The Negotiation

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Oct 2026

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Despite being the world’s most potent economic area, Asia can be one of the most challenging regions to navigate and manage well for foreign brands. However, plenty of positive stories exist and more are emerging every day as brands start to see success in engaging and deploying appropriate market growth strategies – with the help of specialists. The Negotiation is an interview show that showcases those hard-to-find success stories and chats with the incredible leaders behind them, teasing out the nuances and digging into the details that can make market growth in APAC a winning proposition.

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October 23, 202643 min

Alvin Wang Graylin Part 1: The AI Reckoning and What Comes After

Episode Description Alvin Wang Graylin is a Professor of AI and Tech Policy at the University of Washington, a fellow at the Asia Society and Stanford HAI, and the author of Our Next Reality. In Part 1 of this conversation, Alvin and Todd explore the big-picture questions around artificial intelligence: what AGI and ASI actually mean, whether AI will deliver a post-scarcity world or introduce new risks, and how AI is reshaping jobs and the global economy right now. Alvin then lays out his 'Great AI Reckoning' thesis — his prediction of a coming financial correction in the AI sector — and walks through the 'Five Reconnectings' he believes a crash could trigger. The conversation closes with his argument for 'raising' AI rather than simply deploying it. Topics Covered · What AGI and ASI mean — and whether we'll achieve them in the near future · Would AGI lead to a post-scarcity society, and what are the risks? · AI's near-term impact on jobs and the global economy · The 'Great AI Reckoning' — why Alvin expects a financial correction and on what timeline · The 'Five Reconnectings' — what a crash could trigger at the level of society and geopolitics · Why Alvin argues we should be 'raising' AI, not just deploying it About the Guest Alvin Wang Graylin (汪丛青) is a Professor of AI and Tech Policy at the University of Washington and holds fellowships at the Asia Society and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. He is the author of Our Next Reality and a prolific writer on AI, US-China relations, and global technology policy. His career has spanned HTC (China President), Intel, IBM, Trend Micro, and four venture-backed startups. He writes on Substack at The Abundanist. Where to Find Alvin Substack: The Abundanist https://abundanist.substack.com/p/coexistence-above-all-why-we-should Book: Our Next Reality (Hachette Book Group) University of Washington — Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science About The Negotiation The Negotiation is WPIC Marketing + Technologies' podcast on doing business in China. Hosted by Todd Embley, it features conversations with the executives, analysts, and experts navigating the world's most complex consumer market.

October 15, 202654 min

China's Green Energy Transition with David Fishman

David Fishman is a Principal at The Lantau Group, an Asia-Pacific energy consultancy based in Shanghai. He has spent his entire career advising investors, corporations, and governments on China's power sector: from coal and nuclear to solar, wind, and green power procurement. In this episode, David breaks down China's current energy mix and the forces driving its renewable energy boom, explains why China is simultaneously the world's largest clean energy builder and still expanding coal, and discusses how AI data center demand is reshaping grid planning. He shares his recent co-authored essay with Kaiser Kuo and gives his take on the geopolitical significance of the Medog Hydropower Plant. David also reflects on how China is occasionally misrepresented in Western media, and shares what's caught his eye lately on the ground in China. Topics Covered · David's path from first interest in China to a career at The Lantau Group · China's current energy mix and the impact of the Iran War on Chinese energy supply · The forces driving China's renewable energy boom and its global significance · Why China is simultaneously expanding coal — and whether that contradicts the green push · AI electricity demand and the Inner Mongolia data center story · David's co-authored essay with Kaiser Kuo · China's EV expansion and its connection to the energy mix · The Medog Hydropower Plant — status and significance · Misconceptions about China in Western media and David's Twitter debates · Fun trends and things happening in China right now · David's travels across China and recent destinations

