The world's population is likely to peak in the next 60 years and nowhere is this trend felt more than Asia, with countries such as South Korea and Japan registering some of the lowest birth rates and oldest populations.

Wei Li, Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, discusses the role demographics plays in investing and why it may be the most important megatrend. She joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.

The world's population is likely to peak in the next 60 years and nowhere is this trend felt more than Asia, with countries such as South Korea and Japan registering some of the lowest birth rates and oldest populations.
Wei Li, Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, discusses the role demographics plays in investing and why it may be the most important megatrend. She joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.

Some of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets, economies and companies are in Asia. Every Thursday, John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence speaks with experts and newsmakers about the big ideas and trends moving money across the region.

Some of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets, economies and companies are in Asia. Every Thursday, John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence speaks with experts and newsmakers about the big ideas and trends moving money across the region.

Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

BlackRock's Wei Li on the Demographic Megatrend

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9506051a-d0fc-4a18-89ee-b1f8005ef182/transcript

After decades of lagging behind the US and China in economic growth and innovation, Europe faces a stark reality: the era of cheap Russian energy, low-cost Chinese goods and US-backed security is over. Achieving strategic self-sufficiency will cost an estimated €14 trillion through 2035, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, requiring massive capital deployment across defense, energy, technology and agriculture. Traditional industrial mainstays are also under threat, with Chinese EV makers rapidly capturing market share and endangering an auto sector that employs nearly 14 million people.

Rod Turnbull, EMEA research content manager at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. Turnbull breaks down how Europe can fund this €1.5 trillion annual effort — from unlocking €11 trillion in consumer bank deposits to EU budget shifts. He also highlights key investment opportunities across defense and tech, while weighing whether political friction and national self-interest could derail execution.

After decades of lagging behind the US and China in economic growth and innovation, Europe faces a stark reality: the era of cheap Russian energy, low-cost Chinese goods and US-backed security is over. Achieving strategic self-sufficiency will cost an estimated &euro;14 trillion through 2035, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, requiring massive capital deployment across defense, energy, technology and agriculture. Traditional industrial mainstays are also under threat, with Chinese EV makers rapidly capturing market share and endangering an auto sector that employs nearly 14 million people.
Rod Turnbull, EMEA research content manager at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. Turnbull breaks down how Europe can fund this &euro;1.5 trillion annual effort &mdash; from unlocking &euro;11 trillion in consumer bank deposits to EU budget shifts. He also highlights key investment opportunities across defense and tech, while weighing whether political friction and national self-interest could derail execution.

Europe Needs €14 Trillion to Catch US, China

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8cd1efbf-943d-4d11-ba9c-b4b2007efb2f/transcript

While US tech giants such as Anthropic and OpenAI are monetizing at an unprecedented scale, Chinese developers are struggling to turn their technical progress into revenue growth. Despite narrowing the performance gap with US frontier models to just 5%, they face a domestic market flooded with nearly 1,000 competing large language models. This massive oversupply has triggered a brutal price war, with API tokens trading at roughly an 80% discount compared with US rates.

Can Chinese AI companies ever generate significant returns for investors, and what are the implications for US frontier models? Robert Lea, senior analyst covering China AI at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. They outline why China's ecosystem prioritizes "progress, not profit," explore stark economic parallels with the heavily subsidized solar and EV sectors, and discuss whether this cutthroat competition will derail the industry's long-term ambitions.

While US tech giants such as Anthropic and OpenAI are monetizing at an unprecedented scale, Chinese developers are struggling to turn their technical progress into revenue growth. Despite narrowing the performance gap with US frontier models to just 5%, they face a domestic market flooded with nearly 1,000 competing large language models. This massive oversupply has triggered a brutal price war, with API tokens trading at roughly an 80% discount compared with US rates.
Can Chinese AI companies ever generate significant returns for investors, and what are the implications for US frontier models? Robert Lea, senior analyst covering China AI at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. They outline why China's ecosystem prioritizes "progress, not profit," explore stark economic parallels with the heavily subsidized solar and EV sectors, and discuss whether this cutthroat competition will derail the industry's long-term ambitions.

China's AI Firms Locked in Race to the Bottom

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6f2e3be6-c6c6-4f7f-83df-b4ab009236f7/transcript

Global fixed income markets are facing fresh turbulence as 30-year US Treasury yields spike to 5.2% – their highest level since before the global financial crisis – amid policy uncertainty under Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh. At the same time, FX markets are on high alert following coordinated intervention by US and Japanese authorities to support the yen after it breached 162. With rate volatility climbing while corporate fundamentals remain largely intact, how can credit investors find value amid tight spreads and negative net debt issuance across Asia?

Monica Hsiao, founder and chief investment officer of Triada Capital, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. She looks at how Fed communication is driving up risk premiums, the mechanics behind US-Japan FX coordination, and why carry remains the primary strategy in global credit markets.

Global fixed income markets are facing fresh turbulence as 30-year US Treasury yields spike to 5.2% &ndash; their highest level since before the global financial crisis &ndash; amid policy uncertainty under Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh. At the same time, FX markets are on high alert following coordinated intervention by US and Japanese authorities to support the yen after it breached 162. With rate volatility climbing while corporate fundamentals remain largely intact, how can credit investors find value amid tight spreads and negative net debt issuance across Asia?
Monica Hsiao, founder and chief investment officer of Triada Capital, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. She looks at how Fed communication is driving up risk premiums, the mechanics behind US-Japan FX coordination, and why carry remains the primary strategy in global credit markets.

Navigating US Treasury Selloff and Yen Intervention

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ba7606ce-ef04-4f1b-a4e4-b49e008f0b92/transcript

BlackRock's Wei Li on the Demographic Megatrend

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