This week, on episode 103 of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief: Beijing’s former vice mayor pleads guilty to taking $19 million in bribes, Alibaba inches toward a second IPO in Hong Kong, and an update on the tepid and tentative trade agreement being hashed out between Beijing and Washington.

In addition, we talk with Caixin-Global managing editor Doug Young on the travails of Didi’s carpooling service, Hitch.