Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

In early 2021, smartphone and electronics maker Xiaomi was blacklisted by Washington, restricting its access to US technology and investors. Although this decision was later reversed, it motivated CEO and founder Lei Jun to enter China's ultra-competitive electric vehicle market, pledging to invest $10 billion over a decade. The bold move has paid off: in China, buyers are waiting up to 10 months to purchase Xiaomi's SU7, and the company's shares have surged more than 150% in the past year.

How did a manufacturer of cheap smartphones and budget appliances create one of the most desirable vehicles in China in just three years? And can Xiaomi continue to deliver on high investor expectations and stand out from its competitors with the launch of its new YU7 model this summer? Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Joanna Chen and Steven Tseng join John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast.

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Hong Kong’s niche as a social and economic crossroads has framed its legend for decades. Now, a new generation of eager, young professionals from mainland China is rushing to Hong Kong to pursue similar dreams, filling the gap left behind by the city’s dwindling ranks of western expats. Their presence signals a seismic shift toward the city’s “mainlandization” and heralds the emergence of a compelling new chapter in Hong Kong’s history.

What’s driving this watershed change? What will it mean for Hong Kong’s economy? Its job market? Its business prospects? Mark Tibbatts of PageGroup, and Francis Chan and Peter Lau of Bloomberg Intelligence join hosts John Lee and Tom Corbett for a glimpse into Hong Kong’s future, and what it means for the world.

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China's freewheeling real estate market has been the powerful engine of its economic growth. But a parade of missteps -- including a debt binge and a lack of oversight -- has turned that growth story upside down. Across China, swaths of unfinished homes gather dust. Cash-strapped developers remain mired in default while millions of middle-class home buyers cope with lost fortunes and dashed hopes. Would tighter regulation have staved off such a debacle? How does China's housing crisis compare to the US crash of 2007? Can its residential real estate market ever recover? Join hosts John Lee, Tom Corbett and Kristy Hung, senior property analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence as they discuss what's next for China's housing market.

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China is about to unleash its vacation-starved masses upon the domestic and international travel scene, a shift that signals the end of nearly three years of draconian, Covid-induced lockdowns and social restrictions. Will this be a case of revenge travel on steroids? Will their sheer numbers overwhelm? Do warm welcomes await at their destinations? Or will Covid concerns give Chinese tourists the cold shoulder at the border? Join host John Lee and Tim Bacchus, Senior Aviation Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, as they assess the business impact of China’s resurgent tourism on Asia’s major airlines.

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Apple’s relationship with China evokes a parade of superlatives. The world’s largest company by market cap produces 98% of its iPhones in the world’s most populated country and largest consumer market. Now, Apple’s China ties feel more like shackles as fundamental shifts in political and economic winds rewrite the rules of engagement between American business, and an emboldened Beijing. Virus lockdowns, swelling nationalism, trade conflicts and the threat of war are prompting western businesses – especially Apple – to reassess their China presence. Can Cupertino’s best and brightest hit the reset button while keeping the magic alive on Apple's legendary innovation and profitability? Or is it trapped by a business bond that was too weak to be felt until it was too strong to be broken? Join hosts John Lee and Tom Corbett as they explore these and other questions with Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior technology analyst Steven Tseng.

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