Big Take Asia

Latest Episodes:

North Korea’s Nuclear Program Reaches Tipping Point for the US Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

As global attention is focused on war in the Middle East, North Korea has been accelerating its nuclear and missile program — testing new weapons and producing more warheads.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Jon Herskovitz on Kim Jong Un’s aggressive nuclear buildup and the strain that puts on US defenses.

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

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng; Reported by Jon Herskovitz, Soo-Hyang Choi; Edited by Paddy Hirsch Fact-checking by Yang Yang; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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China’s Tech Grip Threatens India’s Manufacturing Ambitions Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

India wants to become a manufacturing powerhouse to rival China — but its reliance on the Chinese supply chain for things like batteries and semiconductors makes for a complex and exceedingly difficult puzzle to untangle.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Alisha Sachdev on how corporate India is struggling to navigate this unique geopolitical landscape.

Further listening: Asia Is Bearing the Brunt of the Iran War Energy Crisis

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

Hosted by Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Alisha Sachdev; Edited by Patrick Hirsch; Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Sugiura Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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How Hormuz Closure Could Squeeze Asia’s Staple Crop Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

With the war in Iran creating a shortage of the fuel and fertilizer that farmers across Asia need to plant and harvest rice, many smallholders are seeking alternative supplies or pondering whether to plant at all.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, agriculture reporter Hallie Gu tells host Oanh Ha what the bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz means for rice farmers from Cambodia to India — and how the fate of the region’s staple crop shapes its economy and politics.
Read more: Fuel Shortages From Iran War Threaten Asia’s Biggest Food Staple
Listen more: Asia Is Bearing the Brunt of the Iran War Energy Crisis

Hosted by Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Hallie Gu; Edited by Patrick Hirsch Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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BONUS: ユニクロ・柳井正氏を直撃、アメリカ内陸部への執念と後継者 Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

日本のアパレル王者、ユニクロ。アジアや米国の沿岸部で成功を収めた同社が、今まさに挑もうとしているのが、ブランド認知がまだ低い「フライオーバー・カントリー（内陸部）」と呼ばれる広大なエリアです。ここを制覇することは、創業者の柳井正氏にとってグローバルNo.1への「最後の難関」を意味します。

今回のエピソードでは、テキサス州ダラスの店舗取材に加え、銀座の旗艦店で柳井氏の買い物に同行した様子を披露。柳井氏本人のインタビュー音声を交え、なぜこのエリアを攻略しようとしているのか、そしてなぜ経営の第一線に留まり続けるのか、その真意に迫ります。

ユニクロの東京旗艦店を柳井氏と歩く「買う立場で考える、全部」−世界26市場を支える経営哲学

制作・ホスト： 野上英文、 取材：リード・スティーブンソン、編集：岩井春翔、ファクトチェック：香月夏子、サウンドデザイン・エンジニア： 安澤隆比古、シニアプロデューサー： Naomi Shavin、デピュティ・エグゼクティブプロデューサー： Julia Weaver、エグゼクティブプロデューサー： Nicole Beemsterboer

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Uniqlo Is Coming for Middle America Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Japan’s richest man — Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai — has struggled to win over the US, despite owning the world's third-largest clothing retailer by sales.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Yanai takes Bloomberg’s Reed Stevenson to a store in Tokyo and explains why he’s betting big on America one more time.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang, Naomi Ng; Reported by Reed Stevenson; Edited by Paddy Hirsch.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

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

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Meet OpenClaw: The AI Craze Sweeping China Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Fueled by a powerful mix of FOMO and a government drive to accelerate AI adoption, OpenClaw has exploded in popularity across China. But as these agentic systems gain sweeping access to personal data, reports of them “going rogue” are beginning to surface.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Luz Ding and Bloomberg Opinion’s Catherine Thorbecke to dig into the rapid rise of agentic AI in China, why it has taken hold so quickly and the mounting security concerns pushing users and regulators to reassess the risks.

China’s OpenClaw Obsession Is a Risky Gamble on Experimental AI

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng, Yang Yang; Reported by Sohee Kim, Lucas Shaw; Edited by Paddy Hirsch.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BTS Leads Netflix’s Push for Growth in Asia Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

BTS is back. After a near four-year hiatus, the K-pop icons returned with a historic Netflix event – the platform’s first concert live streamed from Asia.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha joins Bloomberg’s Sohee Kim and Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s power move and how global streamers are fighting for dominance in the competitive Asian market.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha Produced by Naomi Ng, Yang Yang Reported by Sohee Kim, Lucas Shaw Edited by Patrick Hirsch Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer

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The Sixth Bureau Episode 6: Nothing Is Holy Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 6 of The Sixth Bureau, a series from The Big Take,with spy Xu Yanjun in prison, the US government pursues some of his collaborators. Plus, host Jordan Robertson gets an unexpected call which leads to a big discovery.

The Sixth Bureau from Bloomberg News follows an MSS intelligence officer whose mission was to acquire the crown jewels of American aerospace companies. With aliases, blackmail and the occasional break-in, he targeted corporate giants. That is, until his sloppiness — and a cunning FBI sting — led to a stunning reversal: Xu Yanjun became the first Chinese intelligence officer ever convicted on American soil.

The Sixth Bureau is the story of superpowers, their secrets and how one Chinese spy got caught. Listen to Episodes 1 - 5 here.

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Asia Is Bearing the Brunt of the Iran War Energy Crisis Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

From soaring fuel prices in Pakistan to a shortage of cooking gas in India, Asia is bearing the brunt of the energy crunch sparked by the Iran War.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast we look at how war in the Middle East has pushed Asia to the forefront of a global crisis. Host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Faseeh Mangi about the impact of soaring fuel prices in Pakistan and Clara Ferreira Marques about how the least economically resilient countries are feeling the most pain.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang, Naomi Ng; Reported by Faseeh Mangi, Clara Ferreira Marques; Edited by Paddy Hirsch.

Fact-checking by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa.

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

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The Rise and Fall of an Alleged Scam Boss Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

By any account, Chen Zhi's ascent was meteoric. At a young age he founded a real estate company in Cambodia, which quickly became the sprawling Prince Group conglomerate. But beneath this legitimate facade, Chen allegedly ran a vast criminal network, building an empire on scams, human trafficking and high-level political protection.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Host Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s David Ramli look into the rapid rise and sudden downfall of an alleged criminal mastermind.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by David Ramli, Low De Wei; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Serena Ng, Matthew Thomas.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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