Sharp China with Bill Bishop

By Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill BishopNews

Sharp China with Bill Bishop episodes

December 17, 2025 (Preview) Xi Jinping Thought on Domestic Demand; Political Economy vs. the Actual Economy; The Stories of the Year and Questions for 2026
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from the Central Economic Work Conference, including the latest push to stimulate domestic demand, why consumption is intertwined with security, speculation surrounding Politburo member Ma Xingrui, and a reminder that many of the economic challenges facing China remain intertwined with politics. From there: More thoughts on the sale of H-200s to China, and a look back on the stories that dominated the podcast this year, including a TikTok saga that still hasn’t been resolved, the world tour of US-China negotiations, the PRC weathering the storm from the U.S., China’s ongoing economic struggles, omnipresent EU questions, the Xi rumor mill, and Xi succession plans.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Expanding Domestic Demand is a Strategic Move; Weak November economic data; Jimmy Lai; Meta and China scam ads — Sinocism
Central Economic Work Conference concludes; Five Musts and Eight Key Tasks; US-Japan-China; H200s — Sinocism
Xi Warns Officials Against Chasing ‘Reckless’ GDP Expansion — Bloomberg
No “Out-of-Pocket Expenses” for Childbirth in China From 2026 — Reuters
China Is ‘Rejecting’ Nvidia’s H200 Chips, Outfoxing US Strategy, Sacks Says — Bloomberg
US Lawmakers Question Basis for Allowing Sale of Nvidia H200 Chips to China — Financial Times
Trump Allows H200 Sales to China, The Sliding Scale, A Good Decision — Stratechery
Nvidia AI Chips to Undergo Unusual U.S. Security Review Before Export to China — Wall Street Journal
Nvidia Builds Location Verification Tech That Could Help Fight Chip Smuggling — Reuters
What’s Next for TikTok in the US as Deal Prospects Remain Uncertain? — BBC
China’s Economy Is Deteriorating on Several Fronts — Wall Street Journal
14 min
December 10, 2025 (Preview) Trump’s Plan to Sell Advanced Chips to China; U.S. Concessions Piling Up Amid a Push for ‘Stability’; Macron and the EU Conundrum
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the US is greenlighting the sale of Nvidia’s H200 chips to the PRC market. Topics include: Dubious claims in Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the news, searching for arguments in support of this policy change, the 25% of China revenue Nvidia will pay to the U.S. government, and waiting for Beijing’s response, including how many U.S. chips Chinese companies will be allowed to buy. From there: The U.S. halts plans to sanction the MSS and its contractors, Japan seeks more support from the U.S., and the dynamics of “stability” come into focus. At the end: The December Politburo meeting, Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China, an email about the West’s willingness to build, and ‘Zootopia 2’ becomes a sensation in China.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Central Economic Work Conference; Nvidia’s H200 chips for China; PRC-Japan fighter radar locks; Chen Yixin — Sinocism
Trump Says U.S. Will Allow Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Get 25% Cut — Wall Street Journal
Nvidia AI Chips to Undergo Unusual U.S. Security Review Before Export to China — Wall Street Journal
US halts plans to sanction Chinese spy agency — Financial Times
Japan frustrated at Trump administration’s silence over row with China — Financial Times
U.S. Authorities Shut Down Major China-Linked AI Tech Smuggling Network — Department of Justice
December Politburo meeting and the imminent Central Economic Work Conference — Sinocism
Wang Yi Holds Talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul — MoFA
France’s Macron threatens China with tariffs over trade surplus — Les Echos
Zootopia 2 bucks trend for Hollywood releases in China as it breaks records for foreign animation — The Guardian
12 min
December 03, 2025 Trump, Takaichi and a Game of Telephone; Japan Jawboning Continues; An Internet Governance Study Session; China Making Trade ‘Impossible’
