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 reports that next year's five-year plan will double down on the Made in China 2025 strategy. Topics include: The legacy and successes of Made in China 2025, ferocious domestic competition in industries like electric vehicles, and an aspect of self-reliance that continues to elude modern leadership. From there: A report that the EU is ready to work with the US on China policies of its own, why the EU and PRC have struggled to form an alliance, and why the detente between the US and China is looking increasingly fragile. At the end: The MSS warns of espionage, Czechia accuses the MSS of hacking its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an emailer has questions about Xi and his political rivals. Related Readings: National Digital Identity System -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/premier-li-visits-indonesia-and-malaysia] US-China Geneva"détente" may be breaking; US to start revoking PRC student visas; China-PIC meeting; EV sector bloodbath coming? -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/us-china-genevadetente-may-be-breaking] Xi Mulls New Made-in-China Plan Despite US Call to Rebalance -- Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-26/xi-plans-new-made-in-china-effort-even-as-trump-aims-to-boost-us-manufacturing?srnd=homepage-asia&sref=5KSwFgaY] The lessons from China’s dominance in manufacturing -- FT [https://www.ft.com/content/724431ad-26db-4f6d-acab-ccb3cad11daa?sharetype=blocked] Was Made in China 2025 Successful? -- Rhodium Group [https://rhg.com/research/was-made-in-china-2025-successful/] Chinese EV Stocks Tumble After BYD Slashes Prices as Much as 34% -- Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-26/byd-leads-china-ev-stocks-lower-on-steeper-price-cuts?sref=5KSwFgaY] Why Trump Lashed Out at Europe Over Trade -- WSJ [https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/why-trump-eu-tariffs-d34b72ef?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAhs_uGRyKtHmjTJ3_igg9MEnMPvc_fvRF2lgMlg9j-a7BpVDtSXboqAGOKtRYg%3D&gaa_ts=6835250c&gaa_sig=nZkv3LPJ4D7-dvPtOlCf9cxCpW2f3Rubu2wNfVJglfpo0yqq3B1W1FlP8GFq55CFG_c44YedUncXgKlqgEjOow%3D%3D] The problems with China’s efforts to patch things up with Europe: ‘there are limits’ -- SCMP [https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311804/there-are-limits-problems-chinas-efforts-patch-things-europe] US Warns Pirelli Risks Restrictions Due to Chinese Investor -- Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-27/us-warns-pirelli-risks-restrictions-due-to-chinese-investor] U.S. Pauses Exports of Airplane and Semiconductor Technology to China -- NYT [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/business/economy/jet-engine-chip-software-exports-to-china.html] Post from Jan Lipavsky -- X [https://x.com/JanLipavsky/status/1927643661879197862] Belgium bugged Anderlecht football stadium to spy on Huawei MEP lobbying -- Politico EU [https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-bugged-anderlecht-football-stadium-to-spy-on-huawei-mep-lobbying/] The Conscience of the Party -- Harvard University Press [https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674272804]

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 Commerce Department's guidance on Ascend Chips, caustic responses to that policy on the PRC side, citations to the "Geneva Consensus," and the news the U.S. will be partnering with Saudi Arabia and the UAE on AI investments in a move that may limit PRC influence in the region. From there: Reactions to a New York Times op-ed about divergent policy trajectories for the US and China, comments from Ding Xuexiang on accelerating technological self-reliance, and questions about the US retaining and recruiting global talent. At the end: Rogue communication devices are reportedly found in Chinese solar power inverters, and a word about diamonds.

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] Sharp China: A 90-Day Pause, Big Tariff Reductions and What De-Escalation Might Mean for the U.S. and China Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill gather on short notice with reactions to Monday's news of a deal between the U.S. and China to significantly reduce tariffs for ninety days, while establishing a formal dialogue mechanism to discuss trade and economic issues. Topics include: Why a pause made sense for both sides, Trump's reference to the PRC and its "non-monetary barriers," the wins and opportunities that the PRC may see after the past several days, and the risks to the U.S. side as the rest of the world processes the past six weeks of policy choices.

