Sharp China with Bill Bishop

By Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill BishopNews

Sharp China with Bill Bishop episodes

July 10, 2025 Wang Yi’s Message on Ukraine; Continued EU Tensions; Deflation and ‘Disorderly’ Competition; Extended Thoughts on Two Months of Xi Rumors
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with a look at tensions between the PRC and the EU ahead of the EU-China summit later this month. Topics include: Reports concerning Wang Yi's comments to EU counterparts conveying Beijing's perspective on the Ukraine war, the PRC Foreign Ministry implores the EU to "rebalance its mindset" rather than rebalancing trade, and the rare earths leverage that looms as Europe mulls its next moves. From there: Stepped up party efforts to combat overcapacity and "disorderly competition," the decades-long challenge of stimulating consumption, and extended thoughts on the spate of rumors surrounding Xi's grip on power and what can and can't be gleaned from observed behavior the past few months. At the end: A bit of TikTok news, and a welcome to the NBA for Yang Hansen.
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
More on June Politburo meeting; Stabilizing employment; Trump's threat to bomb Beijing; EU's mindset needs "rebalancing"; TikTok — Sinocism
Xi's Shanxi tour; VDL's tough on China speech; Rare earths; Kindergarten mass lead poisoning; "London Framework" — Sinocism
Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources — SCMP
China Rebukes EU Chief After Demand for Greater Trade Access — Bloomberg
France Urges Tariff Barriers to Stop China From Killing Industry — Bloomberg
Germany summons China’s ambassador after a plane is lasered over Red Sea — AP
China’s top leadership takes aim at ‘disorderly low-price competition’ — SCMP
Calls grow for China's household sector to be bigger economic driver — Reuters
Deeply Understand and Comprehensively Rectify "Involutionary" Competition — Qiushi
China’s producer prices fall 3.6% in June, biggest drop in nearly two years as deflation deepens — CNBC
Is Chinese President Xi Jinping on his way out? — NY Post
‘Containing Xi’, or refining party rule? — Observing China
Is Xi's Grip Holding? — China Media Project
Exclusive: TikTok prepares US app with its own algorithm and user data — Reuters
NBA Draft surprise: China center Yang Hansen picked at No. 16, dealt to Blazers — The Athletic
1 hr 12 min
June 25, 2025 (Preview) The PRC and the Past Two Weeks in Iran; Ten Speeches in Taiwan; London Framework Faltering?; All Eyes on the EU
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with PRC perspectives on the past two weeks of attacks on Iran. Topics include: Dispelling notions that U.S. involvement was welcomed by the PRC, why regional stability in the Middle East is stressed in every PRC statement, and how Iran and other PRC partners may view China's inaction over the last few weeks. From there: President William Lai delivers the first of ten speeches on national unity in Taiwan, the PRC offers a blistering response, and it may be time to brace for a rocky summer. At the end: The London agreement between the U.S. and China is under duress, EU leaders sound increasingly hawkish as the EU-China summit looms, Trump gives TikTok its third extension, and Congressional testimony brings the PRC swimming scandal back to the spotlight.
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
China and the Iran-Israel conflict; Lai: "Taiwan is of course a country"; Rickety "London Framework"; Curbing “involution-style” competition — Sinocism
Xi-Putin call; Rare earths and the EU; Opening exit paths for tech firms; TikTaco — Sinocism
China’s influence tested by US air strikes on Iran but direct role unlikely: analysts — SCMP
Lai begins 10-stop tour with speech on ‘nation’ — Taipei Times
No Chinese diplomats remain in Lithuania — LRT
How Sarunas Marciulionis Opened Pandora's Box — Sports Illustrated (2018)
Chinese ambassador sparks European outrage over suggestion former Soviet states don’t exist — CNN (2023)
Trump Pledge of Quick China Magnet Flows Has Yet to Materialize — Bloomberg
US may target Samsung, Hynix, TSMC operations in China, sources say — Reuters
EU foreign policy chief calls for ‘dose of realism’ in China relations — SCMP
Statement by President von der Leyen at Session II - working lunch of the G7, 'Economic growth, security and resilience' — EU Commission
Trump to extend TikTok sale deadline for third time, White House says — Reuters
Trump’s Continuing Illegal Refusal to Enforce the TikTok Ban — Executive Function
Had a belly full. Could Chinese swimmers have eaten 5 kilos of food en route to failed doping test? — AP
9 min
June 17, 2025 (Preview) A US-China Trade Framework and Continuing Rare Earth Fun; The PRC and the War in Iran; Challenges in China's Car Industry?
