Sharp China with Bill Bishop

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 On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from the meeting between Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, including muted messaging on overcapacity concerns, Germany’s investments in the PRC market, and a request for Xi Jinping to broker peace in Ukraine. From there: Economic data from Q1 in China, and a question about Beijing's calculus in the face of mounting tension between Iran and Israel. At the end: National Security Day and more anecdotes from the MSS, memories from Bill’s time translating Chinese literature in the early 90s, journalist Vicky Xu shines a light on transnational harassment in Australia, and Fortune Magazine delivers the latest blow to TikTok's claims of independence from ByteDance. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube National Security Day; Nine guidelines for capital markets; Scholz in China; PRC on Iran attack; TikTok — Sinocism Q1 GDP; Xi-Scholz; National Security; Microsoft and G42; Donkeys — Sinocism Olaf Scholz joins TikTok with a pledge: ‘I won’t dance’ — Politico @teambundeskanzler — TikTok Scholz wants Xi to stop Russia’s war. Xi wants Europe to stop trade war. — Politico Why Germany's Scholz is bowing to the Chinese dragon — Politico Post by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — X: @Bundeskanzler US says China is supplying missile and drone engines to Russia — Financial Times China’s economy expands by a surprisingly strong pace in the first quarter of 2024 — CNN Biden’s options for retaliating against Iran risk antagonizing China — Washington Post China reveals it executed scientist for spying in 2016 in documentary about ‘shocking’ cases — SCMP How it feels to live under surveillance by China — The Saturday Paper Powerful Senator Crafts TikTok Crackdown — Wall Street Journal Some ex-TikTok employees say the social media service worked closely with its China-based parent despite claims of independence — Fortune

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 On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen's visit to China, including what her meetings may or may not accomplish and the likely next steps for the Biden Administration in the months to come. From there: As the US and Europe grapple with the threat of cheaper PRC goods in key industries, how might China respond to raised tariffs around the world? Will there be consequences for continued support of Russia's defense industrial base? And how realistic is the deterrence strategy articulated by Ambassador Rahm Emanuel this week? At the end: A question about Xi's vision for the PRC financial system, the deepening partnership between the US and Japan, the US and allies conduct naval exercises in the South China Sea, and a question about Tesla's 0% financing for PRC customers. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube China Shock 2.0 Sparks Global Backlash Against Flood of Cheap Goods — Wall Street Journal US should not politicise trade issues, China’s Li Qiang tells Janet Yellen in response to ‘overcapacity’ concerns — SCMP US and China agree to start new talks on 'balanced' economic growth — France 24 China Providing Geospatial Intelligence to Russia, US Warns — Bloomberg How Billions in Bitcoin Laundered From China Ended Up in British Hands — Caixin Financial Development with Chinese Characteristics; Taiwan Earthquake; Yellen; NDRC support for private sector; Tesla — Sinocism Yellen enjoys a beer at the now Carlsberg-owned Jing A in Beijing — Image U.S. Amb. to Japan Rahm Emanuel: China’s most persistent & pernicious economic strategy is coercion — CNBC Rahm on China: Colorful Diplomacy, Alliances, and the Military-Industrial Complex — ChinaTalk China says it patrolled the South China Sea in an apparent response to US naval drills with allies — AP Aukus weighs expanding security pact to deter China in Indo-Pacific — Financial Times Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on April 8, 2024 — MOFA Substack Note from Bill Bishop — @sinocism