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the call between Trump and Xi last week, a subsequent call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the PRC’s ongoing tensions with Japan. Topics include: Conflicting reports surrounding both calls last week, PRC rhetoric that continues to escalate, contested history surrounding Okinawa, and PRC behavior that may be clarifying for the rest of the world. From there: Various points of emphasis at the Politburo study session on strengthening internet governance, DeepSeek’s new AI model, and a recent Crowdstrike investigation that appears to highlight the risks of building on Chinese models. At the end: More bad news in the real estate sector as Vanke struggles make international news, waiting for the Central Economic Work Conference later this month, an FT op-ed makes Europe’s trade problems clear while solutions remain elusive, and a note from a NASA employee adds context to a previous discussion on space rescues.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Hong Kong fire; Politburo study session on strengthening Internet governance; Japan-China; Cloud loophole for advanced AI chips; Xu Qinxian — Sinocism
Who initiated the Trump-Xi call?; PRC-Japan; Loosening loan standards; CrowdStrike questions DeepSeek coding security — Sinocism
Trump, After Call With China’s Xi, Told Tokyo to Lower the Volume on Taiwan — Wall Street Journal
Japan Denies Report That Trump Asked PM Not to Provoke China — Bloomberg
China, Evoking World War II, Urges Europe to Take Its Side Against Japan — New York Times
The PRC’s Diplomatic Offensive Against Japan Over Taiwan — Global Taiwan
China’s AI is built for control — and it’s going global — Red Packet
CrowdStrike Research: Security Flaws in DeepSeek-Generated Code Linked to Political Triggers — CrowdStrike
China Tells Stats Providers to Halt Home Sales Data Publication — Bloomberg
China Vanke Jolts Bondholders Again With Plan for One-Year Delay — Bloomberg
Beijing orders China’s banks to lend to debt-burdened state-owned entities — China Banking News
China is making trade impossible — Financial Times
China’s growing trade surplus: why exports are surging as imports stall — European Central Bank
Three Futures — Watching China in Europe
Weeks from homecoming, Boeing Starliner astronauts want to set the record straight — CNN
1 hr 4 min
November 19, 2025 (Preview) A Maximalist Response to Japan's PM; More Bad Real Estate News; Leaked Warnings on Alibaba; Hasan Piker Touring China
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with a week of escalating rhetoric in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sane Takaichi’s comments about a Taiwan contingency. Topics include: Memories of Senkakku Islands tensions in 2012, why protests in the streets are unlikely this time, possibilities to escalate and de-escalate from here, and possible PRC motivations for reacting so forcefully. From there: A new round of disappointing real estate data while Lou Jiwei predicts prolonged contraction, “phantom loans” at banks, and a rescue mission for the Shenzhou 21 crew at Tiangong space station. At the end: A leaked White House memo alleges Alibaba is cooperating with the PLA, Hasan Piker’s viral travels spawn thoughts on Western influencers touring China, and a BBC journalist is reportedly under investigation for espionage in Brussels.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
PRC-Japan crisis; October government spending drops; Real estate prices continue to decline; Shenzhou 20 crew returns — Sinocism
Weak October credit data; CSRC head to resign?; No letup in PRC attacks over Japanese PM’s Taiwan comments; New Model of Global Leadership; Nexperia — Sinocism
Saber-rattling about militarily intervening in the Taiwan Strait situation will only lead Japan down a road of no return — PLA Daily
How Japan’s new prime minister has brought China’s ‘wolf warriors’ back out — CNN
Japan senior diplomat visits Beijing to ease spat over Taiwan — Nikkei Asia
China Secondhand Home Prices Fall in All Major Cities for Second Month — Caixin
China Sees Worst Credit Growth in a Year as Demand Dries Up — Bloomberg
China Banks Issue Phantom Loans to Hit Targets in Slow Economy — Bloomberg
Exclusive: GM wants parts makers to pull supply chains from China — Reuters
White House memo claims Alibaba is helping Chinese military target US — Financial Times