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
On today’s show Andrew and Bill take stock of the US-China trade framework in the wake of last week’s negotiations in London. Topics include: US escalations that brought the PRC side back to the table, PRC rare earth leverage that forced a compromise but no additional export control concessions, and variables to watch as trade tensions continue. From there: A survey of the various implications for the PRC as Israel attacks Iran and Wang Yi condemns the violations of Iran’s sovereignty. At the end: The FT reports on struggles in the PRC auto industry, the politics of factory closures, another compelling data point undermining Xi rumors, and a Wall Street Journal story about new chip workarounds for PRC firms.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi in Kazakhstan; PRC condemns Israel's attack on Iran; Real estate not stabilized; rare earths; Working on the 15th Five-Year Plan — Sinocism
Trump Has No China Trade Strategy — Wall Street Journal
New China Trade ‘Deal’ Takes U.S. Back to Where It Started — New York Times
G-7 Works to Secure Critical Minerals in Face of China Curbs — Bloomberg
Exclusive: US-China trade truce leaves military-use rare earth issue unresolved, sources say — Reuters
China demands sensitive information for rare earth exports, companies warn — Financial Times
Chinese FM Wang Yi holds phone conversation with Iranian FM, says Israel’s attack on nuclear facilities ‘sets dangerous precedent’ — Global Times
Iran Orders Material From China for Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles — Wall Street Journal
China’s car industry runs on empty as supply chain bills go unpaid — Financial Times
China’s Geely to stop building new car plants amid severe global overcapacity — SCMP
China Forced to Keep Unprofitable Firms Alive to Save Jobs and Avoid Unrest — Bloomberg
Chinese AI Companies Dodge U.S. Chip Curbs by Flying Suitcases of Hard Drives Abroad — Wall Street Journal
14 min
June 11, 2025 (Preview) US-China Meetings and De-Escalation; Chokepoint Clarity; Embassies in London and Spies in Russia; Xi's Latest Curbs on Party Boozing
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
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with a call between President Trump and Xi, two days of meetings between the U.S. and China in London, and an apparent effort from both sides to de-escalate. Topics include: Retracing steps of the past few weeks, clarity for the U.S. and others on the PRC’s leverage over rare earths, the possibility of the U.S. easing tech export controls, and the lack of trust on both sides in the wake of the past few months. From there: The U.S. has concerns about a Chinese embassy in the UK, the New York Times surfaces a purported FSB document outlining various counterespionage anxieties related to the PRC, and Xi’s daughter joins a dinner with Lukashenko. At the end: People’s Daily publishes an interview with Ren Zhengfei, Xi continues his attempts to curb excess among party members, and Victor Wembanyama visits a Shaolin Monastery.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
US-China talks continue; Ren Zhengfei interview; Shenzhen Comprehensive Reform Pilot; Influencer recruiting — Sinocism
Xi's busy week; US-China London talks; Rare earths; Huawei and Nvidia; Auto involution; Consumption — Sinocism
US, China Officials Agree on Plan to Reduce Trade Tensions — Bloomberg
China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries — New York Times
US raises concern over plan for Chinese embassy in London — Financial Times
Dutch sound alarm on Chinese super-embassy in London — The Spectator
Secret Russian Intelligence Document Shows Deep Suspicion of China — ew York Times
Xi Tightens Leash on Officials’ Boozing and Lavish Living — Wall Street Journal
Snopkov shares tidbits of non-public part of meeting between Lukashenko, Xi Jinping — Belta
NBA star Victor Wembanyama reportedly starts 10-day seclusion practice at China’s Shaolin Temple — Global Times
12 min
June 05, 2025 The Trade War Becomes a Supply Chain War; A Global Rare Earth Emergency; Xu Qiliang and the Xi Rumor Mill
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
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with a series of escalatory policies from the U.S. and talk of a call between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump later this week. Topics include: The rare earth frustration on the American side, the PRC’s use of leverage, the potential downsides for the PRC as the rest of the world grapples with shortages, and the maddening failures of the West to prepare for exactly this scenario. At the end: An update on TikTok, the death of Xu Qiliang and continued mystery at the top of the PLA, a week of rumors swirling around Xi, and two notes on the EV sector.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
To subscribe to Stratechery Plus, click here.
