Sharp China: Party Building and Xi's Dominance; Memory Chips and ASML Accusations; Germany's Puzzling Push for Plaza Accords

Andrew and Bill discuss Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, MOFCOM and the Ministry of Finance announced restrictions on several dozen US firms, the global memory chip shortage is an opportunity for CXMT and YMTC, what to make of the U.S. government's scrutiny of ASML and Elon Musk's alarmism at the West’s China vulnerabilities.

Opinion | EU and China need a grand bargain to avoid a trade war

The EU's goods trade deficit with China exceeds €300 billion (US$342.76 billion). Brussels and Beijing do not view each other as existential security threats. China has moved rapidly up the value chain, showing world-class competitiveness in digital innovation and the ā€œnew threeā€ green technologies. Europe’s firms now face intense competition from Chinese companies both in the Global South and within the European single market itself. To manage this newly competitive dynamic, the EU and China should make a grand bargain.

Taiwan stages GCTF workshop on fighting transnational repression

The three-day "Building Resilient Democracies: Responding to Transnational Repression" workshop kicked off June 23 in Taipei City under the Global Cooperation Training Framework. It involves experts, law enforcement officials and nongovernmental organization representatives from 29 countries. Participants will focus on how authoritarian regimes are using digital technologies to influence democracies around the world.

My Vibe Coding Adventure, The App and the Experience, Ten Takeaways

Stratechery Plus offers full access to the Stratechery website, podcast, and other content. It costs $15 per month or $150 per year. It offers the subscriber-only Stratechery Update, Interviews, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Dithering, Greatest of All Talk, and Asianometry podcasts.

As China plans for demographic crisis, some sectors see opportunity

Hong Kong and mainland China are both expected to enter the top 10 for the world’s most ageing economies by 2050. South Korea, Japan, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and Portugal are also expected to remain or enter the list. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors could end up the biggest winners from the demographic divide. Carmakers and technology hardware manufacturers may see fiercer headwinds.

China as a fitness center: transformation strategy for Germany

Ola KƤllenius, Vorstandsvorsitzender von Mercedes-Benz, erklƤrte auf der Auto China 2026 in Peking. Arnd Franz, CEO des Stuttgarter Zulieferers Mahle, formuliert zugespitzt: ā€˜China is unser Bootcamp’ The deutschen Industrie steckt nicht einfach in einer Konjunkturkrise.

China’s ā€˜Normalized Governance’ Push Near Taiwan Draws Security Concerns

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is concerned about China's recent activities in the waters east of Taiwan. China's Ministry of Natural Resources announced plans to conduct extensive marine environmental surveys in the area. MAC Deputy Minister Shen You-chung warned that Beijing’s campaign against Taiwan has expanded across multiple fronts.

America’s ā€˜biggest risk’ on AI is China getting ahead, Bessent says

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says China surpassing the United States on artificial intelligence is the biggest risk to the technology. Bessen is the point person in terms of the economic relationship with China. China and the U.S. agreed to hold formal discussions on AI governance following talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.

At Summer Davos in China, Mideast firms look to next generation to repair the Gulf

Corporate leaders at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Liaoning province are talking about the need to rebuild after the recent war in the Middle East. The sense of urgency was accelerating long-delayed connectivity projects. However, the economic push faces steep geopolitical headwinds.

Washington and Pharma Are Helping China Win | Opinion

Debbie Stabenow is concerned about China taking advantage of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. She is calling on Congress and the administration to take action to stop China from taking over the development of medicines in the United States. She also wants Congress to restrict investment in Chinese AI, quantum technology and branded pharmaceuticals.

Toast Message