Sharp China with Bill Bishop

By Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill BishopNews

Sharp China with Bill Bishop episodes

April 23, 2025 (Preview) Bessent and an ‘Unsustainable’ Path; Making Sense of Hourly Madness; The PRC’s Message to the World; A Note on Canada
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 Tuesday’s signals that the Trump administration may seek to deescalate its trade war, why Beijing may see it as confirmation that their patient approach is working, and questions about what’s next as the Trump messaging on trade changes by the day. From there: The PRC warns countries about cooperating with the US, and why the apparent US flip-flopping likely hurts their cause with third-party countries. At the end: A dispatch from Yiwu, more on PRC messages to third-party countries, and a listener’s note on Trump’s caustic approach to Canada.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Appeasement of the US is not an option; Wang Yi on Xi's trip; Private economy law; More pilots for service sector opening — Sinocism
Bessent Expects Tariff Standoff With China to De-Escalate — Bloomberg
US markets rally as Treasury secretary says China trade war is ‘unsustainable’ — Financial Times
China warns countries against striking trade deals with US at its expense — Reuters
China urges Japan to help fight US tariffs together, Kyodo reports — Reuters
Wang Yi urges stronger China-Austria ties, slams U.S. tariffs — CGTN
Wang Yi holds phone call with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, stressing shared responsibility to uphold multilateral trade system — Global Times
‘You Think We’re Afraid of America?’ — The Atlantic
3 takeaways from my visit to Yiwu, the frontlines of the trade war — Chang Che
Blame Canada - South Park — YouTube
14 min
April 18, 2025 (Preview) The Fog of the Trade War Continues; US Restricts Nvidia Sales to the PRC; Jensen Huang Heads to Beijing; Rare Earths and Supply Chain Anxieties
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 return to discuss the state of the trade war two weeks after “Liberation Day” and the imposition of a 145% tariff rate on PRC goods. Topics include: Reports of a Trump Admin strategy to isolate the PRC, daily talk of a deal with China from President Trump, himself, signals from the PRC side that they may be willing to negotiate, and the PRC cancels orders of Boeing planes. From there: A raft of news on Nvidia as the U.S. restricts the export of H20 chips to China, Jensen Huang visits Beijing for an appearance with He Lifeng, and questions for the future of Nvidia and U.S. chip policies more generally. At the end: China restricts the export of rare earths to the U.S., rare earths as a keystone to understanding broader U.S. supply chain challenges, "Red and Expert" anxiety 60 years later, and TikTok faces new uncertainty in the wake of the tariffs.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
U.S. Plans to Use Tariff Negotiations to Isolate China — Wall Street Journal
Xi Fights Trump’s Tariffs With Global Charm Offensive — Wall Street Journal
China Open to Talks If US Shows Respect, Names Point Person — Bloomberg
China replaces top international trade negotiator as talks with Washington stall — CNBC
Nvidia faces $5.5 billion charge as US restricts chip sales to China — Reuters
Washington Takes Aim at DeepSeek and Its American Chip Supplier, Nvidia — New York Times
Nvidia chief Jensen Huang flies to Beijing for talks — Financial Times
Post from E-China News — X
Post from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party — X
Nvidia H20 Restricted in China, The Huawei CloudMatrix 384, Whither Chip Controls — Stratechery
Remarks by Director Kratsios at the Endless Frontiers Retreat — The White House
China Halts Critical Exports as Trade War Intensifies — New York Times
17 min
April 09, 2025 The Unraveling is Accelerating; Post-Escalation Options for the PRC; Trump Goals and EU Possibilities; Another Maddening TikTok Development
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 return to discuss the intensification of the US-China trade war, including tariffs of 104% beginning on Wednesday, the PRC's options to respond, how companies like Apple could be squeezed, and why this represents the lowest point for US-China relations in a very long time. Then: Exploring EU opportunities and challenges after Premier Li Qiang's call with EU President Ursula von der Leyen, the debunked report about South Korea and Japan cooperating with the PRC, and unpacking the risks and possibilities inherent to the course the US side has chosen over the past week. At the end: Reactions to the latest TikTok extension from President Trump, a report that Liu He's son is under investigation, and a new name for the gardening podcast that may be essential in the months to come.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
