Episodes

  • The US Pledged to Contain China’s Tech Ambitions. It’s Not Working
    Oct 29 2024

    China is making steady progress in its quest to dominate key industries of the future, despite years of US tariffs, export controls and sanctions.

    On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Rebecca Choong Wilkins about how the US is struggling to curb Beijing’s technological advances, and whether the upcoming election could change the dynamic.

    Read more: US Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering


    Further listening:

    • How China’s BYD Became King of the Affordable EV

    • On Friday, Odd Lots will dig into Bloomberg’s research on the Made in China plan, and why it largely succeeded in spite of US efforts. Subscribe here.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    15 mins
  • How China’s BYD Became King of the Affordable EV
    Oct 22 2024

    Started as a battery company in the 1990s in Shenzhen, BYD is now one of the best-selling EV brands in the world. Once mocked by Elon Musk, the company’s startling growth made it a global player and has sparked tariffs in the US and EU.

    On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Gabrielle Coppola and Danny Lee about the company’s aggressive expansion and what it means for the global auto market.

    Read more: BYD Is Winning the Global Race to Make Cheaper EVs

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    16 mins
  • How an Infamous Vietnamese Businesswoman Engineered a $12 Billion Fraud
    Oct 15 2024

    Vietnamese real estate tycoon Truong My Lan was convicted in April of orchestrating a $12.3 billion fraud. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection, which she is appealing. And this week, the court is expected to hand down another verdict on additional charges.

    On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s John Boudreau about how Lan was able to embezzle so much money for so long, how she went from riches to death row and what her multibillion fraud case means for one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    15 mins
  • Inside the Succession Drama at a Hong Kong Property Dynasty
    Oct 8 2024

    Adrian Cheng, the third-generation scion of property dynasty New World Development, seemed poised to take over his family’s $20 billion empire. But last month, in a surprising twist, he was replaced as CEO by someone outside of his family.

    On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan about the succession drama at New World, the possible ripple effects on other family dynasties in the region, and what it all could mean for the future of one of Hong Kong’s major property developers.

    Read more: New World Scion’s Fall Upends Succession at $23 Billion Dynasty

    Further listening: $200 Billion, Four Heirs and One Might Indian Empire

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    15 mins
  • Tim Walz’s Deep China Ties Could Spell Trouble for Democrats
    Oct 1 2024

    With relations between Washington and Beijing at a critical point, US Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s time in China has come under scrutiny from Republicans. Walz first went to China as a teacher in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square military crackdown. Over the years, he continued to return to China, even spending his honeymoon there.

    On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate and Professor Li Cheng from the University of Hong Kong about what Walz’s track record on China could mean should the Democrats win the election – and whether Walz’s ties with the country would be an asset or liability.

    Update: During the vice presidential debate on October 1st, Democratic candidate Tim Walz said he misspoke about being in Hong Kong on June 4, 1989. That’s when the Tiananmen Square protests turned deadly. He didn’t clarify his whereabouts at the time and said that he was in Hong Kong and China in the summer of that year.

    Walz has also said he’s traveled to China about 30 times. A Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson said the number of trips Walz took to China is “likely closer to 15.”

    We’ve updated the episode to reflect these updates.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    15 mins
  • Could the Chinese Yuan Ever Replace the US Dollar?
    Sep 24 2024

    Talk of de-dollarization has been gaining momentum among China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa in the wake of significant US led sanctions on Russia. Former US President and candidate Donald Trump has said the currency is under attack — and that any country that shuns it would face new tariffs on imports if he is elected.

    On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin about the unique role the dollar plays in the world economy — and what, if anything, could replace it.

    Read more: The Dollar’s Dominance, Explained

    Further listening: Odd Lots Podcast – How the US Dollar Became an International Weapon of War

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    15 mins
  • China’s Crackdowns Are Crushing the Dreams of a Generation
    Sep 18 2024

    China’s drive to upgrade its struggling economy has left millions of people facing job losses or pay cuts, fueling an existential crisis among some of its best and brightest workers.

    On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Lulu Chen about the impact Xi Jinping’s push is having on professionals, from banking to tech, and what this anxiety could mean for the outlook of the world’s second-largest economy.

    Read more:
    China’s CICC Demotes Senior Bankers, Cuts Pay to Slash Costs

    Further listening:

    Why China’s Investment Bankers Are Breaking Up With Capitalism

    What Does China’s Economic Slowdown Mean For the Communist Party?

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    17 mins
  • Indonesia Is Building a New Capital. It’s Not Going Well
    Sep 10 2024

    Indonesia has embarked on an ambitious project to build a new capital city from scratch because Jakarta is overcrowded, polluted and sinking, fast.

    But the multibillion dollar new city, Nusantara, was plagued with problems from the very start. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Faris Mokhtar about what went wrong, and what’s at stake for Southeast Asia’s largest economy if it fails.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    16 mins