Listen now | This episode of Sharp China is outside the paywall. On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the call between Trump and Xi last week, a subsequent call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the PRC’s ongoing tensions with Japan. Topics include: Conflicting reports surrounding both calls last week, PRC rhetoric that continues to escalate, contested history surrounding Okinawa, and PRC behavior that may be clarifying for the rest of the world. From there: Various points of emphasis at the Politburo study session on strengthening internet governance, DeepSeek’s new AI model, and a recent Crowdstrike investigation that appears to highlight the risks of building on Chinese models. At the end: More bad news in the real estate sector as Vanke struggles make international news, waiting for the Central Economic Work Conference later this month, an FT op-ed makes Europe’s trade problems clear while solutions remain elusive, and a note from a NASA employee adds context to a previous discussion on space rescues.
"This is not a rational actor." Isn't this why the world appears to be getting nowhere in dealing with Beijing? A bunch of rational actors operating in a rational environment making rational nation-state decisions vs. the PRC, which does not believe it operates within any of those constraints.
"This is not a rational actor." Isn't this why the world appears to be getting nowhere in dealing with Beijing? A bunch of rational actors operating in a rational environment making rational nation-state decisions vs. the PRC, which does not believe it operates within any of those constraints.