September 25, 202631 min

The Xi-Trump Summit with Dr. Henry Wang and Jacob Cooke

In a special episode of The Negotiation, WPIC CEO Jacob Cooke sits down with Dr. Henry Wang, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), one of China's leading policy think tanks. The conversation takes place fresh off the Trump-Xi summit — a historic meeting that put AI governance, trade stability, and the future of the US-China relationship back at the centre of global attention. Dr. Wang is a former Counselor to China's State Council, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and one of the most widely cited Chinese foreign policy voices in international media. In this episode, he gives his immediate read on the summit's outcomes, what they mean for the bilateral relationship, and where the US and China go from here. The conversation then turns to AI — the most consequential item on the bilateral agenda. Dr. Wang explains his call for a global no-first-use policy covering AI-enabled autonomous weapons, walks through his argument that the US AI capex boom carries risks that cooperation with China could help mitigate, and assesses what an effective US-China AI governance framework would actually look like in practice. He also breaks down China's AI advantages — not in frontier models, but in application scale, deployment infrastructure, and commercial reach — and what that means for international businesses operating in the region. Discussion Points · Dr. Wang's immediate reaction to the Trump-Xi summit outcomes and what they signal about the trajectory of the US-China relationship · Why this summit was a significant anchor for bilateral stability — and what was at stake if it had gone badly · The areas of US-China cooperation beyond tariffs and technology: people-to-people exchanges, global security challenges, and why they keep getting crowded out · Assessment of progress on the AI file at the summit — where things moved forward and where they fell short · The case for a global no-first-use policy on AI-enabled autonomous weapons, modelled on nuclear precedent · Why Dr. Wang compares the US AI capex boom to an arms race — and the economic risks that cooperation with China could help avoid · What an effective US-China AI governance framework looks like in practice, and what it would take to get there · China's AI advantages in application, deployment, and commercial scale — and what that means for international businesses · Whether the summit leaves Dr. Wang more or less optimistic about the bilateral relationship over the next few years · The work CCG is doing on US-China relations and global governance, and where listeners can follow Dr. Wang's thinking

September 16, 202636 min

Zak Dychtwald on Chinese Companies Going Global (Part 2)

In Part 2 of his conversation with The Negotiation, Zak Dychtwald, founder and CEO of BridgeWorks Global, shifts from diagnosing the hidden tax on global business to addressing what it means for companies operating in or competing against China. Zak regularly briefs executives from Qualcomm, Microsoft, Google, and Walmart when they come through the region, and he shares the framework he uses with them: what to borrow from China's competitive environment, what to leverage, and what to prepare to defend against. He then turns to Chinese companies going global, and why their challenges differ from those of Western multinationals operating in China. The people problem facing Chinese companies as they expand is distinct and underappreciated — and it intersects directly with the global collaboration framework Zak laid out in Part 1. Zak closes with one of his most provocative arguments: today is likely the least competitive Chinese companies will ever be globally, and Western businesses operating in the region should take that seriously as they build their own strategy. He also shares what global companies most consistently get wrong after years of running the Global Collaboration Index — and what actually fixing it looks like. Discussion Points · The borrow, leverage, and defend framework for Western executives operating in or competing against China · Why Chinese companies going global face a distinct people problem — and how it differs from the challenges Western companies face in China · Why today is likely the least competitive Chinese companies will ever be globally, and what Western businesses should do with that insight · The single thing global companies most consistently get wrong, and what actually fixing it looks like

September 8, 202643 min

Zak Dychtwald on Why Global Teams Break Down (Part 1)

