ages. Why was this necessary, why were the changes made now, and what might this signal about the rest of goals and reforms announced at the Third Plenum? From there: The PRC blockade at Xianbin Jiao/Sabina Shoal appears to have succeeded as the Philippines returns the BRP Theresa Magbanua to port, and questions persist as to when, and how, the US might deter PRC tactics in the South China Sea. At the end: The latest lobbying effort surrounding updated export controls, Japan's negotiations with the US over export controls, the Biden administration takes on the de minimis loophole, and TikTok’s trial begins in DC. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Economic data; Retirement ages; A win for the PRC at Xianbin Jiao/Sabina Shoal?; US pastor released; US chip export controls — Sinocism Overcapacity; National security; Japan and chip controls; Moutai; Big food concept — Sinocism China Raises Retirement Age for the First Time Since the 1950s — New York Times Commentary & Translation: China’s Plan to Raise Statutory Retirement Ages — NPC Observer China’s working age population is shrinking — CNBC U.S. 'ready' to assist Philippines with South China Sea resupplies — Nikkei Video by Joseph Morong — X: @Joseph_Morong Philippines Withdraws Ship From South China Sea Flashpoint — Bloomberg Philippines Vows to Return to Disputed Shoal After Ship Pullout — Bloomberg US strategists face dilemma over Beijing claim in South China Sea — Financial Times (2014) China rams Philippine ship while 60 Minutes on board; South China Sea tensions could draw U.S. in — 60 Minutes Thread from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party — X: @committeeonccp US and Japan near deal to curb chip technology exports to China — Financial Times Analysis: China moves to play 'Okinawa card' over Japan's Taiwan stance — Nikkei FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Protect American Consumers, Workers, and Businesses by Cracking Down on De Minimis Shipments with Unsafe, Unfairly Traded Products — The White House Court Appears Skeptical of TikTok’s Challenge to U.S. Ban — Wall Street Journal How a Tariff Rule Aimed at China Could Affect U.S. Ad Spending — Wall Street Journal
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Sep 11, 2024 • 16min

(Preview) The Arrest of Linda Sun; Overcapacity and Mounting Deflation Concerns; A New Role for Qin Gang; Rock Bottom for PRC Men's Soccer

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 reactions to last week's arrest of Linda Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to governor Kathy Hochul. Topics include: The allegations contained in the Department of Justice indictment of Sun and her husband, the PRC efforts to influence local government officials around the world, the status of New York Consul General Huang Ping, and a report on the suppression of dissidents during Xi's APEC visit in November. From there: Updates on the overcapacity concerns around the world, a Bloomberg story on a $6.5 trillion stock rout, and reactions to a thoughtful Substack post on deleveraging efforts and deflation concerns in the midst of recent turmoil. At the end: An update on Qin Gang that may or may not resolve lingering questions, and a new rock bottom for the PRC men's soccer team. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi at Education conference; US accuses PRC of more help for Russia's "war machine"; Deflation; Raising retirement age — Sinocism Qin Gang's new job?; US business advisory for Hong Kong; Yi Gang on deflation; Xi on education — Sinocism The Secrets of an Unassuming N.Y. Official Accused of Working for China — New York Times A top Chinese official in NY is on the outs over the Linda Sun case. Or is he? — Gothamist Linda Sun Indictment — United States District Court Find the Cost of Interference — China Articles Key takeaways from AP’s report on China’s influence in Utah — AP How China extended its repression into an American city — Washington Post Why China Is Starting a New Trade War — Wall Street Journal There’s a China-Shaped Hole in the Global Economy — Wall Street Journal China trade war ‘maybe unavoidable’, EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell warns — SCMP The Downdraft — A Letter from Paul China’s $6.5 Trillion Stock Rout Worsens Economic Peril for Xi — Bloomberg China’s Deflationary Spiral Is Now Entering Dangerous New Stage — Bloomberg The real problem with China’s economy — The Economist China Should Fight Deflationary Pressure Now, Ex-PBOC Chief Says — Bloomberg Chinese Localities Adopt ‘Sell Everything to Save the Day’ Policy to Ease Debt — Caixin China’s ‘disappeared’ foreign minister demoted to low-level publishing job, say former U.S. officials — Washington Post What China’s Property Gloom and Soccer Fiasco Have in Common — Wall Street Journal China Football Association bans 43 after corruption probe — ESPN
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Sep 4, 2024 • 1h 8min

