Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

The Russia-Ukraine War is forcing governments to rethink their conceptions of conflict, the role of technology and military spending. Will AI and technology reshape the global balance of power? Can the US and China make the hard choices to keep global business prosperous? Kevin Brand, Bloomberg Intelligence aerospace and defence analyst and 30-year US Navy veteran, joins hosts John Lee and Tom Cor...

Japan is back on money managers' radar screens, with Warren Buffett leading a wave of resurgent investor interest in its growth prospects. But some say investing in Japan carries risks. Years of zero interest rates and an aging population are just a few of the barriers standing between the world's third largest economy, and a new era of growth and prosperity, powered by new ideas and structural re...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shaken up the tech world with eye popping potential to change the way we work, live and do business. Some estimate AI's business opportunity as high as the billions, even trillions of dollars. But can the AI genie deliver on the hype? What are the potential environmental risks? And could China mount a challenge for supremacy? Join hosts John Lee, Tom Corbett and Bl...

China has become a global automotive powerhouse, with groundbreaking fleets of electric vehicles rewriting the rules of the road. Its automakers have developed their own EV models with remarkable speed, catapulting brands such as BYD and Nio to unprecedented prominence, and raising the stakes for Tesla. Its progress holds promise, but speed bumps lie ahead. How will China reshape the world’s drivi...

Southeast Asia is one of the world’s underrated growth stories. Its sprawling expanse stretches from China’s southern border to Australia's doorstep, comprising 11 countries, and a young, digitally savvy population of more than 670 million. Trade, tech, and energy power its growth. But what are the risks? And how can investors play it? James Cheo, Chief Investment Officer at HSBC Private Bank, and...

The global pet economy is one of the world's hottest and fastest-growing consumer trends, with China leading the way. Changing cultural values, shifting demographics, burgeoning wealth, and an online-savvy consumer culture are turning our love of pets into a profit machine, with $500 billion in annual sales possible by 2030. Join hosts John Lee, Tom Corbett and guest analysts Ann-Hunter van Kirk,...

The shimmering glass towers of Hong Kong's commercial property market radiate wealth, power, and prestige, beckoning investors seeking a gateway to China. But since 2019, protests, pandemic, and a shifting world order have left the city's property market reeling. The worst may be past, but challenges remain, including high interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and rivalry from Singapore. How quic...

Japan's bold, two-decade long experiment with zero interest rates could be at an inflection point. Kazuo Ueda's surprise nomination to lead its central bank opens the door to new possibilities. Does this changing of the guard signal a new course for the Bank of Japan's monetary policy? How will Ueda guide its economy through demographic challenges at home while navigating geopolitical hazards abro...

India’s homegrown tycoon, billionaire Gautam Adani, went from an Asian business success story to an embattled corporate titan almost overnight, shaken by a bombshell research report that thrust his sprawling conglomerate, Adani Group, into full damage-control mode. The stunner from New York-based short seller Hindenburg Research accused Adani Group of playing fast and loose with its accounting, en...

China's freewheeling real estate market has been the powerful engine of its economic growth. But a parade of missteps -- including a debt binge and a lack of oversight -- has turned that growth story upside down. Across China, swaths of unfinished homes gather dust. Cash-strapped developers remain mired in default while millions of middle-class home buyers cope with lost fortunes and dashed hopes....

Banks face a reckoning as technology shakes up their payments businesses. Digital wallets such as Apple and Google Pay have muscled their way onto banks’ turf, powered by pandemic-driven shifts in consumer purchasing and payment patterns, threatening their once-mighty margins. Younger consumers are bypassing credit cards, opting instead for “Buy-Now, Pay-Later” (BNPL) services. Can legacy banks ad...

China is about to unleash its vacation-starved masses upon the domestic and international travel scene, a shift that signals the end of nearly three years of draconian, Covid-induced lockdowns and social restrictions. Will this be a case of revenge travel on steroids? Will their sheer numbers overwhelm? Do warm welcomes await at their destinations? Or will Covid concerns give Chinese tourists the...

Two of Asia’s biggest money hubs are in a tug-of-war to woo the wealthy. And while "crazy rich" Asians are giving Singapore new bragging rights, others say Hong Kong still has an edge as the go-to city for tycoons to stash their cash. Hong Kong has typically been Chinese billionaires’ better bet, but its pandemic woes and political strife have spooked some fortunes enough to set up shop further so...

Apple’s relationship with China evokes a parade of superlatives. The world’s largest company by market cap produces 98% of its iPhones in the world’s most populated country and largest consumer market. Now, Apple’s China ties feel more like shackles as fundamental shifts in political and economic winds rewrite the rules of engagement between American business, and an emboldened Beijing. Virus lock...