Sharp China with Bill Bishop

By Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill BishopNews

Sharp China with Bill Bishop episodes

May 17, 2024 (Preview) New Tariffs Across Key US Sectors; Et tu, EU?; Putin Visits Beijing; Rumors of a Real Estate Bailout
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 an overview of the new tariffs announced by President Biden this week, including the implications for America's green energy industries, the evolving scope of global competitive realities, and a variety of questions for future US policymakers. From there: Why Beijing may be reluctant to issue a substantive response to US tariffs while the EU refines its own tariff policies on EVs, and Vladimir Putin's visit to China highlights the delicate balance Beijing has tried to strike between capitalizing on the relationship with Russia and maintaining its ties to Europe. At the end: The many hurdles facing policymakers trying to restore the real estate sector, a New York Times op-ed about TikTok, an update on the Michael Chang documentary that was delayed last year, and Pink Floyd in Sichuan.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi-Putin; Real estate meeting Friday; US-China — Sinocism
US Tariffs; Putin to China; April credit contraction; Taiwan; UK; Qinghai court drama — Sinocism
President Biden Takes Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair Trade Practices — The White House
US-China Trade War, Volume 2 — Rhodium Group
US factories under threat from 'unprecedented wave' of Chinese solar panel imports — Recharge
Asian Solar Imports Are Subject of New US Commerce Probe — Bloomberg
EU feels heat from all sides as decision on Chinese EV duties looms — SCMP
Chinese solar groups pull out of tender after EU anti-subsidy probe — Financial Times
China Considers Government Buying of Unsold Homes to Save Property Market — Bloomberg
Cover Story: Will China’s Latest Policy Call-to-Arms Turn the Ailing Property Market Around? — Caixin
The End of TikTok Is a Propaganda Win for Beijing — New York Times
ESPN Films Announces Upcoming 30 for 30 Summer 2024 Programming Slate — ESPN
ESPN Films Announces 30 for 30 Documentary “American Son” on Tennis Player Michael Chang — ESPN (2022)
Kids from Leshan, Sichuan-based music school perform Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” — X: @Byron_Wan
14 min
May 09, 2024 (Preview) Xi Goes to Europe; US Restricts Intel and Qualcomm Sales to Huawei; Tension with the Philippines and Australia; TikTok Files Its Lawsuit
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 takeaways from Xi Jinping’s visit to France, Serbia and Hungary, where topics included cognac, "so-called overcapacity", the war in Ukraine, and Ambassador Lu Shaye twelve months after his comments about post-Soviet states. From there: The People’s Daily and other party media went dark for much of the day on Tuesday, and the Biden administration does not renew export licenses that allow Intel and Qualcomm to supply Huawei with semiconductors for computers and mobile phones. At the end: The latest twist in the dispute at Second Thomas Shoal, an Australian helicopter takes evasive action to avoid the PLA, ByteDance and TikTok take their fight to court, and a book rec for anyone interested in the origins of the GDP metric.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi in France; Overcapacity; Chinese modernization; PRC-Philippines; Real estate — Sinocism
Xi in Europe; Bytedance and TikTok sue the US; PRC-Philippines "gentleman's agreement" mess; Hauwei; AI — Sinocism
Macron’s cognac — the only thing that went down smoothly with Xi — Politico
Macron puts trade and Ukraine as top priorities as China’s Xi opens European visit in France — AP
Emmanuel Macron in his own words (English) — Economist
Xi Jinping lashes out at Nato over 1999 Belgrade bombing ahead of Serbia visit — Financial Times
China’s Mouthpieces Go Quiet — China Media Project
US revokes licences for supply of chips to China’s Huawei — Financial Times
U.S. assessing if China's SMIC broke U.S. rules to make Huawei chip — CNBC
Wescom chief agreed to China's 'new model' — Manila Times
Australian helicopter forced to take evasive action after Chinese fighter detonates flares — ABC Australia
China slams Australian military for ‘disrupting’ drill after Yellow Sea helicopter confrontation — SCMP
TikTok Taps Covington, Mayer Brown in Fight for US Survival — Bloomberg
TikTok's Free Speech Lawsuit Has a Logic Problem — Bloomberg
Despite international hires, TikTok is Chinese at its core — Rest of World
Growth: A History and a Reckoning — David Susskind
14 min
May 01, 2024 Elon Musk’s Surprise Trip to Beijing; A Third Plenum Set for July; An Uneventful Blinken Visit; Xi’s Trip to Europe
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 surprise, 24-hour trip to China for Elon Musk, and a Sunday meeting with Premier Li Qiang. Topics include: The Musk meeting as PRC response to mounting scrutiny in the US, the benefits to both sides of the Tesla-PRC relationship, and why this week's news may not answer Tesla's long term questions in the Chinese market. From there: Parsing the readout from the April Politburo meeting, including insights into how leadership sees the economy now, an announcement for the long-awaited Third Plenum, and policy changes that may or may not materialize in the months to come. At the end: Takeaways from Secretary of State Blinken's visit to Beijing last week, Xi Jinping prepares to travel to the EU amid a flurry of investigations into PRC entities and actors, and an emailer asks about the veracity of officially reported PRC economic data.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Politburo meeting and a July Third Plenum; Beijing relaxes some housing restrictions; Scarborough Shoal tensions — Sinocism