This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. Show Notes: On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the US and PRC are sending representatives to Switzerland to discuss trade talks this weekend. Topics include: Why expectations should be set low, the week of signs that the PRC was willing to engage, questions about cooperating on fentanyl, and the latest measures to loosen monetary policy in Beijing. From there: An email about Chinese data spawns a conversation about increasing data opacity, and challenges for Westerners and the party alike. At the end: Thoughts on the PRC’s relationship to Russia as Xi Jinping heads to Moscow, the consequences (or lack thereof) for the PRC’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and reactions to a pair of CIA videos recruiting disaffected party members. You can listen to the podcast in the Substack app: Or click here [https://sinocism.com/i/163132499/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 the Stratechery bundle here [https://stratechery.com/stratechery-plus/]. Related Readings: US-China trade talks; Xi arrives in Russia; Xi's history lesson; Rate cuts and moderately more supportive policies -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/us-china-trade-talks-xi-arrives-in] Ministry of Commerce Spokesperson Answers Reporters’ Questions on China–U.S. High-Level Economic and Trade Talk -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/ministry-of-commerce-spokesperson] US-China Trade Talks to Start This Week as Tariffs Start to Bite -- Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-06/bessent-greer-to-meet-with-china-to-start-trade-talks-this-week?srnd=homepage-americas&sref=5KSwFgaY] US Treasury's Bessent says China 'negotiations' to start Saturday without Navarro -- Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/us-treasurys-bessent-says-china-negotiations-start-saturday-without-navarro-2025-05-07/] As China Looks for Way Out of U.S. Trade Deadlock, Fentanyl Could Be Key -- N.Y. Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/world/asia/us-china-tariffs-fentanyl.html] How Bad Is China’s Economy? The Data Needed to Answer Is Vanishing -- WSJ [https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-economy-data-missing-096cac9a] Xi Jinping’s Moscow visit highlights China’s strategic vulnerabilities -- Brookings [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/xi-jinpings-moscow-visit-highlights-chinas-strategic-vulnerabilities/] Full text of Xi's signed article in Russian media -- State Council [https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202505/07/content_WS681b1a10c6d0868f4e8f251a.html] Exclusive — Rubio Details How Trump Going on Offense Against China’s Belt and Road Initiative: ‘Big Story of 21st Century U.S.-China Relations’ -- Breibart [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/25/exclusive-rubio-details-trump-offense-china-belt-road-initiative/] CIA looks to recruit new Chinese spies with social media videos -- Financial Times [https://www.ft.com/content/762025aa-52f1-42d0-828c-87ba17eb53bd] 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] Sharp China: ‘Protracted War’ and ‘Struggle’; The Looming Risks for the PRC; A Politburo Study Session on AI; Apple’s Attempt to Pivot Show Notes: On today’s show Andrew and Bill take stock of the trade war one month after “Liberation Day.” Topics include: Domestic messaging on “struggle” and external promises to never kneel down, the risks facing the PRC as US tariffs threaten to compound overcapacity controversies and invite heightened scrutiny around the world, Week 3 of speculation on whether the US and China are negotiating on trade, and why talk of a resolution and return to the March status quo seems increasingly unrealistic. At the end: The April Politburo meeting reflects both caution and confidence, a study session on AI spells bad news for Nvidia, thoughts on Apple’s story in China as the company tries to relocate US iPhone assembly to India, and Netflix gets the last laugh 15 years after being rebuffed by PRC censors. Related Readings: Xi inspects Shanghai, talks AI and Global South; "不跪/Never kneel down"; AI; Jack Ma and Huang Youlong -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/xi-inspects-shanghai-talks-ai-and] April Politburo Study Session on AI is bad news for Nvidia -- Sinocism [https://sinocism.com/p/april-politburo-study-session-on] Today, it is necessary to revisit On Protracted War. -- Beijing Daily [https://vivid-green-408.notion.site/Today-it-is-necessary-to-revisit-On-Protracted-War-1e384ece41d780709ea3f1b51e70ac29] Never Kneel Down -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X [https://x.com/mfa_china/status/1917069881142612278?s=46] China exempts some goods from US tariffs -- Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-considers-exempting-some-goods-us-tariffs-source-says-2025-04-25/] US tariffs could endanger 16 million export jobs in China: Goldman Sachs -- SCMP [https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3308140/us-tariffs-could-endanger-16-million-export-jobs-china-goldman-sachs] Emerging markets set to become battlegrounds in trade war -- FT [https://www.ft.com/content/ff1f35b9-2ccf-4247-9bcd-a9c931b63c5b] Trump says Xi called him, lays out trade and other deal plans in Time interview -- Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-xi-called-him-lays-out-trade-other-deal-plans-time-interview-2025-04-25/] Exclusive: Trump officials eye changes to Biden's AI chip export rule, sources say -- Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-officials-eye-changes-bidens-ai-chip-export-rule-sources-say-2025-04-29/] Apple aims to source all US iPhones from India in pivot away from China -- FT [https://www.ft.com/content/c2be45b8-cfad-4cbb-9a1a-bfd0626be372] Apple’s India Manufacturing Push Faces Spoilers, Including China -- The Information [https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apples-india-manufacturing-push-faces-spoilers-including-china?rc=gtxu6q] Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company -- Patrick McGee [https://www.amazon.com/Apple-China-Capture-Greatest-Company/dp/1668053373] Netflix Co-CEO Says They’re Not in China Because ‘Not a Single Episode’ Cleared the Censorship Board -- IndieWire [https://www.indiewire.com/news/business/ted-sarandos-china-censorship-board-1235117902/]