As the additional 50% US tariffs go into effect will the bottom fall out of the US-China relationship? — Sinocism
Trump threatens 50% more tariffs on PRC; Trouble for Liu He's son; TikTok — Sinocism
April 7 People's Daily on responses to US tariffs 集中精力办好自己的事增强有效应对美关税冲击的信心 — Sinocism
Apple’s China Problem, Apple in the Short Term, Tech’s Complement Risk — Stratechery
China has the tools to weather Trump storm, Premier Li tells EU’s von der Leyen — SCMP
China investigates ‘princeling’ amid crackdown on finance industry — Financial Times
Trump punts on TikTok deal — app gets another 75 days — Politico
1 hr 7 min
March 26, 2025 (Preview) Welcoming Foreign Enterprises; Ships are the New Chips; He Weidong and More PLA Rumors; Deep-Sea Cable Cutter
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 China Development Forum, including China's messaging to foreign investors, revisiting the Mintz raids as five detained employees are finally released, no updates on a Xi-Trump meeting, and news in the EV space. From there: The US plans to revive shipbuilding capacity, the likely disruption if the US adopts the USTR recommendations to counter Chinese dominance, Michael Froman writes that China has remade the international system, and a few more thoughts on the CK Hutchison deal. At the end: Rumors swirl around He Weidong and others in the PLA, what the noise might signal, and news of a deep-sea cable cutter is accompanied by a reminder that China constructs and protects deep sea cable like no other.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
US closes some tech export control loopholes; Support for private business; DeepSeek — Sinocism
China Development Forum; Xi Economic Thought; WTO compliance; Wang Yi in Tokyo — Sinocism
China releases employees of US firm as Xi Jinping courts global CEOs — Financial Times
AUDI, Not Audi: A New EV Sub-Brand Prepares for Launch — Auto Blog
Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ to retaliatory tariffs — Financial Times
Why ships are the new chips — Financial Times
How Foreign Companies Are Funding China’s Dual-Use Shipyards — Wall Street Journal
China Has Already Remade the International System — Foreign Affairs
China's Undeclared Arctic Foreign Policy — Wilson Center
Devil in the details of the Hutchison-BlackRock Panama ports deal — SCMP
Senior Chinese general disappears in latest high-level political purge — Washington Times
China unveils a powerful deep-sea cable cutter that could reset the world order — SCMP
Commentary: China constructs, protects submarine cable system in inclusive internet quest — Xinhua
14 min
March 19, 2025 (Preview) Renewed Tensions on Taiwan; Xi 'Angered' by the Panama Canal Deal; TikTok Talks Heating Up; Multidimensional Trump Implications
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 Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te designating the PRC a "foreign hostile force," the initial response from the PRC and potential responses to come, rumors surrounding CMC vice chairman He Weidong, and an email wondering about the defense of Taiwan as a core American interest. From there: Sources say Xi Jinping is "angered" by CK Hutchison's deal to sell its ports in Panama, and TikTok talks accelerate as Beijing remains silent on the issue and Oracle heads to Washington to pitch lawmakers on Project Texas 2.0. At the end: Trump says that Xi will visit "soon" but sources tell the FT otherwise, a question about Beijing's reaction to DOGE and Trump 2.0, a question on fentanyl, and a bit more on the memoir of a former Facebook exec.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi inspects Guizhou; BlackRock-CK Hutchinson ports deal under attack; TikTok; US ceding the global information battlefield — Sinocism
Tensions over Taiwan; EU corruption probe of Huawei; OpenAI rattled by DeepSeek; CK Hutchison deal with BlackRock slammed for "spineless kowtowing" — Sinocism
Taiwan holds combat-readiness drills in response to PLA ‘grey-zone provocations’ — SCMP
Fleet Of Special Barges Suitable For Taiwan Landings — 笑脸男人 on X
Top Chinese Military Official Close to Xi Rumored To Have Been Arrested — Newsweek
Elon Musk on Taiwan and the AI Race — Autism Capital on X
China Is Said to Scrutinize Li Ka-shing’s Panama Port Deal — Bloomberg
China’s Xi Is Angered by Panama Port Deal That Trump Touted as a Win — WSJ
To Save TikTok, ByteDance Must Go — National Review
White House seriously considering deal from Oracle to run TikTok — Politico
Leaked Audio From 80 Internal TikTok Meetings Shows That US User Data Has Been Repeatedly Accessed From China — Buzzfeed News
Was a CCP Influence Operation Behind RedNote’s US Surge? — The Diplomat
Donald Trump says China’s Xi Jinping to visit US in ‘not too distant future’ — FT
