Xi Has Embraced China’s Tech Titans Once Again. Will It Last?
Four years after launching a regulatory crackdown that plunged the tech sector into turmoil, China’s President Xi Jinping sat down publicly with Alibaba Group’s co-founder Jack Ma, whose firm bore the...
25 Feb 202515min
What Thailand's Same-Sex Marriage Victory Means for the Economy
Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriage last month. And to mark the occasion, nearly 2,000 couples tied the knot on the first day the law came into effect. ...
14 Feb 202515min
China’s New Game Plan for Dealing With Trump Tariffs
As US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on China, Xi Jinping's government has had a far more muted response than it did during the trade war in Trump’s first term. On today’s Big Take Asia Po...
11 Feb 202518min
Why Are Chinese Consumers So Keen on Gold?
Shuibei, in southern China, is home to one of the world's biggest retail markets for gold. Over the past year, it's seen a boom in demand for the jewelry, sold by thousands of stallholders, as the Chi...
28 Jan 202513min
Americans Flocked to RedNote as the TikTok Ban Loomed. Will the Party Last?
The US ban on TikTok saw millions of users – predominantly Americans – flock to another Chinese social media platform: Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote. So far, the vibe between Chinese and American...
21 Jan 202517min
South Korea Has Plenty of Botox But Not Enough Doctors
A record 600,000 people traveled to South Korea for medical procedures in 2023, with roughly half of those visiting dermatology and plastic surgery clinics. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebe...
14 Jan 202515min
Why Millions of Young Chinese Are Refusing to Make Pension Payments
China’s pension system is in danger of running out of cash within a decade due to severe underfunding. Now it faces a new threat: Tens of millions of mostly young workers are refusing to pay into it. ...
7 Jan 202513min
