Hello! Welcome to the 6th episode of the podcast “Peking Playbook,” mainly featuring me (Zichen Wang) and Robert Wu, of Baiguan and China Translated substacks, just talking about recent news.

In the following 39-minute conversation recorded on Saturday evening ET, March 29, 2025, we talked about:

[00:52] Xi met global CEOs

[04:25] What’s more serious for foreign businesses in China, organic domestic competition or the alleged policy discrimination?

[10:00] Some Western firms (such as top consulting firms) are facing pressure at home to do business with China

[12:06] There is also discrimination against local businesses, benefiting the foreign businesses.

[15:22] Bo’ao and the discussion to increase pension payments for farmers

[21:12] Trump's tariffs on all auto imports and their indirect impact on China

[25:20] SOE automaker consolidation policy, as a counter-argument against the idea that China’s EV sector was successful mainly because of government support

[27:48] The US is doing it wrong when it comes to supporting its own auto industry

[30:57] YouTuber IShowSpeed in China

[36:23] A new English-language book “Should the World Fear China?” by Zhou Bo, retired Senior Colonel of the PLA, on Taiwan and for China to get rid of the mindset of victimhood.

For reference:

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