Prof G Media: China Decode

The China Robot Boom Is Here

Alice Han — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:01:00 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge start in Taipei, where the government has approved a record $35 billion defense budget for 2027 — an 18.2% jump — coming right on the heels of this year’s Han Kuang drills, which mobilized nearly 22,000 reservists and adopted U.S.-style command tactics for the first time. They dig into what it means for Taiwan’s military readiness, and whether this is more about deterring China or convincing Washington.

Then: Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan — once China’s richest man — has been sentenced to life in prison for financial fraud on a staggering scale, closing the book on the world’s largest corporate liquidation tied to the property sector. Alice and James ask whether the sentencing does anything to fix China’s still-struggling housing market.

Finally: China’s humanoid robot industry is booming — Chinese vendors account for 97% of global shipments — but who’s actually buying them, and how much of the demand is real versus a “circular financing” loop that inflates the…

Why Microsoft is Quietly Abandoning China

Alice Han — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:00:04 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down Microsoft’s five-year retreat from China — shuttered offices, closed retail stores, and thousands of jobs wound down — while the company quietly keeps selling Azure and AI services to Chinese giants like ByteDance and Shein. They dig into what’s driving the pullback, whether this is the decoupling everyone’s been warning about, and the irony that Microsoft’s Beijing R&D center helped train alumni now leading rivals like DeepSeek and SenseTime.

Then: former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji — the man who steered China into the WTO in 2001 and became known as “China’s Thatcher” — has died at 97. Alice and James look at his legacy, from a 12x increase in China’s global trade to the tens of millions of state-enterprise workers laid off along the way, and what the surprisingly unscripted outpouring of grief on Weibo says about China today.

Finally: Typhoon Dolphin has weakened to a tropical storm, but not before forcing over a million evacuations, grounding 40% …

China's Plan to Win Over the World with Free AI — with Amy Lyons

Alice Han — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:02:11 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down Xi Jinping’s pitch at the World AI Conference in Shanghai: free, open-source Chinese AI models for developing nations shut out by expensive U.S. systems. They dig into WAICO, the new 29-member intergovernmental AI organization China just launched, how it echoes (and diverges from) the Belt and Road and Digital Silk Road playbooks, and whether China’s open-source generosity can actually last.

Then: mathematicians Yu Deng and Hong Wang just became the first two Chinese nationals to win a Fields Medal in the same year — only the second and third Chinese nationals ever to win math’s highest honor. Alice and James discuss why it’s being celebrated as a milestone for Chinese science, and what it says about talent flow between China and the West.

Plus: Amy Lyons — known online as @BlondieinChina — joins to talk about a decade of covering Chinese food and culture, what most people get wrong about Chinese cuisine outside Beijing and Shanghai, and how the crea…

The World Now Views China More Favorably Than the U.S. — with Selina Xu

Alice Han — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:05:31 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge start with Trump’s claim that China ran an influence operation using voter files from over 220 million Americans, and why Beijing is calling it fabricated. They dig into what the underlying intelligence actually shows, how it lands just two months before Trump’s planned visit to China, and what it means that global public opinion is now tilting toward Xi over Trump.

Then, Selina Xu, head of China research for former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, joins to talk about her recent trip to China with Schmidt, where the U.S. and China each have the edge in the AI race, how culture and adoption differ between the two countries, and whether Beijing’s pushback against emotional dependence on AI is a sign of things to come.

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China Just Dropped Its Jobs Target for the First Time in Decades

Alice Han — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:01:44 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge look at why, for the first time in decades, China’s new Five-Year Plan sets no numerical target for urban job creation. With unemployment at 5.1%, producer prices at a four-year high, and AI anxiety rippling through the labor market, what does it mean when Beijing, a government that treats jobs numbers as sacred, stops setting one?

