Podcast
Sharp China with Bill Bishop
Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Sinocism’s Bill Bishop · EN
Understanding China and how China impacts the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Bill Bishop.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
(Preview) Social Mobility and Hukou Reform; US Halts Taiwan Arms Sales?; Ongoing Pressure on Japan; An American Xinhua Journalist Arrested
1w ago00:15:35Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that Beijing moved to further ease hukou restrictions, including why this is a welcome change for millions of Chinese citizens, as well as a look at questions and challenges as the reforms are implemented. Then: A report that Chinese AI talent has been restricted from leaving China, while Beijing continues its efforts to control capital outflow and offshore investments. From there: Indications that the US has indeed paused its second tranche of arms sales to Taiwan, and more details on a US-China board of investment. Then: PRC-Japan updates, including reports of Takaichi recriminations from Xi in his meeting with Trump, heavy rare earth shipments restricted for the past four months, the cards Japan has yet to play, and Mao’s strategic stalemate as a stage of protracted war, not an endgame. At the end: An American journalist for Xinhua and other state outlets is arrested and accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the CCP. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Wang Yi at the UN; American Xinhua “journalist” arrested; Keeping AI talent at home; Recalculating carbon intensity; Another WMP blowup — Sinocism Xi meets Pakistan PM and Serbian President; Coal mine explosion; Delinking basic public services from hukou; Crackdown on overseas trading; AI — Sinocism China removes hukou hurdle for migrant workers in social insurance shake-up — SCMP China Expands Travel Curbs to Top AI Talent at Private Firms — Bloomberg DeepSeek, a National Treasure in China, is Now Being Closely Guarded — The Information China Traders Hit Exit After Offshore Trading Curbs — Bloomberg Iran war, China thaw complicate U.S. support for Taiwan — Washington Post US warns Japan of severe delays in Tomahawk deliveries due to Iran war — Financial Times Pentagon official’s Beijing visit in doubt over $14bn US arms package for Taiwan — Financial Times Xi Jinping railed against Japan’s ‘remilitarisation’ at Donald Trump summit — Financial Times China squeezes Japan over rare earths in repeat of 2010 showdown — Reuters Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint — Politico “I would make the world’s worst spy ever” — Too Simple, Sometimes Naive
Summary(Preview) Constructing US-China Stability; Trump’s Taiwan Comments and More Summit Takeaways; Putin in China
2w ago00:12:03Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill parse the messaging from both sides of last week’s US-China summit in Beijing. Topics include: What the PRC means by “a constructive relationship of strategic stability,” why the US side adopted the framing as well, a relative absence of tangible deliverables, and why “a calculated stalling tactic from both sides designed to manage risk” may be a more accurate rendering of the status quo. From there: Trump’s various comments on Taiwan spark concern and questions, plus notes on Rubio, Ratner, an indictment of Chinese shipping magnates, and an Iran ceasefire Xi calls “imperative.” At the end: Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, questions for the EU, and more bad news for Nvidia in China. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube US-China summit outcomes; Constructive relationship of strategic stability; Taiwan; Putin to Beijing; Li and Ding on AI — Sinocism Putin arrives in Beijing; US indicts PRC container firms and executives; Developing Party members; Tracking foreigners — Sinocism Two Readouts, One Deal — Sinocism Chart CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raul Castro’s grandson in Havana, US and Cuban officials say — AP Rubio, Once a China Hawk, Strikes Softer Tone to Align With Trump — New York Times U.S. probing whether Chinese companies cut production of shipping containers before COVID pandemic — CBS News Xi Warns Against Resuming Iran Attacks After Meeting Putin in Beijing — Bloomberg Chaos erupts behind the scenes of Trump’s China trip — including trampled White House aide — New York Post Joint Declaration of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the Emergence of a Multipolar World and International Relations of a New Type — Telegram Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Putin might ‘regret’ invasion of Ukraine — Financial Times China banned Nvidia’s gaming chip during Jensen Huang’s visit — Financial Times
Summary10 Questions and Modest Expectations With Trump in China to Meet Xi Jinping
