Sharp China with Bill Bishop Podcast
1) All Eyes on Iran; Two Sessions Questions; Alibaba, DeepSeek and Distillation; Another UK Spying Scandal
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the war in Iran and its implications for the PRC. Topics include: Upsides and downsides for China, why US strategy was likely related to Iran and not the PRC...Show More
2) (Preview) Pending Taiwan Arms Sales; Jimmy Lai Sentenced; Takaichi Secures a Supermajority; AI Models as Propaganda Vectors
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the reports that the PRC is threatening to scuttle Trump’s visit to Beijing over a second arms package from the U.S. to Taiwan, including thoughts on next mo...Show More
3) The PLA Purges One Week Later; World Leaders Flock to Beijing; A Trump-Xi Phone Call; Panama Canal Resolution?
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with follow-up thoughts on the purges at the top of the PLA, including reactions to a New York Times piece on Xi’s “paranoia,” answers that have yet to materializ...Show More
4) (Preview) 10 Questions on the Detention of Zhang Youxia, Corruption in the PLA, Rumors, Messaging, and Taiwan
On today’s show Andrew and Bill react to the news that the rumors were true, and CMC members Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for corruption. Topics include: The timing of the annou...Show More
5) (Preview) Canada and the New World Order; Second Order Questions for the US and EU; More Big Names Purged from the PLA?
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with reactions to a new “strategic partnership” between China and Canada, including thoughts on fissures in the West that are a win for China, Prime Minister Carn...Show More
6) (Preview) What’s at Stake for China in Iran; Canada’s PM in Beijing; Notes on Chips, Apps, and Drones
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the instability in Iran, including thoughts on Trump’s Truth Social post threatening 25% tariffs on Iran trade partners, why that threat is unlikely to mater...Show More
7) China’s Venezuela Calculations; Japan’s Rare Earth Access; A Reported Pause on Nvidia Purchases; The Meta-Manus Deal Under Review
On today’s show Andrew and Bill return from the holidays and begin with the PRC’s reaction to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. Topics include: PRC outrage and embarrassment, the propaganda v...Show More
8) (Preview) Xi Jinping Thought on Domestic Demand; Political Economy vs. the Actual Economy; The Stories of the Year and Questions for 2026
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with takeaways from the Central Economic Work Conference, including the latest push to stimulate domestic demand, why consumption is intertwined with security, sp...Show More
9) (Preview) Trump’s Plan to Sell Advanced Chips to China; U.S. Concessions Piling Up Amid a Push for ‘Stability’; Macron and the EU Conundrum
On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the US is greenlighting the sale of Nvidia’s H200 chips to the PRC market. Topics include: Dubious claims in Trump’s Truth Social post announci...Show More
10) Trump, Takaichi and a Game of Telephone; Japan Jawboning Continues; An Internet Governance Study Session; China Making Trade ‘Impossible’
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 Japa...Show More