Big Take Asia

Latest Episodes:

The American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

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 about the impact of the trade war on US importers and Chinese manufacturers and what it ultimately means for American consumers.

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What the Israel-Iran Conflict Means for China Jun 24, 2025

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On Tuesday morning, in a series of posts celebrating the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Donald Trump touched on one of Iran’s most significant economic relationships, writing, “China can now continue to purchase oil from Iran.”
Today on Big Take Asia, host Oanh Ha is joined by John Liu, who oversees Bloomberg’s China coverage from Beijing, to discuss what’s at stake for China in Iran and how the conflict could change China’s game plan — not just in the Middle East, but on the global stage.

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How China Is Building a Powerful Army of Hackers Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Teams from China used to dominate international hacking competitions, until Beijing ordered them to stop attending and take part only in domestic tournaments.
On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Jamie Tarabay about how tournaments are helping boost China’s cyber-espionage capabilities and what that means for the world.

Further listening: The ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’ Cyber Threat

Watch, from Originals: How China Is Building an Army of Hackers

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The US and China’s High-Stakes Diplomacy Jun 12, 2025

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President Donald Trump said a trade framework with China has been completed after two days of talks in London. He said Beijing would supply rare earths and magnets “UP FRONT” and the US would allow Chinese students into colleges and universities.

On today’s episode, Big Take hosts Sarah Holder and K. Oanh Ha speak to Bloomberg’s Brendan Murray, who’s on the ground in London, and John Liu about how the two countries will hammer out a deal. This conversation was taped before Trump announced a deal had been done.

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Wall Street Banks Are Battling for Japan’s Top Young Talent Jun 10, 2025

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Japan’s hottest banking talent is in high demand as Wall Street goes all out to woo new hires with fancy dinners, strong-arm tactics and higher salaries.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Lisa Du talks to host K. Oanh Ha about why firms are resorting to extreme measures and the problems they face in hiring top talent.

Further listening: Can’t Get Enough of Matcha? Too Bad – Japan Is Running Low
South Korea Has Plenty of Botox But Not Enough Doctors

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Nintendo's Big Bet on Switch 2 Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

The Nintendo Switch has generated some $100 billion in sales for the Japanese gaming giant since its launch in 2017, propelling the company’s shares to record highs.

Now the game-maker is under pressure to do even better with the new Switch 2, out this week. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg Opinion’s Gearoid Reidy joins host K. Oanh Ha to talk about why the Switch 2 is so important to Nintendo’s business and whether it can live up to the hype.

Read more: If the Switch 2 Stumbles, Nintendo Has No Plan B

Watch, from Originals: Nintendo’s High-Stakes Bet on the Switch 2
Further listening: A Turning Point in Trump’s Trade War

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The Dollar’s Dominance Is Unwinding in Asia May 27, 2025

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As Donald Trump tries to remake global trade, the dollar’s historic dominance in Asia is under pressure. After Taiwan’s currency saw the biggest surge against the dollar in almost 40 years in early May, some money managers are saying the spike signals the acceleration of a bigger trend of moving investments back home.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson about what’s driving Asia’s shift away from the greenback and what a rewiring of global financial ties means for the region’s biggest economies.

Big Take DC: Stephen Miran on Market Woes and Currency

Watch, from Originals: Why the US Is Getting Downgraded

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What It Takes to Negotiate With China May 22, 2025

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The trade war between the US and China is on pause, with both sides hoping to agree on a new trade deal by early August. But questions remain about how realistic that timetable could be, given the challenges facing the world’s two largest economies, who both collaborate and compete with one another.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns joins host David Gura to discuss the trade war, the challenges facing his successor and what he’s telling foreign policy students who are worried about the future of diplomacy. “We’ve gotta steel ourselves for the next decade or two to a historic competition with China. And China right now is stronger.”

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Who Is the Mysterious Founder of China’s DeepSeek? May 20, 2025

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Despite the global hype around China’s DeepSeek, very little is known about the man behind it – Liang Wenfeng.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg's Saritha Rai about the tech founder who led DeepSeek to the frontline of AI advances and what the company’s rise tells us about the battle for AI dominance.

Further listening: Why DeepSeek Sent Nvidia, Other Tech Stocks Tumbling

Watch, from Originals: How China’s DeepSeek Came for Big AI

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Is the US-China Trade War Over? May 13, 2025

Show notes

In a stunning turn of events, the US and China announced a dramatic reduction in tariffs, which President Trump portrayed as a “total reset” with China. Stocks rose following the news, but what lies ahead once the 90-day reprieve expires remains uncertain.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Treasury reporter Dan Flatley joins host David Gura to discuss the major takeaways from these latest negotiations and what they could mean for the world’s two largest economies.

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