Bloomberg Talks

Episode: Brian Schimpf Talks the Political Tensions Between the United States and China
Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Brian Schimpf, CEO of Anduril

Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Brian Schimpf, CEO of defense tech company Anduril, focusing on the escalating political and economic tensions between the United States and China. The discussion takes place amid breaking news that President Trump has canceled an anticipated meeting with China's President Xi and announced intentions to raise tariffs, prompting sharp market reactions. Schimpf provides insight into the defense tech landscape, supply chain vulnerabilities, US industrial policy, and how companies like Anduril are confronting geopolitical uncertainties.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Anduril's Growth and Focus

• Positional Update (00:22–00:51)
  • Anduril has grown rapidly in its eight years, now over 6,500 employees and scaling revenue from $1 billion last year to an expected $2 billion this year.
  • Production capabilities are expanding, with a shift from R&D to large-scale manufacturing, focusing on integration with "warfighters" and the delivery of advanced defense technology.

Breaking News: US-China Diplomatic Fallout

• Market Impact and Political Context (01:29–02:14)

  • President Trump announces cancellation of a meeting with President Xi and signals increased tariffs on Chinese goods, causing significant market volatility.
  • The move is interpreted as a new escalation in US-China tensions, impacting global economic conditions and discussions around technology—specifically TikTok and ongoing tariff negotiations.

  “This is a dialing off of geopolitical tensions.” – (02:00, Bloomberg Panel)

• Rare Earths and Supply Chain Vulnerabilities (03:23–03:37)

  • China is restricting access to key resources (rare earths, semiconductors, germanium) essential to the US and European technology sectors.
  • This is framed as a deliberate long-term strategy by China to gain leverage over Western economies.

  "They have used industrial policy beyond just military power to construct a world where they have a lot of leverage over the US and their allies."
  — Brian Schimpf (03:37)

Strategic Industrial Response & Reshoring

• Building US Manufacturing Resilience (04:12–06:05)

  • Anduril is investing in domestic manufacturing, specifically in Ohio, to onshore key technology production.
  • Schimpf highlights supply chain weaknesses in rare earth materials, emphasizing that industrial policy must go beyond tariffs to support secure US-based supply.

  "Pulling these technologies onto US and allied manufacturing is absolutely key... It's going to be a combination of tariffs, it's going to be a combination of things like guaranteed offtake. There's just this very different strategy that needs be taken to really solve this on a country level scale."
  — Brian Schimpf (04:53)

Talent, Technology, and the Future of Defense

• Competing for Top Talent & Innovation (06:34–07:54)

  • The defense industry requires a new wave of talent trained in software, commercial manufacturing, and autonomy.
  • Anduril recruits from leading tech companies and universities, offering compensation and—critically—work with meaningful, cutting-edge projects like autonomous fighter jets and reusable missiles.

  "It's much more about how do we have things at scale that are smarter, that are more autonomous... making autonomous fighter jets and these reusable missiles is just an absolutely crazy thing to work on if you're a young engineer."
  — Brian Schimpf (06:34)

Notable Quotes

• On China’s Strategic Use of Resources:

  "This will require beyond just stating as a policy that you have sources for America. The sources are very, very limited. This is areas where I've been really encouraged by what the Trump administration has done around trying to reignite this idea of how do you do smart industrial policy?"
  — Brian Schimpf (05:12)

• On Geopolitical Instability:

  “You're in this period of just massive geopolitical instability and China is obviously the focus. But I mean, they've had a very strategic view to this.”
  — Brian Schimpf (02:54)

• On Talent and Mission:

  "Honestly a lot more of it is just do they get to work on exciting problems with people they like on things that really matter? Right. And I think we present this opportunity to be very clear in our purpose and our mission, something that's going to be impactful..."
  — Brian Schimpf (07:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:22 – Anduril's business growth and operational scale
• 01:29 – Breaking: Trump cancels meeting with Xi, tariff escalation
• 02:14 – Implications for markets, TikTok, and US-China relations
• 03:23 – Chinese export controls on rare earths and their impact
• 04:53 – US manufacturing resurgence and industrial policy
• 06:34 – Attracting talent & building next-generation defense tech

Memorable Moments

• The real-time integration of breaking news with Brian Schimpf’s expertise, revealing both the challenges and the strategic opportunities in US defense and industrial sectors.
• Insights into how national security now intertwines tightly with industrial policy, resource dependency, and technology manufacturing.
• An animated discussion about the appeal of working on "autonomous fighter jets" capturing the imagination and ambitions of young talent in defense tech.

Summary Takeaway:
Brian Schimpf’s conversation provides a comprehensive, inside look at how escalating US-China political tensions ripple through defense, technology, and manufacturing. Anduril’s scale-up, supply chain strategy, and focus on cutting-edge engineering and talent recruitment are part of a broader national push to ensure security and resilience in an increasingly fractious geopolitical environment. The timing of President Trump’s announcement reinforced the urgency and relevance of these themes.