Big Take Asia

Shubei, in southern China, is home to one of the world's biggest retail markets for gold. Over the past year, it's seen a boom in demand for the jewelry, sold by thousands of stallholders, as the Chinese property crisis and slowing economy spurred a flight into gold. So much so that Chinese consumers helped propel the global gold price to record highs in 2024. On today's Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Chongjing Li about the enduring appeal of the precious metal in China, and what lies ahead. Read more: The Epicenter of China’s Gold Craze Is a Former Fishing Village [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-31/gold-demand-in-china-is-driving-shoppers-to-a-massive-jewelry-hub]Watch, from Bloomberg Originals: What Gold’s Crazy Run Says About China [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72jdzIsXJSI] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The US ban on TikTok saw millions of users – predominantly Americans – flock to another Chinese social media platform: Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote. So far, the vibe between Chinese and American users has been convivial. But can the good times last? On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha is joined by a TikTok user from Mississippi who recently joined RedNote and by Bloomberg reporter Gao Yuan to discuss what this sudden influx means for the app, its users and China’s censorship machine. Read more: TikTok Refugees in US Test Xi’s Firewall While Embracing Chinese [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-16/tiktok-refugees-in-us-test-xi-s-firewall-while-embracing-chinese]Further listening: Inside Microsoft’s Censorship of Bing in China [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-microsofts-censorship-of-bing-in-china/id1578096201?i=1000648272821] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

A record 600,000 people traveled to South Korea for medical procedures in 2023, with roughly half of those visiting dermatology and plastic surgery clinics. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg's Oanh Ha about the rise of the medical tourism industry, and how it’s colliding with a shrinking supply of doctors and a struggling medical system. Further listening: Netflix’s Big Bet On ‘Squid Game’ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/netflixs-big-bet-on-squid-game/id1746141911?i=1000681582376] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

China’s pension system is in danger of running out of cash within a decade due to severe underfunding. Now it faces a new threat: Tens of millions of mostly young workers are refusing to pay into it. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Qianwei Zhang about why workers are boycotting the system and what’s at stake for the struggling economy and the Communist Party. Further listening: China’s Crackdowns Are Crushing the Dreams of a Generation [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinas-crackdowns-are-crushing-the-dreams-of-a-generation/id1746141911?i=1000669989858]Watch, from Bloomberg Originals: Why Are China’s Youth Boycotting Pensions? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yotq1XwKabE]   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

China’s Luckin Coffee is the nation’s top coffee retailer, overtaking even Starbucks. That would be notable itself, but less than four years ago the company filed for bankruptcy, making its comeback even more unlikely. The turnaround is in part thanks to the chain’s automated stores, cut-price deals and innovative drinks that appeal to local tastes. Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Rachel Chang on how Luckin managed to turn around its failing business to overtake Starbucks, and asks whether it can hold on to its success as coffee takes off in China, and more rivals emerge. Read more: China’s Luckin Coffee Is Back From the Brink and Beating Starbucks [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-06/china-s-luckin-coffee-lkncy-is-back-and-beating-starbucks-sbux] Further listening: What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party?  [https://omny.fm/shows/the-big-take/what-does-china-s-economic-slowdown-mean-for-the-c/embed?size=square] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.