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 On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from Tuesday’s phone call between President Biden and President Xi, including the PRC rhetoric surrounding US trade and tech policies, and messages to both domestic audiences and allies. From there: Janet Yellen’s visit to China and her evolving stance on PRC exports, the March Politburo meeting comes and goes without plenum news, Xi meets with U.S. business leaders, and Harvard’s Graham Allison emerges as a potential Henry Kissinger successor. At the end: Escalating rhetoric and the latest confrontation between the PRC and the Philippines, Tesla’s latest sales numbers and structural challenges in the PRC, and the debut of 3 Body Problem on Netflix. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi-Biden call; More US tech controls coming?; NDRC on equipment and consumer upgrades; Another Justice Minister goes down — Sinocism March Politburo meeting; PRC-Philippines tensions; Xi's meeting with US VIPs — Sinocism Joe Biden and Xi Jinping have ‘candid’ phone call in first engagement since November — Financial Times US and EU officials talk China in Belgium — Politico EU Janet Yellen Missed the First ‘China Shock.’ Can She Stop the Second? — Wall Street Journal China's Xi meets American CEOs in bid to boost confidence in ailing economy — NBC News Thread by Graham Allison — X: @GrahamTAllison Professor Graham ‘Thucydides Trap’ Allison’s Three-Body Problem — China Heritage 'China and US are inseparable, conjoined Siamese twins:' Graham Allison — Global Times Post by Joseph Morong — X: @Joseph_Morong Tesla’s Shrinking China Market Share Compounds Global Woes — Bloomberg [4K Ver.] ENG SUB [Three-Body] EP01 — YouTube: Tencent Video

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 On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the Ministry of State Security providing its interpretation of the Cybersecurity Law. Topics include: The odd timing of this message as debate roils over TikTok, the legal and regulatory framework that’s emerged under Xi, and the lack of anonymity on the PRC internet. From there: The Hong Kong legislature passes Article 23 faster than expected, and an update on the state of the TikTok legislation as the Senate prepares for an intel briefing on Wednesday. Then: Lessons from the solar industry as domestic suppliers in the EU and US struggle to compete with the PRC, Liu Jianchao offers clarifying commentary on China's approach to the Global South, Rahm Emanuel talks to Semafor, and Zach Edey takes center stage in the NCAA Tournament. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube MSS on cybersecurity law; Wang Yi; Handan murder; CSRC; Liu Jianchao on the Global South — Sinocism Article 23, Xi in Hunan; Action plan to encourage foreigners to "invest in China"; 400B RMB spent on stock market rescue?; AI dialogue — Sinocism MSS’ interpretation on Cybersecurity Law highlights prioritization of critical information infrastructure — Global Times Hong Kong Article 23; No Plenum and Another Market Setback; Trump and Taiwan; TikTok in Congress — Sharp China Why is Hong Kong fast-tracking its Article 23 domestic national security law? Catching enemies off guard among key reasons, sources say — SCMP After TikTok bill sails through House, senators pump the brakes — Washington Post TikTok Deal Is Complicated by New Rules From China Over Tech Exports (2020) — New York Times TikTok Struggles to Protect U.S. Data From Its China Parent — Wall Street Journal EU snubs dying solar manufacturers as China poised to swallow market — Politico US solar manufacturers in ‘dire situation’ as imports soar — Financial Times Solar Zugzwang — Doomberg Dirty Secret — Doomberg ‘Have I stopped saying anything?’ Rahm Emanuel on China, Japan, and sitting out a historic U.S. election — Semafor Zach Edey Is Just Different — The Ringer

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 On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with a week of surprising progress for the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. With the House set to vote Wednesday, they discuss the origins of the bill and months of work behind the scenes, TikTok’s now-infamous in-app alert, and why Beijing is likely to oppose any divestment plan if the bill eventually becomes law. From there: The factions in Washington that are opposing this bill, regulatory obstacles for American Internet companies in China, alignment or lack thereof between US business interests and Beijing, and what the next few months for TikTok and Congress could signify. At the end: A report that Li Qiang won’t attend this year’s China Development Forum, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius lobbies for lower tariffs in the EU, and a few final notes from the Two Sessions. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Bytedance/TikTok should be panicking; Two Sessions; Houses are for living in; Debt; Online nationalist frenzies — Sinocism Xinhua says Xi a reformer like Deng; TikTok; PRC-Philippine discussions leaked; Vanke; Premier Li — Sinocism TikTok Crackdown Shifts Into Overdrive, With Sale or Shutdown on Table — Wall Street Journal How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It — Wall Street Journal Annual Threat Assment of the U.S. Intelligence Community — ODNI House's bipartisan bid to rein in TikTok looks set to stall in the Senate — Politico Post by Brendan Carr on X — @BrendanCarrFCC Donald Trump Opposes TikTok Ban Because It Would Boost Business for Facebook and ‘Zuckerschmuck,’ a ‘True Enemy of the People’ — Variety TikTok Struggles to Protect U.S. Data From Its China Parent — Wall Street Journal Chinese president snubs Mark Zuckerberg’s request for baby name — The Telegraph How Microsoft’s Bing Helps Maintain Beijing’s Great Firewall — Bloomberg Mercedes-Benz boss urges Brussels to cut tariffs on Chinese EVs — Financial Times Exclusive: Chinese Premier Li to skip meeting with global CEOs at key business summit — Reuters Post by China in Pictures on X — @taongbingxue