Tesla Wants Its American Cars to Be Built Without Any Chinese Parts — Wall Street Journal
US influencer Hasan Piker’s China tour draws fire after viral Tiananmen police encounter — SCMP
america against china against america — Jasmine Sun
Sinocism Live: Dispatches from China with Afra Wang and Jasmine Sun — Sinocism
BBC journalist probed by secret services over China spying allegations — Daily Mail
19 min
November 12, 2025 (Preview) US-China Follow-Through; New Xi Textbooks and a New Aircraft Carrier; A Wolf Warrior Greets Japan’s PM; More Setbacks for Nvidia
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the implementation of this month's deal between the US and China, including a variety of early indications that both sides intend to follow through with commitments made in South Korea, the PRC's clarification on its December 2024 export controls, and a report on the PRC implementing VEU system for rare earth exports to the US. From there: A variety of news and notes including a new textbook on Xi Jinping Economic Thought, Xi's visit to the Fujian aircraft carrier, a crackdown on improper asset seizures, and a flare-up with Japan's new PM after her comments on Taiwan contingencies inspire caustic language from a PRC diplomat. At the end: A pair of reports highlight questions about the AI future in China and elsewhere, while the New York Times reports on transnational censorship of a film festival in New York City.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
He Lifeng on New Quality Productive Forces; Measures to Promote Private Investment; PLA Air Force Turns 76; US-China Deal — Sinocism
Xi in Guangdong; Fujian Carrier; "An Introduction to Xi Jinping Economic Thought"; No PRC Honeymoon with New Japanese PM — Sinocism
China Suspends Export Controls on More Critical Minerals — New York Times
China Hatches Plan to Keep U.S. Military From Getting Its Rare-Earth Magnets — Wall Street Journal
Exclusive: FBI Chief Visited China to Talk Fentanyl, Law Enforcement, Sources Say — Reuters
Analysis: Beijing’s Push for Judicial Checks on Asset Seizures Signals Bid to Reassure Private Sector — Caixin
Takaichi Defends Taiwan Views After China Envoy’s Violent Threat — Bloomberg
Exclusive: China Bans Foreign AI Chips from State-Funded Data Centres, Sources Say — Reuters
U.S. to Block Nvidia’s Sale of Scaled-Back AI Chips to China — The Information
How China Reached Into New York to Stop a Tiny Film Festival — New York Times
16 min
November 05, 2025 The US-China Deal One Week Later: Why Short-Term Stability Is Likely, Costs and Benefits of Escalation, and More Adventures with Nvidia
On today's show Andrew and Bill break down the latest deal between the US and China, beginning with details from the White House over the weekend, why the PRC is likely happy with a tactical retreat and the new status quo, and why stability is likely at least through April. From there: Why the PRC was motivated to deal despite its goals of eliminating tariffs and export controls, clarity about American pain points, questions about Congress and what comes next, and the costs of China's strategy for the past month. At the end: Reporting on a doomed push from Nvidia to sell Blackwell chips to China, new subsidies for China's AI leaders, a potential Nexperia resolution, and questions the forthcoming fentanyl cooperation between the US and China.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Outcomes of Trump-Xi meeting; No deal yet for Nvidia chips; Gaokao — Sinocism
Xi at APEC; US-China deal; Rare earths; Nvidia thwarted by Trump officials; UK university censors over Xinjiang — Sinocism
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strikes Deal on Economic and Trade Relations with China — The White House
Rare-Earth Magnet Startups Seal $1.4 Billion Deal With Trump Administration — Wall Street Journal
Bringing Rare Earths Back — Commonplace
Trump Says China Knows ‘Consequences’ of an Attack on Taiwan — Bloomberg
President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping — The White House
Sinocism Live: Rush Doshi on the Trump-Xi meeting and US-China Relations — Sinocism
Trump Officials Torpedoed Nvidia’s Push to Export AI Chips to China — Wall Street Journal
Watch CNBC's full interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — CNBC
China offers tech giants cheap power to boost domestic AI chips — Financial Times