Then: Tencent is in talks to become the largest shareholder in Manus, the Chinese AI agent startup Meta tried to buy for $2 billion before Beijing forced the deal to unwind. Alice and James unpack why Chinese regulators intervened, what happened to Manus’s founders, and what this all signals about Beijing’s grip on its AI sector.

Finally: Gen Z in China is skipping the megacities. Alice and James dig into why more young people are choosing Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities over Beijing and Shanghai, and whether it’s a lifestyle choice or a symptom of a tougher economy.

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China Tests Ballistic Missile, Europe's AC Addiction, and China's AI Coding Challenger

Alice Han — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:02:40 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge start with China’s latest ballistic missile test into the Pacific and what it means alongside a new Australia-Fiji defense pact.

Then: Europe wants to shrink its record trade deficit with China, but its worst heat wave on record has sent demand for Chinese air conditioners soaring. They break down whether the two sides can actually cooperate on AI and renewable energy even as tensions rise.

Plus: Z.ai just launched ZCode, a coding agent for its GLM-5.2 model said to rival Claude and ChatGPT. Alice and James discuss how big a threat this is to U.S. AI dominance, as well as the fallout from claims that Anthropic used hidden code to track Chinese users.

Finally: China’s new “Ethnic Unity” law took effect July 1. What does it mean for Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Taiwan… and how is Beijing defending it internationally?

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China’s AI Surge Has Apple Panicking

Alice Han — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:02:01 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge dig into why Apple is lobbying the Trump administration for permission to buy memory chips from a Chinese company on the Pentagon’s military blacklist.

With DRAM prices up nearly 100% in a single quarter — analysts are calling it “RAMageddon” — Apple already raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to 20%, and iPhones could be next. How far will Apple go to secure its supply chain, and what does it mean if Washington says yes?

They also break down DeepSeek’s landmark $7.4 billion funding round, which is the first time the Chinese AI startup has ever taken outside money. Tencent, CATL, and China’s state-backed National AI Investment Fund are among the backers, and the valuation has jumped six-fold in six weeks to nearly $59 billion. DeepSeek built its reputation on doing more with less — so why does it need the money now?

And finally: a new sign that China’s middle class is changing what it puts on the table. The Economist calls it the “Californication” of Chinese d…

Hong Kong's AI Crackdown, Lululemon’s Marketing Backlash, and World Cup Fever

Alice Han — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:01:47 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge dive into why JPMorgan has cut its Hong Kong employees off from Anthropic’s Claude. That comes after Goldman Sachs quietly restricted AI access for their employees in the city. With ChatGPT already blocked on the mainland, are U.S. companies drawing a new line around Hong Kong? And what does it mean for the city’s future as a global financial hub?

They also discuss Lululemon’s Great Wall yoga festival, which was meant to celebrate Chinese culture. Instead, a Japanese-style drum in the promotional imagery set off a nationalist firestorm — over 50 million views on Weibo and counting. It’s the latest in a long line of foreign brand missteps in China. Why is it so hard to get it right?

And finally: China hasn’t qualified for the World Cup — but football fans have found someone to root for: Chinese referee Ma Ning, who has picked up sponsorships from Lenovo and Hisense and 210,000 new social media followers.

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China Gets Locked Out of SpaceX and America’s Biggest IPOs — with Ed Elson

Alice Han — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:02:01 GMT

Alice Han and special guest Ed Elson break down how Chinese investors are increasingly being shut out of America’s hottest IPOs — even as China pours hundreds of billions into AI, robotics, and next-generation tech.

They talk about the growing financial and technological divide between the U.S. and China, the Pentagon’s decision to label companies like Alibaba, BYD, and Baidu as “Chinese Military Companies” and whether Washington and Beijing are entering a new era of financial decoupling.

They also look at the big Chinese companies that could be next to IPO, and who China’s Elon Musk might be.

Plus: the growing worker backlash as AI transforms China’s labor market.

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China’s New AI Breakthrough Has Silicon Valley Nervous

Alice Han — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:02:24 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down reports that a Chinese robotics startup has topped a leading international benchmark for embodied AI, raising new questions about whether China is pulling ahead in one of the most important technological competitions of the decade.

