On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with thoughts on the change in tone from government officials addressing private business, changes it might signify in the short term, and concerns it may not assuage in the long term. From there: the news of a deepened strategic alliance between the US and Japan, why Beijing is outraged, and best case and worst case scenarios when evaluating the implications for a conflict in Taiwan. At the end: China’s population declines for the first time in six decades, the Shanxi party apparatus appoints party chiefs to 25 private companies, the FBI investigates undeclared police stations in the U.S., and Marvel movies return to Chinese theaters—but not during the Lunar New Year.
China’s 2022 economic growth one of the worst on record, post-pandemic policy faces test —Reuters
From Disciplinarian to Cheerleader: Why China Is Changing Its Tone on Business — N.Y. Times