To subscribe to Sinocism, click here.
Xi meets Lukashenko; Xi-Trump call soon?; Rare earths; Bill O'Reilly and China — Sinocism
Xi rumors; US-China tensions; Rare earths; Xu Qiliang — Sinocism
US-China Messaging in Singapore; New Quality Productive Forces; Putin and a Natural Gas Impasse; 35 Years After Tiananmen Square — Sharp China
US curbs chip design software, chemicals, other shipments to China — Reuters
U.S. Pauses Exports of Airplane and Semiconductor Technology to China — New York Times
‘The president is obsessed’: Trump fixates on Xi call amid faltering trade talks — Politico
China’s New Trade Negotiator Is Ready to Play Hardball — Wall Street Journal
Watching China in Europe—June 2025 — Noah Barkin
China increases scrutiny over rare earth magnets with new tracking system — Reuters
U.S. Dependence on China for Rare Earth Magnets Is Causing Shortages — New York Times
Trump poised to extend TikTok ban deadline – for third time – as US, China meet for trade talks: source — New York Post
Former senior Chinese military official Xu Qiliang passes away — Xinhua
Confronting China — Bill O'Reilly
New price wars among China carmakers mask hidden dangers, Beijing warns — SCMP
China car dealers urge automakers to stop dumping inventory on them — Reuters
1 hr 1 min
May 29, 2025 (Preview) Made in China 2025 and What Comes Next; EV Price Wars; The EU and Its China Dilemmas; Xi and His Rivals
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
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.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Premier Li visits Indonesia and Malaysia; 15th Five-year plan and “Made in China 2025”; Improving the modern corporate system with Chinese characteristics; National Digital Identity System — Sinocism
US-China Geneva "détente" may be breaking; US to start revoking PRC student visas; China-PIC meeting; EV sector bloodbath coming? — Sinocism
Xi Mulls New Made-in-China Plan Despite US Call to Rebalance — Bloomberg
The lessons from China’s dominance in manufacturing — Financial Times
Was Made in China 2025 Successful? — Rhodium Group
Chinese EV Stocks Tumble After BYD Slashes Prices as Much as 34% — Bloomberg
Why Trump Lashed Out at Europe Over Trade — Wall Street Journal
The problems with China’s efforts to patch things up with Europe: ‘there are limits’ — SCMP
US Warns Pirelli Risks Restrictions Due to Chinese Investor — Bloomberg
U.S. Pauses Exports of Airplane and Semiconductor Technology to China — New York Times
Post from Jan Lipavsky — X: @JanLipavsky
Belgium bugged Anderlecht football stadium to spy on Huawei MEP lobbying — Politico EU
The Conscience of the Party — Harvard University Press
11 min
May 21, 2025 (Preview) Chips and the Geneva Consensus; US Policy and the Chinese Century; Controversy Over Solar Power Inverters
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
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.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Lai's inauguration anniversary; Xi in Henan; Official belt tightening; Chip controls — Sinocism
Premier Li on domestic circulation; Ding on tech self-reliance; AI chips; Rare earth magnets; CO2 emissions decline — Sinocism
US warns against using Huawei chips ‘anywhere in the world’ — Financial Times
Trump administration considers adding Chinese chipmakers to export blacklist — Financial Times
An Interview with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang About Chip Controls, AI Factories, and Enterprise Pragmatism — Stratechery
Global supply chains threatened by lack of Chinese rare earths — Financial Times
In the Future, China Will Be Dominant. The U.S. Will Be Irrelevant. — New York Times
Remarks by Director Kratsios at the Endless Frontiers Retreat — The White House