Auto giants rally as China says it will consider exemptions for Nexperia chip exports — CNBC
Trump Says Xi Will Help Fight Fentanyl. Will China Follow Through? — Wall Street Journal
1 hr 5 min
October 29, 2025 (Preview) A Basic Consensus on Arrangements to Address US-China Concerns; The New Five-Year Plan Sounds Familiar; Nexperia as an Object Lesson
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the looming Trump-Xi meeting in Seoul, South Korea, and the "consensuses" agreed upon in Kuala Lampur this past weekend. Topics include: Treasury Scott Bessent's comments indicate that the recent rare earth export controls could be delayed by a year, questions about what the U.S. might have conceded to secure that delay, talk of removing fentanyl tariffs, how Beijing sees the US in 2025, and a Trump visit to Beijing that may portend relative stability in the short term. At the end: Parsing the five-year plan and two stories about the Chinese economy, the scale of Europe's Nexperia problem becomes clearer, and thoughts on the challenge facing Europe and the United States as they attempt to build secure supply chains in the years to come.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Latest US-China "framework"; EU's rare earths stress; 80th Anniversary of Taiwan’s Restoration; Financial Street Forum; PLA; B30A chips — Sinocism
Fourth Plenum communiqué; New CMC vice chair; US-China meetings; Nexperia mess; PRC AI in Global South — Sinocism
US, China Tee Up Sweeping Trade Deal for Trump, Xi to Finish — Bloomberg
Trump Suggests He May Drop Probe on First-Term China Trade Deal — Bloomberg
Trump, Xi to Discuss Lowering China Tariffs for Fentanyl Crackdown — Wall Street Journal
Most-Wanted Fentanyl Producer Is Extradited to the U.S. After Brazen Escape — Wall Street Journal
China, U.S. reach basic consensuses on arrangements to address respective trade concerns — Xinhua
Trump is poised to end Washington’s Decade of the China Hawks — Semafor
China Deepens Push for Tech Self-Reliance Ahead of US Talks — Bloomberg
Netherlands-China chip war terrifies European car industry — Politico
Why China keeps winning the trade war — Financial Times
13 min
October 22, 2025 (Preview) The Questions Swirling Around the Fourth Plenum; PLA Purges Made Official; The Latest on the Trade War and Nexperia
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with questions surrounding the Fourth Plenum as it continues in Beijing this week. Topics include: The Party's messaging on past successes, a timeline for policy announcements in the days and weeks to come, steps the Party may take to address consumption with its next Five-Year Plan, and the full spectrum of possibilities surrounding Xi and his succession plans. From there: Reactions to the news of PLA purges that became official last week, including why some explanatory theories make more sense than others and why the upheaval is not necessarily a positive signal for Taiwan. At the end: More notes on the trade war with the U.S., the plot thickens with Nexperia and the Netherlands, a new website for Andrew's writing, and an update on Yang Hansen in Portland.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Fourth Plenum; PLA cases; US-China; Q3 GDP; US-Australia; Qin Gang — Sinocism
PLA Daily Editorial: Unswervingly Carry the Anti-Corruption Struggle in the Military Through to the End 解放军报》社论：坚定不移把军队反腐败斗争进行到底 — PLA Daily
Forever Xi Jinping? Perhaps Not — Sinocism
In China, a Forbidden Question Looms: Who Leads After Xi? — New York Times
China Ousts Top Military Officials as Xi Widens Graft Purge — Bloomberg
Bessent, Chinese vice premier to meet to try to defuse US tariff hike — Reuters
China targets five U.S. subsidiaries of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, sending shares down 8% — CNBC
Dutch seized Nexperia over fears Chinese owners planned to move chip production to China — South China Morning Post
Nexperia China tells employees to ignore orders from Dutch head office — South China Morning Post
Apple to Build Tabletop Robot and Home Hub in Vietnam — Bloomberg
Apple taps China’s BYD to build HomePod with screen, tabletop robot in Vietnam — South China Morning Post
Did Xi Jinping Just Have a Bad Moment? — Sharp Text
14 min