3w ago01:02:02Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill talk through 360 degrees of President Trump’s trip to Beijing this week. Topics include: Jensen Huang hitching a ride in Alaska, general expectations for deliverables after limited leaks and hurried advance planning, Trump’s reception in Beijing, and the limits of “upper hand” analysis. From there: A coterie of billionaire CEOs make the trip with Trump, a US Chamber of Commerce/Rhodium Report report warning about the PRC’s industrial strategy, and Trump makes overtures about “opening” China. At the end: Questions on Taiwan arm sales and AI cooperation, the expected talks on Ezra Jin and Jimmy Lai, a trillion dollar investment report that went viral eight months later, Xi’s calculus before a 21st Party Congress, the Iran question looming over the week’s meetings, and big, fat hug speculation. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Trump China visit; China’s Next Generation Industrial Policy; Standardizing and developing AI agents; No more deflation?; Ding Xuexiang visits Huawei — Sinocism Jensen Huang hitching a ride — Emily Goodin: @Emilylgoodin A weakened Trump arrives at Xi’s court — Financial Times Trump on Opening China — Truth Social: @realDonaldTrump Trump is taking more than a dozen U.S. executives to China. Jensen Huang isn’t one of them — CNBC China expanding its industrial dominance, warns US business group — Financial Times China’s Next-Generation Industrial Policy — Rhodium Donald Trump demands Xi Jinping ‘open’ China to US business — Financial Times Xi Is Poised to Press Trump on Arms Sales to Taiwan — New York Times U.S. and China Pursue Guardrails to Stop AI Rivalry From Spiraling Into Crisis — Wall Street Journal Families of two Americans jailed in China urge Trump to seek their release — Reuters Jimmy Lai is not forgotten as Trump goes to China — Washington Post US-China Relations Cannot Return to the Past, But Can Have a Better Future—On the Occasion of the China-US Heads of State Meeting—— - Guo Jiping — People’s Daily (Sinocism Translation) Is Trump About to Invite In the Biggest Predator in the World? — NYT Team Chyyyyyna — Lara Trump: @LaraLeaTrump
Summary(Preview) Beijing Kills Meta’s Manus Deal; April Politburo Takeaways; Foreign Forces Afflicting the Youth; US Countermeasures Mounting
Apr 3000:15:22Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the Meta-Manus deal will likely be unwound in its entirety in the wake of a ruling from the NDRC on Monday. Topics include: The legal grounding cited by Beijing, reports that Manus failed to seek regulatory approval prior to its relocation and acquisition, Mark Zuckerberg as the photo negative of Tim Cook, Beijing’s signal to the AI ecosystem, and why fears of chilled innovation may be slightly overstated. Then: Takeaways from April’s Politburo assessing the economy after Q1, including a nod to the Iran war, no signs of stimulus, and why cracking down on involution is easier said than done. At the end: The MSS argues that foreign forces are driving the “lying flat” campaign, while the U.S. quietly applies pressure on a variety of fronts in advance of May’s meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube April Politburo meeting; Manus mess; Hostile foreign forces encouraging “lying flat”; New US semiconductor restrictions? — Sinocism Managing new employment groups; NDRC wants Manus deal unwound; US-China AI discussion; Alleged MSS hacker extradited to US — Sinocism China blocks Meta’s $2bn purchase of AI group Manus — Financial Times Meta Is Preparing to Have to Undo Its Manus Acquisition After China Ban — WSJ Blocking of Meta’s AI startup buy raises risk for cross-border China tech deals — Reuters What is Meta’s China exposure? — Mobile Dev Memo China targets ‘zombies’ with regulatory headshots to kill off subsidised laggards — SCMP Foreign Organizations are Heavily Funding “Lying Flat Influencers” and Systematically Conducting “Lying Flat Brainwashing” — MSS (Sinocism Translation) China’s Age of Malaise — New Yorker Exclusive: US orders chip equipment companies to halt some shipments to China’s No. 2 chipmaker Hua Hong — Reuters Treasury Warns of Sanctions Risks Linked to China-Based Independent “Teapot” Oil Refineries — US Treasury Dept. Economic Fury Targets Global Network Fueling Iran’s Oil Trade and Shadow Fleet — US Treasury Dept. Exclusive: US orders chip equipment companies to halt some shipments to China’s No. 2 chipmaker Hua Hong — Reuters White House accuses China of ‘industrial-scale’ theft of AI technology — FT DeepSeek’s new AI model does not wow markets in fast-changing industry — Reuters
Summary(Preview) Xi Wants the Strait of Hormuz Re-Opened; Cakes and An E-Commerce Crackdown; The Next Stage of Decoupling; The MATCH Act in Congress