Remarks by Director Kratsios at the National Academy of Sciences — The White House
China is opening a new front in its supply chain war — Washington Post
Rogue communication devices found in Chinese solar power inverters — Reuters
10 min
May 13, 2025 (Preview) A 90-Day Pause, Big Tariff Reductions and What De-Escalation Might Mean for the U.S. 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
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.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Surprise US-China trade de-escalation; Rare earths; National security white paper; China-Latin America Forum in Beijing — Sinocism
Surprise U.S.-China Trade Deal Gives Global Economy Reprieve — Wall Street Journal
Trump Says China Agreed to Roll Back Non-Tariff Barriers — Bloomberg
Who blinked first? How the US and China broke their trade deadlock — Financial Times
US-UK trade deal squeezes China supply chains — Financial Times
10 min
May 08, 2025 Trade Talks in Switzerland; Continuing Data Opacity Concerns; Xi Heads to Moscow; The CIA Takes to YouTube
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
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.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
To subscribe to Stratechery Plus, click here.
To subscribe to Sinocism, click here.
US-China trade talks; Xi arrives in Russia; Xi's history lesson; Rate cuts and moderately more supportive policies — Sinocism
Ministry of Commerce Spokesperson Answers Reporters’ Questions on China–U.S. High-Level Economic and Trade Talk — Sinocism
US-China Trade Talks to Start This Week as Tariffs Start to Bite — Bloomberg
US Treasury's Bessent says China 'negotiations' to start Saturday without Navarro — Reuters
As China Looks for Way Out of U.S. Trade Deadlock, Fentanyl Could Be Key — New York Times
How Bad Is China’s Economy? The Data Needed to Answer Is Vanishing — Wall Street Journal
Xi Jinping’s Moscow visit highlights China’s strategic vulnerabilities — Brookings
Full text of Xi's signed article in Russian media — State Council
Exclusive — Rubio Details How Trump Going on Offense Against China’s Belt and Road Initiative: ‘Big Story of 21st Century U.S.-China Relations’ — Breitbart
CIA looks to recruit new Chinese spies with social media videos — Financial Times
选择合作的原因：成为命运的主宰者 — YouTube
1 hr 1 min
April 30, 2025 (Preview) ‘Protracted War’ and ‘Struggle’; The Looming Risks for the PRC; A Politburo Study Session on AI; Apple’s Attempt to Pivot
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
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.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi inspects Shanghai, talks AI and Global South; "不跪/Never kneel down"; AI; Jack Ma and Huang Youlong — Sinocism
April Politburo Study Session on AI is bad news for Nvidia — Sinocism
Today, it is necessary to revisit On Protracted War. — Beijing Daily
Never Kneel Down — Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X
China exempts some goods from US tariffs — Reuters
US tariffs could endanger 16 million export jobs in China: Goldman Sachs — SCMP
Emerging markets set to become battlegrounds in trade war — Financial Times
Trump says Xi called him, lays out trade and other deal plans in Time interview — Reuters
Exclusive: Trump officials eye changes to Biden's AI chip export rule, sources say — Reuters
Apple aims to source all US iPhones from India in pivot away from China — Financial Times
Apple’s India Manufacturing Push Faces Spoilers, Including China — The Information
Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company — Patrick McGee
Netflix Co-CEO Says They’re Not in China Because ‘Not a Single Episode’ Cleared the Censorship Board — IndieWire
14 min