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 On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from the Two Sessions, including the work report from Premier Li Qiang, what to make of the 5% GDP growth target for 2024, the cancellation of Li's press conference, Xi Jinping’s visit to the Jiangsu breakout session and his message on new productive forces and economic development, and the evolution of the Two Sessions in recent years. From there: The latest exchange between the Philippines and the PRC in the South China Sea, the Biden White House announces an investigation into Chinese Connected Vehicles, and there’s a bipartisan bill in the House that will renew the TikTok conversation in D.C. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm No big surprises in the NPC work report; Xi talks new productive forces with Jiangsu delegation; Second Thomas Shoal; TikTok — Sinocism Two sessions; Talking up the economy’s bright prospects; US-China; "Pseudo-middle class trap" — Sinocism China’s Premier Steps Deeper Into Xi’s Shadow — Wall Street Journal Xi’s One-Man Rule Over China’s Economy Is Spurring Unrest — Bloomberg Philippines says crew hurt, vessels damaged by China Coast Guard — ABS-CBN News Video from Armed Forces of the Philippines — @barnabychuck Statement from President Biden on Addressing National Security Risks to the U.S. Auto Industry — The White House US Probes Security Risks in Chinese Cars, Mulls Curbs — Bloomberg China's global auto strength: Why cost advantage is key for Chinese automakers — CNBC Television YouTube Lawmakers introduce bill that would punish app stores for hosting TikTok — The Verge TikTok Policy Response to Legislation — @TikTok Policy Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act Draft Bill — Punchbowl News

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 On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with an overview of the CPPCC, the NPC and what to expect as the Two Sessions begin this weekend. Topics include: Xi’s recent absence from public view, the resignation of Qin Gang as an NPC delegate, Li Shangfu’s removal from the party CMC’s official website, Li Qiang’s first work report as premier, and why Xi Jinping’s is unlikely to echo last year’s comments on the US. From there: Reactions to the I-SOON leaks as evidence of PRC hacking continues to circulate around the world, while Congress has questions for Elon Musk about SpaceX in Taiwan and whether the company is fulfilling its obligations to the US government. At the end: News on the Village Basketball Association, Joe Tsai’s Brooklyn Nets celebrate Lunar New Year, and Pandas are coming back to San Diego and (probably) Washington D.C. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm Qin Gang; State secrets law; New Productive Forces 新质生产力; Consumption stimulus; Cyber power — Sinocism Taiwan; WTO; Li Shangfu; US-China; E-Bikes — Sinocism Covering China’s National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee — NPC Observer China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang resigns from legislature after long absence from public view — SCMP Ousted Defense Minister Li Shangfu Removed from Top Military Body — Caixin Global China’s ‘two sessions’ 2023: Xi Jinping directly accuses US of leading Western suppression of China — SCMP Leaked Files Show the Secret World of China’s Hackers for Hire — New York Times i-SOON Data Leak — Malcore House China committee demands Elon Musk open SpaceX Starshield internet to U.S. troops in Taiwan — CNBC Tesla's Shanghai Factory: The Golden Goose that Became a Geopolitical Bargaining Chip — Motorhead China military must be able to destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites if they threaten national security: scientists — SCMP Inaugural Village BA national championship to tip off in March — Global Times Brooklyn Nets hold Chinese New Year celebration at Barclays Center during game — Yahoo! News Black and white and adored all over. China pledges pair of pandas for San Diego Zoo — AP Happy Year of the Dragon from the Brooklyn Nets! — @BrooklynNets

