Understanding China and how China impacts the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Bill Bishop. sinocism.com
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June 11, 202614 min
Sharp China: Xi Goes to North Korea; Inspecting Xinjiang; A $295 Billion AI Buildout; The Pentagon Alleges PLA Links for Alibaba and Others
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from Xi's visit to North Korea this week, including the conspicuous silence on North Korea's nuclearization, Kim Jong Un's assistance to Russia's war in Ukraine, Beijing as Kim's top priority, U.S.-Japan dialogue on regional nuclear threats, and an email about the PRC as a communist countr…
June 4, 20261 hr 10 min
Sharp China: Seizing the Commanding Heights; Decoding Shangri-La Dialogue; Europe Moots Trade Policy; The PRC Expels a New York Times Journalist
This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with Xi Jinping's call to seize the commanding heights of science, technology, and industry across six industries of the future, as well as the State Council's move to release a 34-article law that will implicate domestic firms, foreign businesses and potentially foreign governments, as well as PRC financial institutions and individual investors. From there: Reactions to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's remarks at the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, why an absence of Taiwan mentions in his main speech is not necessarily seen in Beijing as a shift in policy, and questions regarding U.S. partnerships elsewhere in the region. At the end: The looming trade tensions between Europe and China, the expulsion of New York Times journalist Vivian Wang, the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacres, and Steph Curry's new endorsement deal with Li-Ning.You can listen to the podcast in the app:Or click here for instructions to add the podcast to your preferred player. To subscribe to Sinocism, click here.To subscribe to Stratechery, click here.And if you enjoy this podcast please share it far and wide:Related Readings:New regulations on outbound investment; Qiushi on future industries; Chip export control dysfunction; Shangri-La Dialogue; EU-China -- SinocismAgricultural and rural modernization; Socialist political economy; UK-PRC; PRC media in Africa -- SinocismChina Tightens Rules on Outbound Investment in Fight for Global Tech Edge -- WSJState Council Regulations on Outbound Investment -- Sinocism TranslationChina Expands Outbound Investment Rules to Cover Individuals -- BloombergPete Hegseth says US-China ties are ‘better than in years’ -- FTHegseth’s Message to Asian Partners: Do More to Get More -- NYTJapan’s defence minister Koizumi rejects China accusations of ‘new militarism’ -- FTBrussels fires starting gun on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation -- SCMPWatching China in Europe - June 2026 -- Noah BarkinAfter China Orders a Times Reporter to Leave the Country, the U.S. Reciprocates -- NYTTiananmen Tonight Trailer -- Tiananmen TonightVandals break into Tiananmen crackdown museum in US, founder says -- Hong Kong Free PressTo add the Sharp China feed to your preferred podcast player:Click on the “listen on” button and you will see a dropdown with several options. Make sure you are logged into your account when you do it so you get the correct private RSS feed for subscribers. If you have not logged in for a while you can enter your email and then we will send you a login link.The “email link” in the pulldown shown above will send you an email that also makes it easy to set it up in your preferred podcast app on your phone.If you use the Substack app it has a built- in podcast player.Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinocism.com/subscribe
May 28, 202615 min
Sharp China: Social Mobility and Hukou Reform; US Halts Taiwan Arms Sales?; Ongoing Pressure on Japan; An American Xinhua Journalist Arrested
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes:On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that Beijing moved to further ease hukou restrictions, including why this is a welcome change for millions of Chinese citizens, as well as a look at questions and challenges as the reforms are implemented. Then: A report that Chinese AI talent has been restricted from leaving China, while Beijing continues its efforts to control capital outflow and offshore investments. From there: Indications that the US has indeed paused its second tranche of arms sales to Taiwan, and more details on a US-China board of investment. Then: PRC-Japan updates, including reports of Takaichi recriminations from Xi in his meeting with Trump, heavy rare earth shipments