They also examine Xi Jinping’s first trip to North Korea since 2019 and what it reveals about China’s evolving relationships with Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump amid growing geopolitical tensions.

Plus, China’s government launches a sweeping crackdown on “ghost kitchens” after regulators uncovered tens of thousands of fake restaurants operating on major food delivery platforms.

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Can China Challenge Nvidia’s Dominance?

Alice Han — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:00:51 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down Huawei’s bold new strategy to challenge Nvidia and the future of AI chips. They explore the rise of Huawei’s influential “chip queen” He Tingbo, the company’s attempt to move beyond Moore’s Law, and what it could mean for the global semiconductor race.

Then, tensions between China and Europe are heating up. With record trade deficits, growing concerns over Chinese imports, and new efforts to protect European industries, Alice and James examine whether a full-scale China-EU trade war is beginning to take shape.

Finally, Hong Kong has officially overtaken Switzerland as the world’s largest offshore wealth hub. They discuss what’s driving the surge in cross-border wealth flowing through Hong Kong, why China’s ultra-rich are increasingly keeping assets closer to home, and the risks that come with tying so much wealth to the fortunes of mainland China.

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Why China Keeps Selling U.S. Treasuries

Alice Han — Tue, 26 May 2026 08:01:14 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down why Russia is pushing hard for China to approve the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, what China’s accelerating selloff of U.S. Treasuries could mean for the American economy, and how China became the first country to commercially approve a brain-computer implant — moving ahead of the U.S. and Elon Musk’s Neuralink.

They also explore the deepening China-Russia alliance, mounting pressure on the U.S. dollar, and whether China is beginning to pull ahead in the global race for technological dominance.

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Trump Promised to Be Tough on China, Xi Outplayed Him

Alice Han — Tue, 19 May 2026 08:01:58 GMT

Trump leaves Beijing claiming “fantastic” progress with Xi Jinping — but did the summit actually deliver meaningful results?

Alice Han and James Kynge break down the biggest takeaways from the high-stakes Trump-Xi meeting, from the economic promises and simmering Taiwan tensions to the surprising role top CEOs like Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang played throughout the trip.

They discuss the real winners and losers of the summit, what companies like Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, and Boeing stand to gain, and whether any of the promised deals will actually materialize. They also unpack China’s warning on Taiwan, the broader geopolitical stakes surrounding Iran and global energy markets, and the symbolism behind Trump’s visit to the Temple of Heaven.

Plus, they examine China’s growing influence at Cannes, where AI, robotics, and film technology showcased the country’s expanding soft power ambitions.

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The High-Stakes Trump-Xi Summit Preview

Alice Han — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:01:16 GMT

Trump heads to Beijing this week for one of the most consequential U.S.-China meetings in years — with trade wars, Taiwan, AI, rare earths, and the fallout from the Iran conflict all hanging over the talks.

Alice Han and James Kynge break down what Trump and Xi really want from the summit, why China may have more leverage than many in Washington realize, and how Beijing quietly used globalization to accelerate its technological rise.

They also unpack a striking new study showing Chinese investors heavily targeted research-intensive firms across Europe and North America — raising a bigger question: did the West help build the competitor it’s now trying to contain?

Plus, Xi Jinping’s military purge is intensifying. China has handed suspended death sentences to two former defense ministers as Xi continues reshaping the PLA ahead of a more dangerous geopolitical era. They discuss why Xi is trying to build a world-class fighting force while simultaneously hollowing out large parts of its lead…

China is Beating the U.S. in Space?!

Alice Han — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:02:29 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down how China is rapidly closing the gap in the global space race, with record-breaking launches, ambitious moon missions, and technology that’s raising eyebrows in Washington.

Then, a massive $2 trillion generational wealth transfer is underway — but with no inheritance tax in place, what does that mean for inequality, government revenue, and the future of “common prosperity”?

