The Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, episode 74

01/14/19 • 16 min

Welcome to the 74th installment of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, a weekly podcast that brings you the most important business stories of the week from China’s top source for business and financial news. Produced by Kaiser Kuo of our Sinica Podcast, it features a business news roundup, plus conversations with Caixin reporters and editors. This week: We note that Polish authorities arrested a Chinese Huawei executive in Poland last week on charges of spying. We report that the Communist Party committee in charge of China’s prosecutors, courts, and police is probing a high-profile scandal involving documents that went missing from the Supreme People’s Court. We hear that Elon Musk, the CEO of electric-car maker Tesla, visited Beijing last week after the company broke ground for its $5 billion factory in Shanghai. We analyze new data about China’s fertility rate in 2018, which shows a grim picture of China’s future demographics. In addition, we talk with Caixin Global managing editor Doug Young about Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi. We chat with David Kirton, reporter for Caixin Global, about a controversial Singapore-based businesswoman, who became one of the new directors of a port operator based in Guangdong Province and now chaired by a former prime minister of Thailand. We also have a conversation with Noelle Mateer, Caixin Global’s Culture editor, about junk food in China — but specifically about Coca-Cola and its obesity policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, episode 73

Welcome to the 73rd installment of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, a weekly podcast that brings you the most important business stories of the week from China’s top source for business and financial news. Produced by Kaiser Kuo of our Sinica Podcast, it features a business news roundup, plus conversations with Caixin reporters and editors. This week: We note that U.S. and Chinese negotiators are set to meet this week in Beijing, their first face-to-face talks since Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agreed to a 90-day truce to their trade war last month. We report that China has become the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon last week, in what has been called a groundbreaking achievement for the country’s growing space program. We analyze weak demand for the iPhone in China, which shows that Apple’s flagship product is being hurt by its high price and the rise of cheaper rival devices in the world’s biggest phone market. We hear that China’s securities regulator imposed record penalties in 2018 on dodgy market players, reflecting the country’s continued crackdown on market misconduct. We learn that international airlines will get to decide whether to hop over from Beijing’s current international airport to the colossal new $12 billion one when it opens in September, China’s air regulator said, giving the market a say in the major airline realignment. We discuss the spread of Chinese-made apps in India’s consumer-facing tech scene, where they are increasingly following the playbook developed in their home market. In addition, we talk with Tanner Brown, this show’s co-producer and the head of Caixin Global’s Breaking News desk, about China’s population situation and the central government’s population policies historically. We also chat with Charlotte Yang and Fran Wang, both reporters at Caixin Global, about eight interesting or particularly representative economic keywords that collectively encapsulate the issues facing the Chinese economy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Next Episode

The Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, episode 75

Welcome to the 75th installment of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, a weekly podcast that brings you the most important business stories of the week from China’s top source for business and financial news. Produced by Kaiser Kuo of our Sinica Podcast, it features a business news roundup, plus conversations with Caixin reporters and editors. This week: We note that Yang Hengjun 楊恒均, an outspoken writer and former Chinese official who has been an Australian citizen for nearly 20 years, has been detained in Beijing for more than a week. We report that growth in China’s personal-consumption spending bounced back last year, as authorities stepped up efforts to encourage consumers to open their wallets. We hear that eight regions in China, including Beijing, are predicting slower economic growth this year, in the latest sign of a worsening economic outlook for the world’s second-largest economy. We learn the news that two Chinese farms housing tens of thousands of pigs have been blamed for mismanaging and attempting to conceal African swine fever cases. We discuss Beijing’s decision to name 10 of its largest state-owned firms “World Class Enterprises,” a designation that means the government will likely focus resources on them to make them more competitive at home and abroad. We analyze the rebranding of Chinese bike-rental company Mobike after it was bought by internet giant Meituan Dianping. We take a close look at the deal between Alibaba’s film unit and Huayi Brothers, one of China’s leading independent studios, which is the latest of a growing string of high-profile tie-ups as it tries to claw its way back to profitability. We dive into a recent study that reveals what the average Chinese person does every day. In addition, we talk with Doug Young, the managing editor of Caixin Global, about China's rapid growth in the retail industry. We also chat with Charlotte Yang, a reporter with Caixin Global, about zombie companies in China. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.