restricted for the past four months, the cards Japan has yet to play, and Mao's strategic stalemate as a stage of protracted war, not an endgame. At the end: An American journalist for Xinhua and other state outlets is arrested and accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the CCP.Related Readings:Wang Yi at the UN; American Xinhua “journalist” arrested; Keeping AI talent at home; Recalculating carbon intensity; Another WMP blowup -- SinocismXi meets Pakistan PM and Serbian President; Coal mine explosion; Delinking basic public services from hukou; Crackdown on overseas trading; AI -- SinocismChina removes hukou hurdle for migrant workers in social insurance shake-up -- SCMPChina Expands Travel Curbs to Top AI Talent at Private Firms -- BloombergDeepSeek, a National Treasure in China, is Now Being Closely Guarded -- The Information (2025)China Traders Hit Exit After Offshore Trading Curbs -- BloombergIran war, China thaw complicate U.S. support for Taiwan -- WaPoUS warns Japan of severe delays in Tomahawk deliveries due to Iran war -- FTPentagon official’s Beijing visit in doubt over $14bn US arms package for Taiwan -- FTXi Jinping railed against Japan’s ‘remilitarisation’ at Donald Trump summit -- FTChina squeezes Japan over rare earths in repeat of 2010 showdown -- ReutersAffidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint -- DOJ“I would make the world’s worst spy ever” -- Too Simple, Sometimes Naive
May 21, 202612 min
Sharp China: Constructing US-China Stability; Trump's Taiwan Comments and More Summit Takeaways; Putin in China
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes:On today's show Andrew and Bill parse the messaging from both sides of last week's US-China summit in Beijing. Topics include: What the PRC means by "a constructive relationship of strategic stability," why the US side adopted the framing as well, a relative absence of tangible deliverables, and why "a calculated stalling tactic from both sides designed to manage risk" may be a more accurate rendering of the status quo. From there: Trump's various comments on Taiwan spark concern and questions, plus notes on Rubio, Ratner, an indictment of Chinese shipping magnates, and an Iran ceasefire Xi calls "imperative." At the end: Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing, questions for the EU, and more bad news for Nvidia in China.Related Readings:US-China summit outcomes; Constructive relationship of strategic stability; Taiwan; Putin to Beijing; Li and Ding on AI -- SinocismPutin arrives in Beijing; US indicts PRC container firms and executives; Developing Party members; Tracking foreigners -- SinocismTwo Readouts, One Deal -- Sinocism ChartCIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raul Castro’s grandson in Havana, US and Cuban officials say -- APRubio, Once a China Hawk, Strikes Softer Tone to Align With Trump -- NYTU.S. probing whether Chinese companies cut production of shipping containers before COVID pandemic -- CBS NewsXi Warns Against Resuming Iran Attacks After Meeting Putin in Beijing -- BloombergChaos erupts behind the scenes of Trump’s China trip — including trampled White House aide -- New York PostJoint Statement of the PRC and the Russian Federation on Further Strengthening Comprehensive Strategic Coordination and Deepening Good-Neighborly and Friendly CooperationJoint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Advocating Global Multipolarity and a New Type of International RelationsXi Jinping told Donald Trump that Putin might ‘regret’ invasion of Ukraine -- FTChina banned Nvidia’s gaming chip during Jensen Huang’s visit -- FT
May 13, 20261 hr 2 min
Sharp China: 10 Questions and Modest Expectations With Trump in China to Meet Xi Jinping
This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill talk through 360 degrees of President Trump's trip to Beijing this week. Topics include: Jensen Huang hitching a ride in Alaska, general expectations for deliverables after limited leaks and hurried advance planning, Trump's reception in Beijing, and the limits of "upper hand" analysis. From there: A coterie of billionaire CEOs make the trip with Trump, a US Chamber of Commerce/Rhodium report warning about the PRC's industrial strategy, and Trump makes overtures about "opening" China. At the end: Questions on Taiwan arm sales and AI cooperation, the expected talks on Ezra Jin and Jimmy Lai, a trillion dollar investment report that went viral eight months later, Xi's calculus before a 21st Party Congress, the Iran question looming over the week's meetings, and big, fat hug speculation.You can listen to the podcast in the app:Or click here for instructions to add the podcast to your preferred