Big Take Asia

Asian nations are walking a tightrope between Washington and Beijing – juggling trade, tech and security pressures as the heavyweights vie for influence. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Adam Farrar, Bloomberg’s senior geoeconomics analyst for Asia Pacific, to unpack what may have been overlooked at the APEC summit as the Xi-Trump show came to town. R...

On Thursday, President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China announced a one-year truce in their trade war, capping six contentious months of negotiations and retaliatory tariffs between the world’s two largest economies. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Global Trade Editor Brendan Murray and Executive China Editor John Liu join host David Gura to parse the detai...

The US-China tariff war has upended global manufacturing, forcing companies like Chicago-based Learning Resources to fundamentally change how and where its products are made. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to Vietnam, where the toymaker has begun shifting the production of its popular children’s toys. We examine how the company is managing its complex shift from Chi...

China’s dominance of rare earths has given Xi Jinping powerful leverage over Donald Trump ahead of their expected meeting next week.  On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate dig into how China is weaponizing rare earths and what the economic standoff means for a trade deal and the future of US-China relations. Read more:  Xi Is...

Gold always shines during uncertain times, but escalating tensions between the US and China and signals from the Federal Reserve that the US could see at least one more rate cut this year have propelled gold – and silver – to record highs.  This week on the Big Take, Bloomberg precious metals reporter Jack Ryan and host Sarah Holder talk about what’s pushing up gold’s...

South Korean companies are offering workers tens of thousands of dollars (tax free) to have babies. But are cash incentives enough to address the country’s record-low fertility rates? K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Hyonhee Shin explore on today’s Big Take Asia podcast. Read more:  Korean Companies Pay Employees Huge Sums to Have More Kids See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

For the first time in history, Japan’s ruling party has elected a woman as its leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an unconventional figure — and now she’s on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson about Takaichi’s path to power, why her politics aren’t re...

President Donald Trump’s H-1B visa fee has sent shockwaves through India’s workforce, which makes up roughly 70% of recipients.  On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Sankalp Phartiyal unpack how the policy could disrupt careers, reshape global talent flows and shatter the American dream for tens of thousands of workers. Read more:  Why Trump...

After months of negotiation, the US and China have reached a tentative agreement to secure TikTok’s future in the US. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove and Mark Anderson to unpack TikTok’s “America-First” era. They discuss what you need to know about potential changes to the platform, how a majority Americ...

Across South Asia, Gen Z protestors are flooding the streets, demanding change. These protests have resulted in some of the worst violence Nepal and Indonesia have seen in years, presenting a challenge to the ruling elites. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg Opinion’s Karishma Vaswani about what’s driving this wave of youth-led uprisings and w...

The leaders of China, Russia and India shared smiles and handshakes, putting on a surprising show of unity in a striking moment that went viral earlier this month. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate about what’s driving their alignment and what the shift means for Trump and the US-led world order. Read more:  Xi Unites a Wo...

Beijing is holding its first military parade since 2019, showcasing the strength of China’s armed forces. Underneath the show of power, a Bloomberg investigation has found President Xi Jinping is orchestrating the biggest purge of military leadership since Mao Zedong. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg's John Liu about the dramatic restructuring of China&...

South Korean shipyards are busier than they’ve been in years. Seoul and Washington are working to finalize a new trade deal that will include a $150 billion commitment to help stimulate the US shipbuilding industry. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Weilun Soon about whether the US-South Korea shipbuilding alliance could help President Trump a...

From a life of hard labor in the Gobi Desert to becoming a prominent Hong Kong investor, Weijian Shan's story is one of incredible contrasts.  In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg's Mishal Husain, the Chinese economist and author opens up about his childhood during the Cultural Revolution, his thoughts on Hong Kong’s National Security law and President Trump’s trade war with C...

Myanmar is the world’s third-largest producer of rare earths and a critical supplier for neighboring China. But rebels have recently taken control of most of the country’s mines — creating a complicated situation for Beijing and for global supply chains. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and reporter Timothy McLaughlin discuss the Kachin Independence Organiz...

In an unusual deal, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have agreed to pay the US government 15% of their revenue from AI chips they sell to China. The US has blocked the sale of other, more powerful chips to China on the basis of national security, but the exception underscores the Trump administration’s openness to make exceptions… if the price is right. On today’s Big Take podc...

After a years-long slump, Hong Kong’s IPO market is roaring back to life, thanks to a growing number of Chinese companies that are raising billions of dollars in the city.    On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Dave Sebastian explore how China is transforming the financial hub into a key funding engine for mainland firms— and the risk...

President Trump has been cranking up the pressure on India, a country the US has courted as a strategic counterweight against China. Last week, Trump announced a 25% tariff on the country, a higher rate than many other major economies in Asia. But he didn’t stop there. This week, he’s threatened to raise the levy even higher. His message to India is clear: Stop buying Russian oil.&nbsp...

China is building the largest power plant the world has ever seen, in a very remote corner of Tibet. But the $167 billion hydropower dam has environmentalists and neighboring countries concerned. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Menaka Doshi speaks to Bloomberg’s Dan Murtaugh about the engineering and geopolitical challenges, and the impact construction will have on the country&r...

This week, top European Union leaders are traveling to Beijing for a high-level summit which could set the tone for the relationship between the EU and China for years to come. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Alan Crawford examine the shifting ties between Brussels and Beijing and the effect Trump is having on the relationship. Read more: US Tariffs Ar...

Jane Street is one of Wall Street’s most profitable and secretive firms. And when Indian regulators accused it of market manipulation earlier this month, it rocked the finance world.  On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg finance reporter Katherine Doherty joins host Sarah Holder to go inside Jane Street’s unique trading strategy, and what new regulatory scrutiny could mean...

A leaked phone call between Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen has ignited a significant political crisis in Thailand, leading to large-scale protests and her suspension from office. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Patpicha Tanakasempipat about the political fallout and its impact on the powerful Shinawatra cla...

Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, turned 100 this week. Bloomberg Weekend Editor-at-Large Mishal Husain sat down with the veteran former leader for an interview in the offices of his foundation, just outside Kuala Lumpur. Husain asked him about his thoughts on aging and leadership; what he thinks Donald Trump’s tariff war means for Malaysia; and what he sees...

In a remote part of China's northwestern Xinjiang region, dozens of data centers rise from the desert. A Bloomberg analysis of investor and tax documents and company filings found Chinese companies plan to buy more than 115,000 high-tech Nvidia chips — chips the US has banned from being exported to China – to power these centers, which could then be used for training AI models. On toda...

Trump’s trade war has thrown American businesses, which source everything from aircraft parts to baby strollers from China, into chaos. Now some companies are challenging the president’s tariff rulings in the courts. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha is joined by Rick Woldenberg, CEO of the toy company Learning Resources, and Bloomberg’s Lucille Liu, to talk...