Big Take Asia

Latest Episodes:

The Rebel Army Behind One of the World’s Major Rare-Earth Supplies Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

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 Organization’s newfound control of a majority of Myanmar’s rare-earth mines, how the change is shifting Myanmar's political dynamics and what the group’s growing influence could mean for the future of rare earths.

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Why Trump Is Letting Nvidia Sell (Some) AI Chips to China Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

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 podcast, Bloomberg economic statecraft reporter Joe Deaux joins host Sarah Holder to explain the unprecedented nature of the deal, concerns about its legality and how it fits into Trump’s approach to trade with global competitors.

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How China Is Bringing Hong Kong’s IPO Market Back to Life Aug 12, 2025

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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 risks this poses for banks on Wall Street and beyond.

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India Won’t Stop Buying Russian Oil. Now It’s Paying the Price. Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

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.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Sudhi Ranjan Sen joins K. Oanh Ha to unpack the historical and economic ties that have kept Russia and India close and discuss why that relationship is now being tested on the world stage.

Further listening: Is Trump’s Trade War Strategy Working?

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China Bets Big on a $167 Billion Tibetan Dam Jul 29, 2025

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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’s economy.
Read more: Xi Ties His Legacy and China’s Economy to $167 Billion Dam

Further listening: China's Plans to Make AI a Utility

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Trump’s Tariffs Force Europe to Rethink Ties With China Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

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.

Further listening: The American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs

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What Is Jane Street? And Why Are Regulators Watching It? Jul 17, 2025

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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 for the high frequency trading industry.

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The Leaked Phone Call that Plunged Thailand Into Crisis Jul 15, 2025

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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 clan, which has dominated Thai politics for almost three decades.

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Bloomberg’s Interview With Malaysia’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

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 as the way forward, in a world that’s getting more tense and divided by the day.
Read more: Mahathir Mohamad: Trump Is ‘Against the Whole World’
Further listening: Bloomberg’s Interview With UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Bloomberg’s Elon Musk Interview

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China's Plans to Make AI a Utility Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

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 today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Andy Lin and James Mayger about the story, and what it means for China’s AI master plan.

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