A crippling property crisis, mounting debt, weak consumer spending… and now a trade war. Despite the headwinds, China has set an ambitious economic growth goal of about 5% this year.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s John Liu about how Xi Jinping intends to meet the target, and how Trump’s tariff war might sabotage his plans.  

Read more: Trump’s Tariffs Push Xi to Overhaul China’s Ailing Growth Model


Further listening: 

China’s New Game Plan For Dealing With Trump Tariffs
Xi Has Embraced China’s Tech Titans Once Again. Will It Last?


Watch, from Originals: Can China Avoid Japan’s Lost Decades?

A crippling property crisis, mounting debt, weak consumer spending&hellip; and now a trade war. Despite the headwinds, China has set an ambitious economic growth goal of about 5% this year.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg&rsquo;s John Liu about how Xi Jinping intends to meet the target, and how Trump&rsquo;s tariff war might sabotage his plans. &nbsp;
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-03-05/donald-trump-s-tariffs-push-xi-jinping-to-overhaul-china-s-economic-growth-model">Trump&rsquo;s Tariffs Push Xi to Overhaul China&rsquo;s Ailing Growth Model</a>
 Further listening:&nbsp;
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinas-new-game-plan-for-dealing-with-trump-tariffs/id1746141911?i=1000691208201">China&rsquo;s New Game Plan For Dealing With Trump Tariffs </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xi-has-embraced-chinas-tech-titans-once-again-will-it-last/id1746141911?i=1000696007852">Xi Has Embraced China&rsquo;s Tech Titans Once Again. Will It Last?</a>
 Watch, from Originals: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBd7a0PGBsI">Can China Avoid Japan&rsquo;s Lost Decades?</a>

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

Big Take Asia

Xi’s Big Challenge Is Getting People to Spend, Spend, Spend

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9340b9e4-961f-43c6-94ea-b2980165c2f8/transcript

American pharma giants are increasingly turning to Chinese labs to discover, test and develop cutting-edge drugs.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Amber Tong and Robert Langreth join Oanh Ha to break down why global drugmakers are sourcing their next big breakthroughs from China — and what that means for US biotech dominance.

Read more: Big Pharma Is Hooked on Chinese Licensing Deals

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and David Fox; Guests: Amber Tong and Robert Langreth; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.

Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Suguira.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

American pharma giants are increasingly turning to Chinese labs to discover, test and develop cutting-edge drugs.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg&rsquo;s Amber Tong and Robert Langreth join Oanh Ha to break down why global drugmakers are sourcing their next big breakthroughs from China &mdash; and what that means for US biotech dominance.
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-19/china-drug-deals-keep-luring-us-pharma-despite-pressure-in-washington?srnd=undefined">Big Pharma Is Hooked on Chinese Licensing Deals</a>
Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and David Fox; Guests: Amber Tong and Robert Langreth; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.
Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Suguira.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Big Pharma Needs New Drugs. China Has Them

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e49d7c14-958c-4573-89fa-b4c6012e94dd/transcript

Tens of thousands of workers in India are wearing head-mounted cameras to record their every move, helping train humanoid robots to perform everyday human tasks.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Asia AI reporter Saritha Rai joins host Rebecca Choong Wilkins for an inside look at how vast troves of data are gathered by the very people who may eventually be replaced and what it all means for the US-China race for AI dominance.

Read more: Workers Are Teaching AI-Powered Robots to Take Over Their Jobs

Hosted by Rebecca Choong Wilkins; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Saritha Rai; Edited by Crispina Robert, Patrick Hirsch.

Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Tens of thousands of workers in India are wearing head-mounted cameras to record their every move, helping train humanoid robots to perform everyday human tasks.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg&rsquo;s Asia AI reporter Saritha Rai joins host Rebecca Choong Wilkins for an inside look at how vast troves of data are gathered by the very people who may eventually be replaced and what it all means for the US-China race for AI dominance.
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-12/thousands-of-india-workers-are-helping-ai-firms-train-robots-to-replace-them">Workers Are Teaching AI-Powered Robots to Take Over Their Jobs</a> 
Hosted by Rebecca Choong Wilkins; Produced by Yang Yang; Reported by Saritha Rai; Edited by Crispina Robert, Patrick Hirsch.
Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver; Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

How India Is Training the Robots of the Future

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/46c8e347-2695-4d49-9109-b4bf0157a32d/transcript

Microdramas — mini soap operas designed to be watched on your phone — have become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Yang Yang and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Christopher Beam about how millions got hooked on the medium, the challenges studios face as they try to reach new audiences and how AI could transform it all.

Read more: China Has the World Hooked on Two-Minute Microdramas
China Brought 90-Second Microdramas to the US. Now Hollywood Wants In

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and Victor Swezey; Reported by Yang Yang and Christopher Beam; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.

Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Sean Carter.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Microdramas &mdash; mini soap operas designed to be watched on your phone &mdash; have become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Yang Yang and Bloomberg Businessweek&rsquo;s Christopher Beam about how millions got hooked on the medium, the challenges studios face as they try to reach new audiences and how AI could transform it all.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-31/chinese-microdramas-go-global-as-ai-slashes-production-costs?srnd=phx-weekend_2">China Has the World Hooked on Two-Minute Microdramas </a><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-12/microdramas-take-hold-on-us-smartphones-after-rise-in-china">China Brought 90-Second Microdramas to the US. Now Hollywood Wants In</a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts"> Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng and Victor Swezey; Reported by Yang Yang and Christopher Beam; Edited by Paddy Hirsch and Crispina Robert.
Fact-checking by Victor Swezey; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Sean Carter.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Xi’s Big Challenge Is Getting People to Spend, Spend, Spend

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