Zak Dychtwald is the founder and CEO of BridgeWorks Global, a cross-geography collaboration lab based in Shanghai. He is the author of Young China: How the Restless Generation Will Change Their Country and the World, has lived in China for over a decade, and speaks Mandarin. His clients include Google, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Medtronic, Walmart, and Ant International. His work has appeared four times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in a piece on how highly effective global teams collaborate across cultures — now running as a feature in HBR Magazine. In Part 1, Zak makes the case that global teams don't break down on culture — they break down on operating design. He lays out a framework of seven elements that determine how well global teams work, split into friction amplifiers (time zones, language, country culture), which leaders can manage but never really change, and trust-and-alignment multipliers (HQ-region power dynamics, company culture, market knowledge, process), which they can redesign. Most leaders pour their energy into the first three and ignore the last four, where all the leverage actually sits. He introduces bridge people — the senior leaders and frontline operators whose real job is holding the seams of a global company together by translating context between headquarters and the market, absorbing the time-zone load, and moving decisions across language and hierarchy — and the global collaboration tax, what those people absorb on the company's behalf. He explains what happens when a crisis hits a team that has never designed for one, and where leaders should start when they recognise the problem in their own organisation. Discussion Points · Why global team collaboration breaks down at the level of systems, not culture — and what the data from the Global Collaboration Index actually shows · The seven elements of cross-border collaboration: friction amplifiers (time zones, language, country culture) vs trust-and-alignment multipliers (HQ-region power dynamics, company culture, market knowledge, process) · Bridge people: who they are, what they carry, and why most companies fail to acknowledge or reward them · The global collaboration tax: what it costs a business in speed, opportunity, and attrition when bridge people absorb the friction the system creates · What happens when a crisis hits a global team that hasn't defined decision rights in advance — and where leaders should start when they recognise the problem in their own company

August 4, 202654 min

Light Therapy, Chinese Tech Brands, and 15 Years in China: Jim Fields on Building Across Both Markets

Jim Fields is an American entrepreneur who has spent over 15 years living and building businesses in China. He speaks fluent Mandarin, began his career at Adobe in Silicon Valley, and moved to China, where he worked at Nokia and Reckitt Benckiser before founding Relay Video in 2016 - a Beijing-based creative marketing agency that helped Chinese tech companies including Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo tell their stories to global audiences. He later founded Relay Club, an influencer management platform for Chinese brands going outbound. He now serves as Chief Growth Officer at Nuon Medical and is involved with Oren Medical, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer within the Kaiyan Medical Group. In this episode, Jim talks about his journey from Silicon Valley to China, what he learned building Relay Video, and the most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when trying to go global. He explains why he pivoted from marketing into medtech, and breaks down both companies he works with today: Nuon Medical, which embeds clinical technologies like red light therapy, microcurrent, and PEMF directly into cosmetics applicators for brands including Clarins and Vagheggi, and Oren Medical, which manufactures red light therapy and medical wellness devices with over 300 patents across six FDA-cleared facilities. Jim also discusses his TEDx talk arguing that light is a fourth macronutrient alongside oxygen, water, and food - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy and why he believes it belongs in everyday consumer products. He covers the beauty tech market in China versus the West, how US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business like his, and what he's learned from 15-plus years of building across both markets. Discussion Points · Jim's journey from Silicon Valley to 15+ years building businesses in China · Relay Video's thesis: Chinese brands are the brands of the future but need help telling their stories globally · The most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when going global, from working with Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo · The pivot from marketing to medtech and how Jim's China background connects to his work in beauty tech · Nuon Medical: embedding clinical technologies (light therapy, microcurrent, PEMF) into cosmetics packaging · Jim's TEDx argument that light is a fourth macronutrient - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy · Oren Medical: China's medical device manufacturing sophistication, 300+ patents, six FDA-cleared facilities · Beauty tech market maturity in China versus the West and where China is leading · How US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business built on Chinese manufacturing · Lessons from 15-plus years building businesses that span China and the West

July 27, 202644 min

Ha Bao, Empty Nets, and 1.8 Billion Views: Mark Dreyer on Football, China, and the 2026 World Cup