The US-China Strategic Channel; Continued Drama in the South China Sea; The Next Phase of Chip Controls; Black Myth: Wukong

Bill Bishop, the author of Sinocism, hosts Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, and Wang Yi, the Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. They dive into the essential dialogues between U.S. and Chinese leaders, shedding light on the impacts of recent meetings amidst escalating South China Sea tensions. The discussion also covers geopolitical ramifications of semiconductor controls and China's threats to Japan. Wrapping up, they explore the explosive success of the video game 'Black Myth: Wukong' and its cultural significance.
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Aug 21, 2024 • 14min

(Preview) A New Flashpoint with the Philippines; PRC and the US Election; Tim Walz and China; Connected Vehicles Updates

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 return from the Beidaihe break with an update on a raft of Xi rumors and a programming note. Then: Back to the South China Sea, where good news at Second Thomas Shoal has quickly been overshadowed by an aerial incident at Scarborough Shoal and Monday's collision between PRC coast guard vessels and the Philippine coast guard. From there: A Foreign Affairs article outlining Beijing's perspective on the 2024 Presidential election in the US, three categories of American China strategists, and questions about Kamala Harris' approach to China. At the end: The scrutiny surrounding Tim Walz and his history of engagement with China, reports of a proposed rule on Chinese connected vehicle software, and a LiDAR company is removed from the Pentagon's blacklist. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi meets Olympics team; Fiji PM and IPU delegation; PRC-Philippines tensions; US reacts to PRC’s evolving nuclear strategy; Real estate price cuts — Sinocism Xi meets Vietnam General Secretary; Premier Li chairs State Council plenary and executive meetings; PRC-Philippines boat collisions — Sinocism Philippines Fortifies South China Sea Outpost For a Decade — Bloomberg Collisions Tear Holes in U.S. Ally’s Ships as Tensions Flare in South China Sea — Wall Street Journal Does China Prefer Harris or Trump? — Foreign Affairs Manila's provocations in South China Sea doomed to fail — China Military Online The Case for a Clean Energy Marshall Plan — Foreign Affairs How to talk China in 2024 — Breaking Beijing Tim Walz, Harris’s VP pick, has a long history with China — Washington Post Tim Walz’s long history with China shaped by horrors of Tiananmen — Financial Times China is not an enemy — Washington Post US expected to propose barring Chinese software in autonomous vehicles — Reuters China’s Hesai to be removed from US defence department blacklist — Financial Times The right’s serious minds have a Tim-Walz-Chinese-sleeper-agent theory — Washington Post
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Jul 31, 2024 • 14min

(Preview) Questions for the Remainder of Biden’s Term; Huawei Gets Stronger; A Sierra Madre Resupply; Doping Controversy Continues