Chinese state media celebrates Trump’s cuts to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia — The Guardian
Meta Seeks to Block Further Sales of Ex-Employee’s Scathing Memoir — NYT
16 min
March 12, 2025 (Preview) New Year, Same Plans for the Economy; PRC Tariffs on Canadian Exports; A Trump-Xi Birthday Summit?; When Facebook Tried to Enter 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 begin with takeaways from the Two Sessions, including good news for tech companies as the push for new quality productive forces continues, the rhetoric surrounding domestic consumption alongside modest stimulus measures so far, the NDRC's plan to mobilize 1 billion yuan to support the startup ecosystem, and more. From there: The PRC announces new tariffs on Canadian exports and state TV warns against Canada cooperating with the U.S. on tariffs, and dueling reports on a potential Trump-Xi meeting as communication remains frustrated between high level US and China leaders. At the end: Cuts to USAID provide a win to the PRC as China-watching NGOs go offline, a whistleblower highlights Facebook’s failed attempts to enter China, and TikTok rumors continue to churn as the apparent deadline for a sale approaches in April.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
NPC concludes without Zhao Leji; Dalai Lama; Robots and embodied AI; US-China — Sinocism
Two Sessions; Xi's PLA/PAP meeting; Wang Yi's presser; Trump-Xi meeting chatter — Sinocism
Government work report; NDRC national economic and social development plan; Xi meets with his fellow Jiangsu delegates — Sinocism
What Slowdown? Xi Says China Must Win the Global Tech Race. — NYT
Trump’s Tariffs Push Xi to Overhaul China’s Ailing Growth Model — Bloomberg
China’s consumer prices fall for first time in more than a year — FT
China to set up national venture capital guidance fund, state planner says — Reuters
China Hits Canada With Tariffs in Indirect Riposte to Trump — NYT
U.S., China Discuss a Trump-Xi Summit for June — WSJ
Exclusive | Trump may meet Xi in China as soon as April despite escalating trade war, insiders say — SCMP
US-China Tariff Talks Stuck at Lower Levels, Stoking Frustration — Bloomberg
U.S. Foreign-Aid Halt Is Making Scrutiny of China Even Harder — WSJ
Rumormonger Australian 'think tank' ASPI suspends bogus 'research' on China as US funding cuts bite — People's Daily Online
Zuckerberg’s Meta considered sharing user data with China, whistleblower alleges — Washington Post
Trump Says Four Bidders in Play for TikTok Deal ‘Soon’ — Bloomberg
TikTok hasn't negotiated with prospective buyers as deadline looms — Axios
13 min
March 05, 2025 Tariffs and the Escalatory Cycle; China and the Fentanyl Crisis; TSMC Plans and Nvidia Scrutiny; Hard Times for Moutai
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 Trump raising tariffs on the PRC by 10%, the PRC's response, and the phone call Xi-Trump phone call that was rumored a month ago but still hasn't happened. Then: What to watch for during Two Sessions week, Xi has always supported private enterprises, a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on fentanyl, and why the U.S. focusing on domestic enforcement only goes far. From there: A roundup of news on chips, including an investigation in Singapore, TSMC's investment in the United States, a Wall Street Journal report on Nvidia, and questions facing the Trump team as new policy takes shape. At the end: The New York Times reports on "plea leniency," FIFA won't play ball with the PRC, and a variety of Moutai thoughts as Kweichow Moutai struggles to find demand.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
US Tariffs; Two Sessions; Xi has always supported private enterprises; Peaceful China Initiative; Chips — Sinocism
Response to US tariffs; Two Sessions begin; DeepSeek — Sinocism
FURTHER AMENDMENT TO DUTIES ADDRESSING THE SYNTHETIC OPIOID SUPPLY CHAIN IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA — The White House
Xi Leaves Door Open for Talks With Measured Response to Trump — Bloomberg
Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — MoFA on Twitter
BlackRock to buy Panama Canal ports after pressure from Donald Trump — Financial Times
Canadian Police Say They Dismantled Country’s Largest Drug Lab — New York Times
How Dirty Money From Fentanyl Sales Is Flowing Through China — Wall Street Journal
Chinese Buyers Are Ordering Nvidia’s Newest AI Chips, Defying U.S. Curbs — Wall Street Journal
Singapore Probes Potential Fraud in Nvidia AI Chip Shipments — Bloomberg
Cover Story: DeepSeek Sets Up Race for Chinese Dominance in AI — Caixin
Trump, Chip Maker TSMC Announce $100 Billion Investment in U.S. — Wall Street Journal
The ‘Leniency’ Trap: How China’s Plea System Gives Prosecutors More Power — New York Times
China’s tech minister removed from office — Financial Times
