Sharp China Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.com [https://sinocism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Show Notes: On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with Tuesday’s signals that the Trump administration may seek to deescalate its trade war, why Beijing may see it as confirmation that their patient approach is working, and questions about what’s next as the Trump messaging on trade changes by the day. From there: The PRC warns countries about cooperating with the US, and why the apparent US flip-flopping likely hurts their cause with third-party countries. At the end: A dispatch from Yiwu, more on PRC messages to third-party countries, and a listener’s note on Trump’s caustic approach to Canada.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.com [https://sinocism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill return to discuss the state of the trade war two weeks after “Liberation Day” and the imposition of a 145% tariff rate on PRC goods. Topics include: Reports of a Trump Admin strategy to isolate the PRC, daily talk of a deal with China from President Trump, himself, signals from the PRC side that they may be willing to negotiate, and the PRC cancels orders of Boeing planes. From there: A raft of news on Nvidia as the U.S. restricts the export of H20 chips to China, Jensen Huang visits Beijing for an appearance with He Lifeng, and questions for the future of Nvidia and U.S. chip policies more generally. At the end: China restricts the export of rare earths to the U.S., rare earths as a keystone to understanding broader U.S. supply chain challenges, "Red and Expert" anxiety 60 years later, and TikTok faces new uncertainty in the wake of the tariffs.

This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill return to discuss the intensification of the US-China trade war, including tariffs of 104% beginning on Wednesday, the PRC's options to respond, how companies like Apple could be squeezed, and why this represents the lowest point for US-China relations in a very long time. Then: Exploring EU opportunities and challenges after Premier Li Qiang's call with EU President Ursula von der Leyen, the debunked report about South Korea and Japan cooperating with the PRC, and unpacking the risks and possibilities inherent to the course the US side has chosen over the past week. At the end: Reactions to the latest TikTok extension from President Trump, a report that Liu He's son is under investigation, and a new name for the gardening podcast that may be essential in the months to come. You can listen to the podcast in the Substack app: Or click here [https://sinocism.com/i/158440761/to-add-the-sharp-china-feed-to-your-preferred-podcast-player] for instructions to add the podcast to your preferred player. Subscribe to Sinocism here [https://sinocism.com/subscribe]. Subscribe to Stratechery here [https://stratechery.com/stratechery-plus/]. Related Readings: As the additional 50% US tariffs go into effect will the bottom fall out of the US-China relationship? -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/as-the-additional-50-us-tariffs-go] Trump threatens 50% more tariffs on PRC; Trouble for Liu He's son; TikTok -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/trump-threatens-50-more-tariffs-on] April 7 People's Daily on responses to US tariffs 集中精力办好自己的事 增强有效应对美关税冲击的信心 -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/april-7-peoples-daily-on-responses] Apple’s China Problem, Apple in the Short Term, Tech’s Complement Risk -- Stratechery [https://stratechery.com/2025/apples-china-problem-apple-in-the-short-term-techs-complement-risk/] China has the tools to weather Trump storm, Premier Li tells EU’s von der Leyen -- SCMP [https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305692/trumps-tariffs-upend-order-chinese-and-eu-leaders-discuss-need-predictability] China investigates ‘princeling’ amid crackdown on finance industry -- FT [https://www.ft.com/content/47d8b4b9-226d-4045-8a42-db5f9be89a9f] Trump punts on TikTok deal — app gets another 75 days -- Politico [https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/04/trump-tiktok-deal-00272469] To add the Sharp China feed to your preferred podcast player: Click on the "listen on" button and you will see a dropdown with several options. Make sure you are logged into your account when you do it so you get the correct private RSS feed for subscribers. If you have not logged in for a while you can enter your email and then we will send you a login link. The “email link” in the pulldown shown above will send you an email that also makes it easy to set it up in your preferred podcast app on your phone. If you use the Substack app [https://substack.com/app] it has a built- in podcast player. Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinocism.com/subscribe [https://sinocism.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.com [https://sinocism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the China Development Forum, including China's messaging to foreign investors, revisiting the Mintz raids as five detained employees are finally released, no updates on a Xi-Trump meeting, and news in the EV space. From there: The US plans to revive shipbuilding capacity, the likely disruption if the US adopts the USTR recommendations to counter Chinese dominance, Michael Froman writes that China has remade the international system, and a few more thoughts on the CK Hutchison deal. At the end: Rumors swirl around He Weidong and others in the PLA, what the noise might signal, and news of a deep-sea cable cutter is accompanied by a reminder that China constructs and protects deep sea cable like no other.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.com [https://sinocism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] Show Notes: On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te designating the PRC a “foreign hostile force,” the initial response from the PRC and potential responses to come, rumors surrounding CMC vice chairman He Weidong, and an email wondering about the defense of Taiwan as a core American interest. From there: Sources say Xi Jinping is “angered” by CK Hutchison's deal to sell its ports in Panama, and TikTok talks accelerate as Beijing remains silent on the issue and Oracle heads to Washington to pitch lawmakers on Project Texas 2.0. At the end: Trump says that Xi will visit the U.S. in the “not too distant future,” a question about Beijing's reaction to cuts from DOGE and Trump 2.0, a question on fentanyl, and a read on the memoir of a former Facebook exec.