Apr 2300:12:53Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill return to discuss the PRC’s posture amidst the ongoing war in Iran. Topics include: Xi’s call to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, an interdicted Iranian ship that may have been carrying missile precursors from China, Trump’s posture toward China three weeks before his summit in Beijing, and deals between the US and Indonesia and the US and the Philippines. Then: The SAMR fines several e-commerce giants over food safety concerns in the “ghost delivery” sector, plus thoughts on the ongoing struggle to combat involution. From there: New regulations in Beijing to crack down on foreign companies attempting to diversify supply chains, the USTR’s Jamieson Greer comments on US partners and a new rare earth strategy, and notes on tensions between the PRC and Japan. At the end: The MATCH Act in Congress and the continued scrutiny over semiconductor manufacturing equipment, an updated timeline for DeepSeek’s new model, and a Mandelson mess continues to unspool in the U.K. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi wants Strait of Hormuz opened; NDRC head on security and development; Cake order leads to huge fines; Solar industry involution persists; Manus deal — Sinocism More foreign visitors meet Xi; Service sector boost; Countering improper foreign conduct; Youth unemployment; AI chip shortage; More pressure on AI “China-shedding” — Sinocism Oil prices jump after U.S. seizes Iranian vessel, imperiling ceasefire — Washington Post CNBC Transcript: President Donald Trump Speaks with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Today — CNBC China’s exports slow as Middle East turmoil weighs on trade — Financial Times A Cake Order That Led to a Massive Fine — Tracking the “Ghost Delivery” Series of Cases一份蛋糕订单牵出巨额罚单——”幽灵外卖”系列案追踪 — Xinhua Translation China Officials, PDD Staff Get Into Fistfights During Audit — Bloomberg China Imposes New Rules to Block Foreign Companies From ‘Decoupling’ — New York Times Trump trade chief urges US allies to pay more for critical minerals — Financial Times Rules of Origin Set Up U.S.-China Clash in Asia — Wall Street Journal The Tech High Ground — Foreign Affairs China hawks rally behind House action on tougher export controls for AI chips — Inside AI Policy Micron pushes US Congress to crack down on chip tool sales to Chinese rivals, sources say — Reuters ‘Pure shock’: how ministers reacted to revelation of Mandelson vetting failure — The Guardian
Summary(Preview) A Ceasefire and Reports of PRC Pressure; Another Politburo Investigation; Mythos, DeepSeek, and a Token Crunch
Apr 900:13:00Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the tentative ceasefire in Iran and reports that the PRC applied pressure to the Iranians to defuse the tensions. Topics include: The lack of clarity on what the PRC actually did and why, China’s vote at the UN this week, why the PRC would like the war to end sooner rather than later, and relationships with other Gulf countries that may or may not change because of the war. From there: Ma Xingrui’s disappearance from public view is met with official confirmation of an investigation, Anthropic’s Mythos model clarifies the stakes of the AI race, DeepSeek news, a token crunch in China, and scenes from Victor Wembanyama’s visit to the Shaolin Temple last summer. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Iran war; PLA rectification; Services Sector Conference; Mutating troll armies; AI token usage — Sinocism Iran war; Ma Xingrui; Industrial and Supply Chain Security; PLA political rectification; MSS warns about foreign dinner guests — Sinocism China Pressed Iran Toward Cease-fire, Iranian Officials Say — New York Times China and Russia Veto Security Council Resolution on Hormuz — Bloomberg China’s Veto in the UNSC — The China-MENA Newsletter How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran — New York Times Chinese firms market Iran war intelligence ‘exposing’ U.S. forces — Washington Post Anthropic’s New Model, The Mythos Wolf, Glasswing and Alignment — Stratechery Exclusive DeepSeek’s New AI Model Will Be a Victory for Huawei — The Information The Token Reckoning — Hello China Tech Spurs to Shaolin: Inside NBA Star Wemby’s Secret Temple Retreat — Sixth Tone
SummaryThe U.S., China and Iran; A PRC-Pakistan Peace Plan; KMT Chair Set to Visit China; Huawei, Manus and ZXMOTO
Apr 200:57:15Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with thoughts on China’s response to the war in Iran, including a peace plan co-authored with Pakistan, why the PRC is not necessarily interested in global leadership, how China sees a deepening U.S. rift with NATO countries, and President Trump’s visit to Beijing rescheduled for May 14th. From there: Context for the KMT Chair’s visit to China later this month, reactions to a Reuters report on Huawei’s latest AI chips, while the Financial Times reports that both Manus co-founders have been banned from leaving China. At the end: ZXMOTO steals the show at the World Superbike Championship and Zhang Xue introduces himself to the world. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube China-Pakistan Iran peace initiative; PBoC monetary committee meeting; US-China; ZXMOTO; Taxes wanted — Sinocism KMT Chairwoman to visit China; Li Qiang on Xiong’an; March Politburo meeting; Beijing bans drones; WDO, SAMR on involution — Sinocism China, Pakistan Issue Joint Call for Peace, Reopening Hormuz — Bloomberg A brief history of China’s X-point plans for the Middle East — China-Mena Newsletter Will China be the real winner from the Iran war? — The Economist A blueprint for Chinese global leadership — Financial Times Secret Codes and Yuan Fees Get Ships Through Iran’s Hormuz Tollbooth — Bloomberg Chinese analysis on the war in Iran — China-Mena Newsletter Trump plans May visit to China for talks with Xi after Iran war delay — Reuters Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit — South China Morning Post Taiwan’s opposition leader to visit China next month, ahead of Trump — Reuters Exclusive: Huawei’s new AI chip finds favour with ByteDance, Alibaba which plan to place orders, sources say — Reuters China reviews $2bn Manus sale to Meta as founders barred from leaving country — Financial Times Chinese startup ZXMOTO wins big at superbike championship — China Daily From Repair Shop to World Podium: Chinese Biker Goes Viral After Historic Win — Sixth Tone