Ebbing demand for China's favourite firewater adds to debt concerns — Reuters
The Patrón of Xinghuacun - a modest proposal for Fenjiu — Moatless Musings
Xi Jiu, A Baijiu Bet on Xi Jinping — Sinocism
1 hr 1 min
February 26, 2025 (Preview) Trump's Memorandum on Foreign Investment; 'Reverse Nixon' Realities; Document #1; PLA Drills in the Tasman Sea
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
Document #1; Xi-Putin call; US trade and investment pressure on the PRC; AI development — Sinocism
Trump's recent hawkish moves on China policies and personnel — Sinocism
America First Investment Policy — The White House
China hawk picked for key US Commerce Dept job — Reuters
Trump administration pushes out top China export policy official, sources say — Reuters
Trump Team Seeking to Toughen Biden’s Chip Controls Over China — Bloomberg
AI Promise and Chip Precariousness — Stratechery
As Trump Courts Putin, China’s Leader Xi Emphasizes Close Ties With Russia — New York Times
Putin, Xi Reaffirm Ties on Anniversary of Ukraine War — Wall Street Journal
Taiwan detains Chinese-crewed ship suspected of cutting undersea cable — CNN
NZ defence minister warns of 'extremely capable' Chinese warships in Tasman Sea — ABC
Trump Team Seeks to Toughen Biden’s Chip Controls Over China — Bloomberg
Chinese Companies’ New Tactic to Stop Damaging Research: Legal Threats — New York Times
A newly opened basketball court in Beijing, transformed from the former cooling towers of Capital Steel and Iron Company. — China in Pictures on X
12 min
February 19, 2025 (Preview) Xi Jinping and China's Tech Companies, The Long-Run Implications of the Chip Ban, and a Pessimistic Outlook for Taiwan
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 special crossover Sharp Tech/Sharp China episode, Ben Thompson and Bill Bishop discuss the private enterprise symposium and Xi Jinping's rapprochement with China's tech companies, and the connection between xAI and DeepSeek. Then, an extended debate on the chip ban, including its potential long-term consequences, and whether or not a course correction is possible. Finally, why the situation surround Taiwan is worrisome, and whether Trump is looking to make a deal.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Xi convenes private enterprise symposium; Wang Yi in Munich; Taiwan; Tesla FSD and US-China trade — Sinocism
DeepSeek FAQ — Stratechery
Grok-3, The Nvidia Shortcut, Competitive Implications — Stratechery Update
The ZTE Ban, Tech’s Trade War Risk, China’s Delayed Approval and Apple’s Pain — Stratechery Update
16 min
February 06, 2025 The Tariff Tit-for-Tat Begins; The PRC and the Panama Canal; Apple and Google in China; DeepSeek One Week Later
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 by talking through a first round of US tariffs on PRC goods and responses from the PRC earlier this week. Topics include: The fentanyl allegations that served as the predicate for these tariffs, Chinese responses that highlight points of leverage should trade tensions escalate, next steps in negotiations, and the end of the de minimis loophole. From there: Secretary of State Marco Rubio tours Latin America, the PRC's investments in Panama, and questions for the future of the Panama Canal. At the end: The PRC announces an investigation into Google, a Bloomberg report suggests Apple's being investigated for its app store policies, Apple's growth in China plateaus, and a few more thoughts on DeepSeek as Congress reacts and BIS gets a new leader.
To email the show: [email protected]
@SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube
@Stratechery Channel — YouTube
Foreign leaders meet with Xi; US-China; Lu Shaye; Tesla; Modernization; DeepSeek — Sinocism
US-China tariffs and export controls; Google in China trouble again — Sinocism
Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China — The White House
'We Are Shipping To The U.S.': Inside China's Online Synthetic Drug Networks — NPR
Beijing Prepares Its Opening Bid to Talk Trade With Trump — Wall Street Journal
Looking Beyond TikTok: The Risks of Temu — CSIS
Trump administration weighs adding Shein, Temu to forced labor list — Semafor
Panama Offers Concessions to US After Rubio Meets President — Bloomberg
Panama: China’s Strategic Hub — Diaglo Americas
China targets Google, Nvidia and Intel as Donald Trump’s tariffs bite — Financial Times
China Weighs Probe Into Apple’s App Store Fees, Practices — Bloomberg
Apple Earnings, OpenAI Deep Research, The Unbundling of Substantiation — Stratechery
Foxconn stops sending Chinese workers to India iPhone factories — Rest of World
Chinese state-linked accounts hyped DeepSeek AI launch ahead of US stock rout, Graphika says — Reuters
Senators urge tougher chip controls to stymie Chinese AI advance — Washington Post
1 hr 7 min