player. To subscribe to Sinocism, click here.To subscribe to Stratechery, click here.And if you enjoy this podcast please share it far and wide:Related Readings:Trump China visit; China’s Next Generation Industrial Policy; Standardizing and developing AI agents; No more deflation?; Ding Xuexiang visits Huawei -- SinocismJensen Huang hitching a ride -- Emily Goodin on XA weakened Trump arrives at Xi’s court -- FTTrump on Opening China -- Truth SocialTrump is taking more than a dozen U.S. executives to China. Jensen Huang isn’t one of them -- CNBCChina expanding its industrial dominance, warns US business group -- FTChina’s Next-Generation Industrial Policy -- RhodiumDonald Trump demands Xi Jinping ‘open’ China to US business -- FTXi Is Poised to Press Trump on Arms Sales to Taiwan -- NYTU.S. and China Pursue Guardrails to Stop AI Rivalry From Spiraling Into Crisis -- WSJFamilies of two Americans jailed in China urge Trump to seek their release -- ReutersJimmy Lai is not forgotten as Trump goes to China -- WaPoUS-China Relations Cannot Return to the Past, But Can Have a Better Future—On the Occasion of the China-US Heads of State Meeting—— - Guo Jiping -- People’s Daily (Sinocism Translation)Is Trump About to Invite In the Biggest Predator in the World? -- NYTTeam Chyyyyyna -- Lara Trump on XTo add the Sharp China feed to your preferred podcast player:Click on the “listen on” button and you will see a dropdown with several options. Make sure you are logged into your account when you do it so you get the correct private RSS feed for subscribers. If you have not logged in for a while you can enter your email and then we will send you a login link.The “email link” in the pulldown shown above will send you an email that also makes it easy to set it up in your preferred podcast app on your phone.If you use the Substack app it has a built- in podcast player.Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinocism.com/subscribe
April 30, 202615 min
Sharp China: Beijing Kills Meta’s Manus Deal; April Politburo Takeaways; Foreign Forces Afflicting the Youth; US Countermeasures Mounting
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes:On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the Meta-Manus deal will likely be unwound in its entirety in the wake of a ruling from the NDRC on Monday. Topics include: The legal grounding cited by Beijing, reports that Manus failed to seek regulatory approval prior to its relocation and acquisition, Mark Zuckerberg as the photo negative of Tim Cook, Beijing’s signal to the AI ecosystem, and why fears of chilled innovation may be slightly overstated. Then: Takeaways from April’s Politburo assessing the economy after Q1, including a nod to the Iran war, no signs of stimulus, and why cracking down on involution is easier said than done. At the end: The MSS argues that foreign forces are driving the “lying flat” campaign, while the U.S. quietly applies pressure on a variety of fronts in advance of May’s meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping.
April 23, 202612 min
Xi Wants the Strait of Hormuz Reopened; Cakes and An E-Commerce Crackdown; The Next Stage of Decoupling; The MATCH Act in Congress
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill return to discuss the PRC's posture amidst the ongoing war in Iran. Topics include: Xi's call to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, an interdicted Iranian ship that may have been carrying missile precursors from China, Trump's posture toward China three weeks before his summit in Beijing, March export numbers, and …
April 9, 202613 min
Sharp China: A Ceasefire and Reports of PRC Pressure; Another Politburo Investigation; Mythos, DeepSeek, and a Token Crunch
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the tentative ceasefire in Iran and reports that the PRC applied pressure to the Iranians to defuse the tensions. Topics include: The lack of clarity on what the PRC actually did and why, China's vote at the UN this week, why the PRC would like the war to end sooner rather than later, and relationsh…
April 2, 202657 min
Sharp China: The U.S., China and Iran; A PRC-Pakistan Peace Plan; KMT Chair Set to Visit China; Huawei, Manus and ZXMOTO
