Big Take Asia

Latest Episodes:

China’s New Message to Its Billionaires: Pay Up Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

China is ramping up an ongoing effort to shore up local government budgets and fund AI data centers with tax revenue from its richest citizens. Billionaires across the country are seeing bills hit their doorstep, and one major deadline to pay up is just weeks away.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg’s Lulu Chen about why Beijing is enforcing and rewriting its tax rules, and the measures some wealthy citizens are taking to pay up or fight back.
View profiles for each of the world’s 500 richest people, see the biggest movers, and compare fortunes or track returns on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Further listening: China Tightens Its Grip on Billions in Offshore Wealth

Hosted by David Gura; Guest: Lulu Chen; Produced by Naomi Ng; Edited by Aaron Edwards, Engineering by Greg Tock

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US-China AI Race to Take Center Stage at Trump-Xi Meeting Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

As Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his first visit to Washington in over a decade, trade and the AI race will likely dominate talks with Donald Trump.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s John Liu unpack what each leader hopes to gain and why they may have no choice but to cooperate on AI safety.

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Hosted by K.Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang and Naomi Ng; Edited by Crispina Robert and Paddy Hirsch Engineering by Alex Sugiura

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Japan Hikes Rates, Reshaping Carry Trade Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

It’s been a big week for central banks around the world. Yet among the flurry of rate decisions, the Bank of Japan’s move stands out. After decades of near-zero interest rates, policymakers are betting Japan’s economy is finally returning to something closer to normal.

On today’s Big Take Podcast, K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson explore why the Bank of Japan is hiking rates at its fastest pace in decades, what the shift means for the yen carry trade and how Japan’s policy moves could ripple across global markets.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha and David Gura; Guest: Paul Jackson; Produced by Naomi Ng, Julia Press and David Fox; Edited by Crispina Robert and Paddy Hirsch. Engineering by Sean Carter.

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Big Pharma Needs New Drugs. China Has Them Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

American pharma giants are increasingly turning to Chinese labs to discover, test and develop cutting-edge drugs.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Amber Tong and Robert Langreth join Oanh Ha to break down why global drugmakers are sourcing their next big breakthroughs from China — and what that means for US biotech dominance.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and David Fox; Guests: Amber Tong and Robert Langreth; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.

Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Suguira.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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Is the US AI Reckoning an Opportunity for China? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” An X post by a former employee of both OpenAI and Anthropic went viral this week and is prompting big questions. Among them: are the safety concerns in the US an opportunity for China?

On the Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Mike Shepard talk through what an AI safety reckoning could look like — and whether an industry in the midst of intense competition can slow down.

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Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: Mike Shepard; Edited by Naomi Shavin and Aaron Edwards. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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How India Is Training the Robots of the Future Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Tens of thousands of workers in India are wearing head-mounted cameras to record their every move, helping train humanoid robots to perform everyday human tasks.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Asia AI reporter Saritha Rai joins host Rebecca Choong Wilkins for an inside look at how vast troves of data are gathered by the very people who may eventually be replaced and what it all means for the US-China race for AI dominance.

Hosted by Rebecca Choong Wilkins; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Saritha Rai; Edited by Crispina Robert, Patrick Hirsch.

Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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Deadly Flooding in Nepal Highlights Asia’s Climate Vulnerability Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Hundreds of hydropower workers remain missing in Nepal after a glacial collapse caused catastrophic flooding. The disaster laid bare the rising climate risks across Asia and the danger of building in an increasingly volatile environment.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, guest host Rebecca Choong Wilkins sits down with Bloomberg’s Clara Ferreira Marques and Bloomberg Opinion’s David Fickling to talk about the human and economic toll of the disaster, why the catastrophe is a warning for the rest of the world and how Nepal’s big bet on clean energy may now be at risk.

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Rebecca Choong Wilkins; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Clara Ferreira Marques, David Fickling; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Crispina Robert and Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Naomi Ng; Engineering by Alex Sugiura

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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How Two-Minute Microdramas Became a Billion-Dollar Industry Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Microdramas — mini soap operas designed to be watched on your phone — have become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Yang Yang and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Christopher Beam about how millions got hooked on the medium, the challenges studios face as they try to reach new audiences and how AI could transform it all.

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and Victor Swezey; Reported by Yang Yang and Christopher Beam; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.

Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Sean Carter.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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The Unexpected Rise of North Korea’s Economy Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

North Korea was supposed to be broke and isolated. Now, it’s enjoying an unexpected economic boom.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Cat Barton and host K. Oanh Ha unpack North Korea’s shift from pandemic-era hardship to a multibillion-dollar windfall, and discuss how the country’s newfound wealth is reshaping geopolitical alliances.

Watch, from Originals: Why Sanctions Aren’t Stopping North Korea

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The Chinese AI Model Rattling Silicon Valley and Washington Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

The launch of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 model has taken the tech world — and Washington — by storm, raising urgent questions about how a Chinese startup can suddenly rival the world's most powerful AI systems.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Mark Anderson about the distillation method behind Moonshot’s breakthrough and what it means for the high-stakes AI race between the US and China.

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