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It was a tournament full of drama, upsets, and cultural moments - not least in China, where Xiaohongshu streamed all 104 matches for free and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland generated nearly 1.8 billion views on the platform. China's national team, meanwhile, watched from home. Again. Mark Dreyer has spent nearly two decades trying to explain that paradox. Mark is the founder of China Sports Insider, author of Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best, and one of the most respected English-language journalists covering sport in China. His recent piece in The Economist on the state of Chinese football went viral, laying out why a country with enormous resources, a football-obsessed president, and 1.4 billion people has qualified for the World Cup exactly once - in 2002 - and shows few signs of returning anytime soon. In this episode, Mark gives his verdict on the 2026 World Cup - the football, the format, and the final. As a dual English-Canadian citizen, he also has personal stakes in two teams: England, who reached the semi-finals before losing to Argentina and finished third with a thrilling 6-4 win over France, and Canada, who bowed out in the round of 16. He breaks down the state of Chinese football at every level - the national team, the domestic league, and the youth development pipeline - and explains why the problems run much deeper than money or political will can fix. Mark also digs into how China consumed this World Cup differently: Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal, the Haaland phenomenon and what it reveals about how Chinese fans engage with foreign athletes, and whether China will ever host - let alone win - a World Cup of its own. Discussion Points · Overall verdict on the 2026 World Cup: the football, the 48-team format, North America as hosts, and Spain's win over Argentina · England's semi-final run and third-place finish, and Canada's round of 16 exit - Mark's personal take as a dual citizen · North America as a three-country host and whether England or China could host a future World Cup · The state of the Chinese men's national team: why investment and political will haven't translated into results · Youth football in China: structural problems, academic pressure, and what a genuine grassroots culture would require · The Chinese Super League post-boom-and-bust: where the domestic league stands after the salary caps and corruption investigations · Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal: all 104 matches free of charge, and what it signals about sports broadcasting in China · The Haaland phenomenon: 1.8 billion Xiaohongshu views, 'Ha Bao,' romance game edits, and what it tells us about Chinese fan culture · Xi Jinping's three football ambitions - host, qualify, win - and which, if any, are achievable · The single most important thing that needs to change for Chinese football to genuinely improve

July 16, 20261 hr 1 min

Two Platforms, Two Audiences: Crystal Yu on the Business of Influencing Across Instagram and Xiaohongshu

Most influencers build an audience on one platform and stay there. Crystal Yu operates across two ecosystems that couldn't be more different: Instagram in the West and Xiaohongshu in China. The content strategies, audience expectations, brand partnership dynamics, and even the definition of authenticity diverge significantly between them. Crystal has built a following on both, and in this episode, she pulls back the curtain on what that actually looks like. Crystal walks us through how she became an influencer, what she's learned about creating content for two very different platforms, and how she approaches each one differently. She also breaks down the business side of influencing — fee structures, how brand partnerships come together, and what brands consistently get wrong when approaching creators for collaborations. For brands and marketers trying to understand how influencer marketing works in China versus the West, this episode offers a rare insider perspective. Crystal explains how Chinese brands approach collaborations differently from Western brands, why authenticity means something different on Xiaohongshu than it does on Instagram, and how to build trust with audiences on both sides of the divide. Discussion Points · How Crystal became an influencer and whether it was a deliberate choice or an organic evolution · The key differences between Instagram and Xiaohongshu as platforms: audience expectations, content formats, and culture · How Crystal's content strategy differs across platforms and whether she creates separate content for each · The business side of influencing: fee structures, compensation models, and how deals are structured · How brand partnerships come together: inbound vs outbound, agency involvement, and selection criteria · What brands consistently get wrong when approaching influencer collaborations, and what makes one successful · How Chinese and Western brands approach influencer partnerships differently · Balancing sponsored content with audience trust, especially on Xiaohongshu, where authenticity is paramount · Where influencer marketing is heading over the next few years, particularly in China · Advice for anyone looking to build a cross-platform presence or pursue influencing as a career

July 10, 202654 min

China Tech in 2026: Rui Ma on Robots, Chips, and the Companies Winning the AI Race

Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China and one of the most trusted English-language voices on China's technology sector, is back to break down everything happening in China’s tech landscape, from DeepSeek to humanoid robots. Rui runs in-person tech immersion trips to China for investors and executives, giving her a ground-level view of what's actually being built and deployed - not just what's being announced. In this episode, she shares her biggest takeaways from recent trips, from what surprised her to what confirmed what she already suspected about China's AI and hardware trajectory. She walks us through the humanoid robotics sector - who the leading Chinese companies are, what the realistic near-term use cases look like, and whether Americans will ever be able to buy Chinese-made robots. She unpacks Alibaba's Taobao and Qwen integration, Tencent's quieter but consequential AI strategy, DeepSeek's latest moves, and the OpenClaw explosion. She also gives her read on Nvidia export controls: whether they're working, and how Chinese companies are adapting. Rui also weighs in on the X debate about quality of life in lower-tier Chinese cities, assesses the broader US-China AI competition including the talent landscape, and gives her takes on Zhipu and Minimax as publicly traded AI plays. If you want to understand where China tech is headed and what it means for the rest of the world, this is the episode to listen to. Discussion Points · Takeaways from Rui's recent Tech Buzz China immersion trips to China and information on upcoming trips · Humanoid robotics in China: leading companies, near-term use cases, and whether Americans can buy Chinese-made robots · The X debate on quality of life in lower-tier Chinese cities and what it reveals about Western misperceptions of China · Alibaba's Taobao and Qwen integration: what it signals about AI-powered e-commerce and Alibaba's broader AI strategy · Tencent's AI strategy: what's happening under the hood and where the company is positioning itself · DeepSeek update: latest model releases, competitive position, and what to watch next · The OpenClaw explosion: what it is, why it took off, and what it tells us about Chinese innovation under chip restrictions · Nvidia export controls: current status, whether they're achieving Washington's goals, and how Chinese companies are adapting · US-China AI competition scorecard: how each side stands across models, infrastructure, and talent · Zhipu and Minimax as public AI plays, plus other China tech names Rui is watching closely

July 1, 202637 min

Leif Rogers on North American Sports in Asia, New Deals, and the Business of Fan Building in China

For North American sports in China, the appetite is there - millions of fans, growing middle-class purchasing power, a government actively promoting winter sports and athletic culture. However, the path from interest to revenue remains complicated. Leif Rogers has spent his career navigating exactly that path. As Founder and CEO of Red Phoenix Entertainment, he helps North American athletes, leagues, and franchises build real commercial presence in Asia. Leif previously joined The Negotiation alongside his colleague Gino Gordon to lay out the Red Phoenix thesis. He's back for a follow-up episode to share what he's been working on since, including recent deals and campaigns, and to give us his most current read on the sports market in China. A lot has shifted: platform dynamics, broadcast rights, Chinese fan consumption habits, and the role of individual athletes as commercial anchors have all evolved. In this episode, Leif breaks down which North American sports are gaining traction in China and which are struggling, which athletes are resonating with Chinese fans and why, and how Chinese brands are thinking about North American sports sponsorships today. He also covers how fans are consuming sports content across digital platforms, what the biggest overlooked opportunities are for leagues and franchises, and what advice he'd give any sports property serious about building a presence in the region. Discussion Points · Red Phoenix Entertainment overview: what the firm does and how Leif came to build it · Recent deals and campaigns: what Red Phoenix has been working on since the last episode · Current state of the sports market in China: what's changed and what the landscape looks like in 2026 · Sport-by-sport breakdown: which North American sports are gaining traction in China and which are not · Which North American athletes are resonating most with Chinese fans and what makes them stand out · How Chinese brands are approaching North American sports sponsorships today and what they're looking for · How Chinese fans are consuming North American sports content across platforms and streaming services · The biggest challenges North American sports properties face when entering or scaling in China · The most overlooked opportunities in the Asia sports market that most leagues and teams are missing · Leif's outlook for North American sports in Asia and advice for any property serious about the region