This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. Show Notes: On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with thoughts on China's response to the war in Iran, including a peace plan co-authored with Pakistan, why the PRC is not necessarily interested in global leadership, how China sees a deepening U.S. rift with NATO countries, and President Trump's visit to Beijing rescheduled for May 14th. From there: Context for the KMT Chair's visit to China later this month, reactions to a Reuters report on Huawei's latest AI chips, while the Financial Times reports that both Manus co-founders have been banned from leaving China. At the end: ZXMOTO steals the show at the World Superbike Championship and Zhang Xue introduces himself to the world.You can listen to the podcast in the app:Or click here for instructions to add the podcast to your preferred player. To subscribe to Sinocism, click here.To subscribe to Stratechery, click here.And if you enjoy this podcast please share it far and wide:Related Readings:China-Pakistan Iran peace initiative; PBoC monetary committee meeting; US-China; ZXMOTO; Taxes wanted -- SinocismKMT Chairwoman to visit China; Li Qiang on Xiong’an; March Politburo meeting; Beijing bans drones; WDO, SAMR on involution -- SinocismChina, Pakistan Issue Joint Call for Peace, Reopening Hormuz -- BloombergA brief history of China’s X-point plans for the Middle East -- China-Mena NewsletterWill China be the real winner from the Iran war? -- The EconomistA blueprint for Chinese global leadership -- Financial TimesSecret Codes and Yuan Fees Get Ships Through Iran’s Hormuz Tollbooth -- BloombergChinese analysis on the war in Iran -- China Mena NewsletterTrump plans May visit to China for talks with Xi after Iran war delay -- ReutersTrump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit -- SCMPTaiwan’s opposition leader to visit China next month, ahead of Trump -- ReutersExclusive: Huawei’s new AI chip finds favour with ByteDance, Alibaba which plan to place orders, sources say -- ReutersChina reviews $2bn Manus sale to Meta as founders barred from leaving country -- Financial TimesChinese startup ZXMOTO wins big at superbike championship -- China DailyFrom Repair Shop to World Podium: Chinese Biker Goes Viral After Historic Win -- Sixth ToneTo add the Sharp China feed to your preferred podcast player:Click on the “listen on” button and you will see a dropdown with several options. Make sure you are logged into your account when you do it so you get the correct private RSS feed for subscribers. If you have not logged in for a while you can enter your email and then we will send you a login link.The “email link” in the pulldown shown above will send you an email that also makes it easy to set it up in your preferred podcast app on your phone.If you use the Substack app it has a built- in podcast player.Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sinocism.com/subscribe
March 25, 202618 min
Sharp China: A Giant Mess with Super Micro; Completely Correct Xiong'an Progress; The PRC's Balancing Act on Iran; Manus, Apple and Router News
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit sinocism.comShow Notes:On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with last week's indictment of Wally Liaw, the co-founder of Super Micro, and its implications for US chip policy. Topics include: Incredible details from the indictment, US enforcement options, and bipartisan calls for government action on Nvidia exports to China and Southeast Asia. Then: Xi takes three Standing Committee members and three other Politburo members to inspect the progress at Xiong'an, signaling continued commitment to the "new area" 60 miles south of Beijing. At the end: Reports that the US visit to China is delayed indefinitely, the PRC's delicate diplomatic calculus as the Iran war continues, and tech news on Manus, Apple, OpenClaw, and an FCC ban on routers.Related Readings:Xi inspects Xiong’an; China Development Forum; Iran; Nvidia chip smuggling; SOE rules; Sleeping fish -- SinocismWang Yi speaks with Iranian counterpart; Japan-China; Router ban; Hong Kong bookstore owner arrested; Poyang Lake dam -- SinocismThree Charged with Conspiring to Unlawfully Divert Cutting Edge U.S. Artificial Intelligence Technology to China -- DOJUS must suspend Nvidia AI chip exports to China, senators say -- Financial TimesChina acquired recently banned Nvidia chips in Super Micro, Dell servers, tenders show -- ReutersA Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? -- NYTThe Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies -- BloombergFeng Shui: between spirituality and state legitimation -- Sinocities从风水角度看雄安新区背后玄机，关乎千年国运！- 新浪财经重磅！雄安新区“风水格局”首次曝光，中轴线竟然对着……Trump-Xi summit on hold until Iran conflict ends, people briefed say -- PoliticoChinese Founder of Router-Maker TP-Link Seeks a Trump Gold Card -- BloombergFCC Bans Wireless Router Imports, Citing Security Concerns -- BloombergChina Ramps Up Scrutiny of a Meta A.I. Deal -- NYTUS-China; PRC-Vietnam; H200s; China cuts the “Apple tax”; Chinese Modernization and 15th Five-Year Plan -- Sinocism
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