US-China tensions at Munich and Vienna meetings; criticism of CIA by MSS on WeChat; FBI warning on Chinese malware; America's struggles countering PRC info warfare; debate over lobbying blacklist; Rep. Gallagher's decision not to seek reelection; China protests treatment of its students at US entry points

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 On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with another week of volatility in and around the PRC markets, including a crash on Monday, stabilization as the week unfolded, reports of a meeting between Xi and regulators, and changes at the CSRC. Then: For the first time in 17 years Mexico has supplanted China as the biggest U.S. trade partner, which raises questions about the future of the bilateral trade relationship and volume of PRC goods that have been diverted through countries like Mexico and Vietnam. At the end: The future of green energy manufacturing in the EU and China, a look at the sad and absurd week of controversy surrounding Lionel Messi, and a Happy Lunar New Year to all Sharp China listeners. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm CSRC head replaced; Government wants more EV exports; Wei Fenghe absence; Messi’s groin good enough for Japan — Sinocism Stocks; Xi Thought; Nukes — Sinocism Xi Can’t Use 2015 Playbook to Calm China Markets, Investors Say — Bloomberg Xi to Discuss China Stocks With Regulators as Rescue Bets Build — Bloomberg China’s Economy Is in Serious Trouble — New York Times Hitting China's Wall — New York Times China’s well-to-do are under assault from every side — The Economist How a U.S. Embassy post about giraffes became an outlet for despair about China’s tumbling stock markets — NBC News China dethroned as top source of US imports after 17 years, replaced by Mexico: census data — SCMP A China-U.S. Decoupling? You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet — Wall Street Journal EU mum as solar industry time bomb ticks — Politico With solar industry in crisis, Europe in a bind over Chinese imports — Reuters Messi is playing in a match that concerns integrity: Global Times editorial — Global Times China says Messi's absence in Hong Kong match beyond 'realm of sports' as fury builds — Reuters Josh Ye — @ByJoshYe The 2024 CMG Spring Festival Gala — CCTV YouTube Channel

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 On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with reactions to the revival of Article 23 and thoughts on the landscape in Hong Kong as its laws continue to converge with the mainland. Then: A step back for the stock markets after last week’s stabilization efforts, another politburo meeting comes and goes without any announcement of a plenum, and a question about buying real estate in China. At the end: A listener has a question about President Trump and Taiwan, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is grilled by Senator Tom Cotton, Secretary Raimondo has concerns about EV data collection, and it’s the one-year anniversary of the spy balloon. To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm Article 23 for Hong Kong; Real estate; Economic policy; Bill Burns on China — Sinocism Stock Market; China Evergrande liquidation; US-China; Another missile cadre goes down — Sinocism Hong Kong unveils new security law in further repeal of liberties — Nikkei Asia Hong Kong activist publisher Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to sedition and collusion charges — AP Hong Kong announces plans to ‘trawl the world for talents’ — CNBC China Stocks Sink to Five-Year Low as Traders Unwind Rescue Bets — Bloomberg China Politburo Avoids Setting Date for Key Economic Meeting — Bloomberg China Says Trump Could Abandon Taiwan If He Wins US Election — Bloomberg Trump says Taiwan 'took our business away' — MSNBC YouTube Channel Tom Cotton Unflinchingly Grills TikTok's CEO At Senate Hearing On Child Online Safety — Forbes YouTube Channel Cotton defends pressing TikTok CEO on ties to Chinese Communist Party — The Hill TikTok Struggles to Protect U.S. Data From Its China Parent — Wall Street Journal Jake Sullivan on the Future of US-China Relations — CFR Raimondo Says Chinese EVs Are a National Security Risk For US, EU — Asia Financial Spy Balloon Memories — Politico EU