And finally: from robotic arms in orbit to robots in the kitchen. As AI and automation spread across China’s economy — even into dim sum kitchens — regulators are stepping in. But is China actually setting the global standard for how AI should be governed?

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The U.S. vs China AI Battle Is Getting Ugly

Alice Han — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:02:12 GMT

The race for global AI supremacy is accelerating—and getting messier. Alice Han and James Kynge break down the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China as accusations of AI model “distillation” and intellectual theft collide with China’s own rapid breakthroughs, including DeepSeek’s latest powerful new model.

But the competition isn’t just happening in code. While Washington warns of industrial-scale AI copying, Wall Street is quietly increasing exposure to China through record renminbi borrowing and offshore “dim sum” bonds—suggesting a deeper financial realignment underway beneath the geopolitical friction.

And inside China, a very different story is unfolding: a rising trend of “pretend-to-work” offices, where young people are paying just to simulate employment amid growing youth unemployment and economic pressure.

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The Hidden Engine of China’s AI Boom

Alice Han — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:02:25 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down the forces reshaping China’s economy and its growing influence in the global AI race.

They start with the macro picture: China’s Q1 GDP came in stronger than expected, but the headline number masks a more uneven recovery — with infrastructure spending doing much of the heavy lifting, while consumer demand remains soft, property prices continue to fall, and auto sales stay under pressure.

From there, they move into one of the most striking shifts in the global tech economy: China’s emerging advantage in AI. In particular, its rapid rise as a leading exporter of “tokens” — the computational units that power large language models and agentic AI systems. With lower costs, rapid scaling, and increasingly competitive open-weight models, Chinese AI firms are beginning to reshape global pricing and usage dynamics across the industry.

They also examine Beijing’s expanding use of export controls — spanning rare earth minerals to advanced solar technologies — an…

China Steps In as Trump’s Ceasefire Unravels — with Eyck Freymann

Alice Han — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:01:52 GMT

What began as a fragile ceasefire has turned into a U.S.-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — and China is moving to capitalize. As tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate, Beijing is quietly positioning itself as a global power broker — nudging diplomacy while sidestepping responsibility.

At the same time, Donald Trump is firing back with tariff threats, linking instability in the Middle East directly to U.S.–China tensions. Alice and James discuss whether or not the Chinese government is providing military aid to Iran, and explore why that’s such a fraught question. Plus — how China is playing both sides, and what it all means for global markets and oil prices.

And then, author and China scholar Eyck Freymann joins the show to talk about Taiwan — and the looming military threats that a China-led “reunification” effort would pose. From Beijing’s outreach to Taiwan’s opposition, to the ramifications of a potential conflict on the global semiconductor industry, Alice, James and Eyc…

China’s New AI Models Are Moving Faster Than Expected

Alice Han — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:01:15 GMT

Tensions in West Asia are escalating fast. Trump is threatening Iran, while China and Pakistan step in with a surprise peace plan that could reshape the conflict—and global energy markets. Alice Han and James Kynge break down whether it could actually de-escalate the crisis or shift the balance of power in the region.

They also dig into China’s new trade investigations against the U.S. and a major FBI cyber breach, exploring what these developments mean for the upcoming Trump-Xi summit and the broader U.S.-China relationship.

Finally, Alice and James look at China’s AI boom, as models like OpenClaw surge in usage, transforming cloud pricing and the global AI landscape.

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China Walks a Dangerous Line as Iran War Escalates

Alice Han — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:03:33 GMT

Alice Han and James Kynge break down how China is navigating a delicate balancing act as the Iran conflict intensifies—protecting its energy supply while avoiding direct alignment.

They also unpack BYD’s global expansion and what it means for Tesla as the EV race heats up.

And in Chongqing, a massive new escalator system offers a striking look at China’s approach to infrastructure, scale, and urban life—plus a quick check-in on the markets to start the week.

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