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 programming note for the next few weeks and various questions for the next few months of the Biden Administration. Topics include: A meeting between Secretary of State of Anthony Blinken and Wang Yi, more threats of escalating sanctions if the PRC supports Russian war efforts, what Kamala Harris China policies might look like, and whether the Commerce Department will take action on connected vehicles before November. From there: Rumors of Huawei’s demise were greatly exaggerated, and why sanctions may have focused PRC energy without achieving their intended goal. At the end: Quick reactions to Tuesday’s Politburo meeting, some very cautious optimism at Second Thomas Shoal, and surveying the PRC swimming controversy that came to light in April and continues to percolate this week in Paris. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Meloni in Beijing; Wang-Blinken meeting; Sierra Madre resupply; National Internet IDs; CSRC tasks for H2; TikTok — Sinocism Wang Yi Meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — MofA Blinken and a Top Chinese Official in Talks on U.S.-China Tensions — New York Times EU’s Borrell Disputes China’s Take on Meeting About Middle East — Bloomberg The U.S. Wanted to Knock Down Huawei. It’s Only Getting Stronger. — Wall Street Journal July Politburo meeting to analyze the current economic situation and set out priorities for the second half of this year — Sinocism Philippines Performs First Sierra Madre Resupply Since Inking Deal with China — USNI News Warning signs blinking over swimmers’ anger at alleged Chinese doping scandal ahead of Olympics — CNN Moolenaar, Krishnamoorthi, Blackburn, Van Hollen Introduce the Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act — China Select Committee Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows — NPR China, Citing Tainted Burgers, Cleared Swimmers in a New Doping Dispute — New York TImes Usain Bolt Ate 100 Chicken McNuggets a Day in Beijing and Somehow Won Three Gold Medals — Time Magazine Kamala Harris’s China Record Contrasts with Trump Focus on Trade — Wall Street Journal A Program for Progressive China Policy — Quincy Institute ASML, Tokyo Electron Shielded From US Chip Export Rules, For Now — Bloomberg Exclusive: New US rule on foreign chip equipment exports to China to exempt some allies — Reuters
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Jul 24, 2024 • 12min

(Preview) The Plenum Puzzles Outsiders; Xi Stays the Course; 'Deepening Reforms' to Western Journalism in China; Remembering the 2008 Olympics

Author Bill Bishop discusses the Third Plenum resolution and Xi's focus on reforms. Topics include the lack of leaks in the Xi era, ongoing trade tensions, and challenges faced by news organizations in China. The episode also touches on memories of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
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Jul 19, 2024 • 14min

(Preview) Parsing the Third Plenum Communique; Xi and the Rumor Mill; Trump on Taiwan; Biden and the Chip Status Quo

Bill Bishop, author of Sinocism, discusses topics such as the third plenum communique, rumors about Xi Jinping's health, Trump's comments on Taiwan, and the state of the Biden chip policy. They delve into the significance of the plenum, uncertainties around Xi's health, and reactions to geopolitical events.
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Jul 10, 2024 • 13min

(Preview) Prepping for the Third Plenum: Revisiting the Readout, Past Plenums, Common Prosperity, and Momentous Reforms (Or Not)

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 prepare for next week’s Third Plenum by talking through expectations and themes to watch. Topics include: The signals from April's Xinhua readout announcing the plenary session, remembering third plenums of the past, why common prosperity is on the agenda, why this year's plenum may be the clearest articulation of Xi’s vision for the Party and the PRC, and examining some of the ongoing domestic issues that the Party may (or may not) try to address with reforms. At the end: A scandal over edible oils, the market for silicone masks, fierce competition in the bubble tea market, and checking in with Zach Edey. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Plenum Countdown; Orban in Beijing; Floods; PRC says "Volt Typhoon" a US op; Edible oil in fuel tankers — Sinocism Xi promotes a general; Symposium on the economic situation; Another cyber warning; Edible oil mess; Plenum; Inequality — Sinocism China Focus: 20th CPC Central Committee to hold 3rd plenary session in July — Xinhua Yao Yang on the resilience of China's economy — The East is Read What to expect at the Chinese Communist Party’s most important meeting of the year — Atlantic Council China’s Top Bankers Are Embracing Xi Jinping Thought, Chinese Communist Party — Bloomberg China to probe alleged use of fuel tanker trucks carrying cooking oil — Reuters China Confronts an Insidious New Privacy Risk: Lifelike Silicone Masks — Sixth Tone Milk Tea Craze Is Bringing Out All China’s Wrongs — Bloomberg Zach Edey NBA Highlights — X: @NBA
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Jun 26, 2024 • 1h 2min

A Conversation with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on TikTok, Tech Investment, and Competition Between the U.S. and China

Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi discusses legislation divesting TikTok, American VC investments in PLA-linked PRC companies, tackling IP theft in tech, progress on fentanyl, PRC behavior in South China Sea, and more on Sharp China podcast

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