Podcast
Musings about Multinational Corporations
Hosted by Jean-Marc F. Blanchard · ENGLISH
We cover stories relating to the political economy of multinational corporations in and from East Asia; bring you leading experts on related topics; and highlight the work of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Mixup on Manus; keeping the Apple fresh; screeching tires, discharged EVs, and spinning turbines; Disconnecting Chinese chip sales, routers, telecoms, and more;
Yesterday00:41:11Tap to summarizeThe show begins with a discussion of the turmoil surrounding Meta’s takeover of Manus AI, a deal China has rejected. It then shifts to Apple’s efforts to keep the situation in China peachy. Subsequently, it roams to the topic of the Italian government putting the brakes on Sinochem, the largest Pirelli shareholder, before shifting to BYD’s challenges in Brazil. Next, it travel to the United Kingdom, which has banned the use of Ming Yang wind turbines. The last segment covers the U.S. push to restrict the sale of chip-making equipment to China, block foreign router sales in the U.S., and hang upon on Chinese telecom companies as well as China's unwillingness to buy billions of high-end American AI chips.
Transcribe →The China chip sale rollercoaster, on and off the DoD naughty list, Nexperia's nightmare, TikTok travails, shifting Shein and Temu fortunes, and mapping out Korea's tech landscape
Apr 900:46:17Tap to summarizeThis episode begins on the roller coaster known as artificial intelligence chip sales to China, a ride full of stops and starts and ups and downs. It then turns to the off and on again and off again placement of Chinese companies on the United States (US) Department of Defense’s Naughty List. It next returns to the soap opera involving the Netherland’s Nexperia, its China subsidiary, and its Chinese owner Wingtech. Following this, it chronicles TikTok’s troubles around the world. It subsequently examines the latest news surrounding online platforms Shein and Temu. It closes by mapping out the latest developments in Korea pertaining to Google maps and other American high-tech companies.
Transcribe →Thirty Minutes of Tips from Top Talent: Mr. Ken Wilcox
Mar 1700:42:02Tap to summarizeThis episode features Ken Wilcox, the author of The China Business Conundrum and former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank (2001-2011), CEO of SVB's China joint venture (2011-2015), and then Vice Chairman of SVB's JV (2015-2019). In this program, Ken touches upon issues like the China Playbook, identifying decision makers, gift giving, the US government as a backstop (or not), "leverage," and the prospects of the foreign financial industry in China.
Transcribe →Cashing In and Cashiering Chips; Nipping at Nexperia; Discharging Mergers, Software, and Batteries; Timed Out or Time Out for Tik Tok Deal; Groping for GROK
Feb 2000:41:01Tap to summarizeThis show starts by covering the ups and downs associated with the sale of advanced Nvidia and AMD AI chips to Chinese firms. It then turns to the battle between Nexperia Netherlands and China's Wingtech over control and transborder operations. The fourth part details Washington’s squashing of a Chinese semiconductor acquisition, Beijing’s potential mashing of Meta’s acquisition of Manus, China’s sweeping ban of American and Israeli cybersecurity software companies , and American politician attempts to discharge Ford’s collaborations with CATL. We next turn to the supposed end of the TikTok divestiture. The episode concludes with coverage of Asian government efforts to reign in Grok, the X run AI chatbot.
Transcribe →TiKTok off the Dock? Flattening Chinese Platforms; Fab about Selling Chips and Chip Making Equipment; Crisis over East Asian Tech Regulation; Intelligence about AI Regulation
Jan 1500:42:34Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we discuss the non-definitive definitive TikTok divestiture deal. We then examine challenges facing Chinese platforms such as Shein, Alibaba, and Baidu. Next, we track the continuing saga involving the sale of high-end chips and semiconductor making equipment by Nvidia and others to China. Following this, we delve into the regulatory travails confronting Google and Apple in countries like Korea. We conclude the podcast with a brief look at expanding moves to regulate various aspect of artificial intelligence.
Transcribe →Thirty Minutes of Tips from Top Talent: Mr. Eric Sundheim
Dec 1700:28:14Tap to summarizeIn this segment of "Thirty Minutes of Tips from Top Talent," we interview Mr. Eric Sundheim, Principal & CEO, Mercovus Valuations, a Campbell, California (USA)-based valuation firm. During this episode, Eric enlightens us about the complexities and process of valuing intangible assets (e.g., stock, IP, crypto), the different ways that "politics" (global and domestic), which can manifest itself as international tensions or tax and regulatory regimes, can influence valuations, some techniques used to incorporate politics into value calculations, the types of valuations that can be given, and more.
Transcribe →Apple Blossoms and Soft exits; Communicating about Qualcomm; Semiconductor designs; Nexperia Seizure; Social media on and Under Fire; Gnashing Google53:15 PM
Nov 1300:54:29Tap to summarizeThis episode begins with a piece on Apple’s continued courting of Beijing and its harvest and the moves by others to reduce their roots in the Middle Kingdom. It then explores China’s anti-trust investigation of Qualcomm. The third content segment covers pressures on Nvidia from China and the United States, highlighting its defense of deeper dealings with China. Afterwards, it treats the Nexperia seizure saga, which is giving the Dutch, car companies, Nexperia Netherlands, Nexperia China, and China’s Wingtech fits. Our penultimate piece focuses on the moves by various countries around the globe to regulate social media companies such as Facebook and TikTok and moderate content. We conclude by examining the stresses Korea, the United Kingdom, and OpenAI are raising for Google.
Transcribe →Banking on China; Maalox for Nvidia over Mellanox and More; Chips Now Out of Stock; the Dizzying Divestiture of TikTok; Regulating the Regulators, Trump Style; and Shop Wars
Oct 1600:49:33Tap to summarizeThis episode begins by highlighting issues that Wells Fargo, Google, Apple, and Anthropic face with respect to China. It then focuses intently on Nvidia's challenges relating to a China antitrust investigation and China’s pursuit of semiconductor independence. It then shifts to the United States’s revocation of Validated End User Status for Samsung and SK Hynix and its possible implications for the companies, their chip equipment suppliers, and their competitors. Following this, it explores the latest news about the TikTok divestiture. Afterwards, it examines Washington’s war against European and Korean efforts to regulate tech companies. The show ends with a discussion of the unraveling fabric of Shein and Temu.
Transcribe →Getting in, Maybe to Get Out; Snacking on Chip Taxes; Knashing Nvidia; Chomping Chips; Korea Krumbs
Sep 1600:45:00Tap to summarizeThis episode reviews various corporate exits from China and the tactics some companies like Apple are using to facilitate their China derisking; delves into the "unusual" and "unprecedented" chip tax deal AMD and Nvidia struck with the US government; examines President Donald Trump's hate and love fest with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan; and charts out Google's map data struggles with Korea as well as Korea's frictions with Mercedes Benz and Westinghouse.
Transcribe →Nvidia_a love hate story; continuing conundrums for companies in China; conundrums for Chinese companies; Google YouTube Yelps; and tech regulation around the world
Aug 1200:42:41Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we discuss the love and hate swirling around AI semiconductor leader Nvidia. Following this, we cover continuing challenges for companies in China such as Apple, Sam’s Club, and Tesla. The second half looks at the ongoing conundrums that Chinese companies such as TikTok are managing in the US, Europe, and Korea. We then zoom in on the travails of Google in Australia, Korea, and Pakistan. The last segment covers tech company content and competition regulation, an issue companies like X, Telegram, xAI, Meta, Apple, and Google can’t avoid!
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