October 14, 2025 (Preview) Q&A on the Trade War: Rare Earths Anxiety, PRC Motivations, Mutual Risks, and the Capitulation or Escalation Era
On today’s show Andrew and Bill react to the PRC’s announcement of expanded export controls on rare earths and related manufacturing equipment. Topics include: Why countries around the world were immediately concerned, clarifications offered from the PRC that may not allay those concerns, and why viewing these rules as a response to the recent BIS updates is overly simplistic. From there: The American response to the rare earth measures, including Trump's "Xi had a bad moment" comment, TACO predictions that may age poorly, why this move may have been a tactical error from Xi, and why capitulation or escalation may be a binary choice for the US. At the end: A supply chain wake-up call for the whole world, the Netherlands takes control of a Chinese-owned chipmaker, and lessons from the UK as the spy trial controversy continues to unspool.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Rare earths standoff redux; Dutch government takes control of Nexperia; Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women; Fourth Plenum next week — Sinocism
Scott Bessent slams China: ‘They want to pull everybody else down with them’ — Financial Times
Beijing Declares Economic War on the United States — China Articles
China and Rare Earth Metals, Chips and Rare Earths, The U.S.’s Self-Inflicted Challenge — Stratechery
Cars to Fighter Jets: China’s New Export Curbs May Level a Heavy Blow Worldwide — New York Times
China’s Rare-Earth Escalation Threatens Trade Talks—and the Global Economy — Wall Street Journal
Trump to Hit China With Additional 100% Tariff, Citing Restrictions on Rare-Earth Elements — Wall Street Journal
U.S., China Aim for a Delicate Balancing Act on Trade — Wall Street Journal
GM’s Rare-Earth Gamble Pays Off as China Tightens Magnet Exports — Wall Street Journal
Chinese Exports Surge, Giving Xi Stronger Hand in Trade Fight — Bloomberg
Dutch government takes control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia — Financial Times
Police found secret messaging app used by Beijing agents on spy suspect's burner phones — Daily Mail
Sinocism Live: The UK-China spy scandal and UK-China relations with Charles Parton — Sinocism
16 min
October 08, 2025 (Preview) Official Secrets and a Royal Mess in the UK; Trillion Dollar Rumors in the Trade War; 300,000 Sim Cards in New York and New Jersey
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with a mounting scandal in the UK after prosecutors dropped charges against two men accused of spying for China. Topics include: Fingers pointed and claims that PM Keir Starmer and his Labour appointees were unwilling to present evidence of China as an "enemy,” ongoing reluctance to target PRC foreign agents under a new UK enforcement scheme, and reports of Beijing's latest play to move forward with its "mega embassy." From there: The EU Commission proposes tariff hikes to shield its steel industry from PRC overcapacity, why talk of a trillion dollar resolution to the US-China trade war is probably overblown, and a soybean bailout prompts questions about U.S. agriculture priorities generally. At the end: Reports of a "China-linked plot" to throttle communications in New York City, and the NBA's reunion with Chinese basketball fans continues in Macao and San Antonio.
Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Labour secretly sabotaged China spy trial — The Telegraph
China’s fifth-ranking official was suspect in dropped Westminster spy case — The Guardian
UK government undermined China spying probe to protect Beijing ties, say officials — Financial Times
China threatened to retaliate against UK over foreign influence rules — The Guardian
Water torture... China turns off the taps for British diplomats after row over 'mega-embassy' in London — Daily Mail
Eyeing China, EU unveils sweeping measures to shield its struggling steel industry — South China Morning Post
China Urges Trump to Lift Security Curbs in Push for Deals — Bloomberg
Trump bailout for trade-hit US farmers expected this week — Reuters
Thwarted plot to cripple cell service in NY was bigger than first thought: Sources — ABC News
NBA basketball was huge in China. The league is hoping for a rebound. — Washington Post
16 min