Xi to Europe; MSS head on the "five antis"; Musk's big Beijing trip; Housing restrictions; RMB; Kinmen patrols — Sinocism
Elon Musk flies in to meet China’s premier as Tesla fights local rivals — Financial Times
Elon Musk Can’t Solve Tesla’s China Crisis With His Desperate Asia Visit — Wired
Politburo meeting and announcement of Third Plenum in July — Sinocism
Macron plans to charm Xi in the Pyrénées — Politico EU
President Xi Jinping Meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken — MoFA
Blinken Meets With Xi as U.S. Pressures China to End Support for Russia — Wall Street Journal
China Has Crossed Biden’s Red Line on Ukraine — Wall Street Journal
Thread from Finbarr Bermingham — X: @fbermingham
永恒的经典！窦唯《艳阳天》 — YouTube: TheXQL1100
1 hr 3 min
April 24, 2024 (Preview) Blinken to China; San Francisco Vision Six Months Later; TikTok; A Scandal for PRC Swimming
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 Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's trip to Beijing and Shanghai this week, including reports that the Blinken plans to warn PRC counterparts about their continued commercial support of Russia's defense industry, and additional reports that the U.S. has drafted sanctions that could be levied against Chinese banks facilitating that support. From there: The many flashpoints that have emerged since Xi Jinping and Joe Biden shared their "San Francisco Vision," talking points from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in advance of Blinken's visit, and interesting language from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson late last week. Then: The House TikTok legislation is about to become law, what TikTok may do next, and questions surrounding the PLA's new Information Support Force. At the end: A recent scandal for Chinese swimming inspires memories from the '90s and commentary from Ambassador Rahm Emanuel.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi in Chongqing; MoFA on Blinken visit; Financial sanctions over support for Russia? QE talk again; Another alleged PRC spy in Germany — Sinocism
PLA's new Information Support Force; Blinken to PRC; TikTok; Swimming scandal; UK and Germany espionage arrests — Sinocism
Blinken to warn China over weapons-related exports to Russia — Financial Times
U.S. Takes Aim at Chinese Banks Aiding Russia War Effort — Wall Street Journal
Sanctions, SWIFT, and China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payments System — CSIS
Chinese foreign ministry official on U.S. secretary of state's upcoming visit to China — Xinhua
TikTok fortune of billionaire Republican donor Jeff Yass threatened by Washington — Financial Times
Chinese diplomats are quietly meeting with Hill staffers about TikTok — Politico
China Orders Apple to Remove Popular Messaging Apps — Wall Street Journal
‘Team USA Was Cheated’: Chinese Doping Case Exposes Rift in Swimming — New York Times
Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic Gold — New York Times
Chinese generosity in lead-up to cleared doping tests reflects its growing influence on WADA — AP
Post by Ambassador Rahm Emanuel — X: USAmbJapan
9 min
April 17, 2024 (Preview) Germany’s Hopes for China; Q1 GDP Growth; National Security Day and Transnational Repression; Another TikTok Report
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 protected]
@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
13 min
April 10, 2024 (Preview) Yellen’s Visit to Beijing; PRC Exports and Global Tensions; Finance with Chinese Characteristics; US-Japan-Philippines
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 protected]
@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
15 min
April 04, 2024 A Xi-Biden Phone Call; Yellen and PRC Exports; Continued Tension with the Philippines; Tesla and 3 Body Problem
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 protected]
@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
1 hr 5 min
March 20, 2024 (Preview) MSS on Cybersecurity; Will the Senate Kill the TikTok Bill?; Solar Energy and the PRC Playbook; Liu Jianchao on the Global South
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 protected]
@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
13 min
March 13, 2024 (Preview) TikTok in the Crosshairs; Why Divestment Is Unlikely; Special Interests vs. National Interests; US Internet Firms in China
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 protected]
@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
11 min
March 06, 2024 A 5 percent GDP Growth Target; Evolving Two Sessions Symbolism; US to Investigate Connected Vehicles; New TikTok Legislation
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 protected]
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
54 min