Summary(Preview) A Giant Mess with Super Micro; Completely Correct Xiong’an Progress; The PRC’s Balancing Act on Iran; Manus, Apple and Router News
Mar 2500:18:14Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with last week’s indictment of Wally Liaw, the co-founder of Super Micro, and its implications for US chip policy. Topics include: Incredible details from the indictment, US enforcement options, and bipartisan calls for government action on Nvidia exports to China and Southeast Asia. Then: Xi takes three Standing Committee members and three other Politburo members to inspect the progress at Xiong’an, signaling continued commitment to the “new area” 60 miles south of Beijing. At the end: Reports that the US visit to China is delayed indefinitely, the PRC’s delicate diplomatic calculus as the Iran war continues, and tech news on Manus, Apple, OpenClaw, and an FCC ban on routers. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Xi inspects Xiong’an; China Development Forum; Iran; Nvidia chip smuggling; SOE rules; Sleeping fish — Sinocism Wang Yi speaks with Iranian counterpart; Japan-China; Router ban; Hong Kong bookstore owner arrested; Poyang Lake dam — Sinocism Three Charged with Conspiring to Unlawfully Divert Cutting Edge U.S. Artificial Intelligence Technology to China — DOJ US must suspend Nvidia AI chip exports to China, senators say — Financial Times China acquired recently banned Nvidia chips in Super Micro, Dell servers, tenders show — Reuters A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? — New York Times The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies — Bloomberg Feng Shui: between spirituality and state legitimation — Sinocities Trump-Xi summit on hold until Iran conflict ends, people briefed say — Politico Chinese Founder of Router-Maker TP-Link Seeks a Trump Gold Card — Bloomberg FCC Bans Wireless Router Imports, Citing Security Concerns — Bloomberg China Ramps Up Scrutiny of a Meta A.I. Deal — New York Times US-China; PRC-Vietnam; H200s; China cuts the “Apple tax”; Chinese Modernization and 15th Five-Year Plan — Sinocism
Summary(Preview) The War in Iran and the Visit to Beijing; New DNI Assessments on Taiwan; Military Scientists Disappearing From Public View
Mar 2000:13:19Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that President Trump has postponed his visit to Beijing amid the war in Iran, including why a delay made sense for both sides, a “Board of Trade” proposal amid signs of stability in Paris, and the uncertainty that pervades on both sides as the war in Iran continues. From there: Reactions to a DNI assessment on China’s reunification intentions, news on U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, the unknowns for China as Gulf unrest persists, and questions surrounding PLA readiness in 2026. At the end: Reactions to reports that several military scientists have had their profiles scrubbed from public websites, while Jensen Huang tells the world that Nvidia has received purchase orders for the H200 but Groq will not be shipping inference chips. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Iran war; PBoC’s 2026 tasks; US-China; Japan; Front-loading 2026 spending — Sinocism US-China; PRC-Vietnam; H200s; China cuts the “Apple tax”; Chinese Modernization and 15th Five-Year Plan — Sinocism Sinocism live on US-China relations with the FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo — Sinocism Loud and Clear — Sharp Text China is Tight-Lipped on Trump’s Request to Delay His Xi Summit — New York Times Donald Trump warns Nato faces ‘very bad future’ if allies fail to help US in Iran — Financial Times Trump Officials Look to More Managed Approach to Trade With China — New York Times Trump Shifts U.S.-China Strategy on Trade to Dealmaking — Wall Street Journal Taiwan parliament authorises signing of stalled $9 billion US arms deals — Reuters Exclusive: New US weapons for Taiwan could be approved after Trump’s China trip, sources say — Reuters Top nuclear weapons, radar and missile experts vanish from Chinese Academy of Engineering site — South China Morning Post Nvidia Says It Is Restarting Production of AI Chips for Sale in China — Wall Street Journal
Summary(Preview) The ‘Raising a Lobster’ Frenzy; Iran and US-China as Trump’s Visit Looms; Two Sessions Takeaways
Mar 1200:15:49Summary readyOn today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the frenzy surrounding OpenClaw in China, including Beijing’s response, security concerns, liability questions, an object lesson in the Chinese market, and why Tencent looks like a potential winner as regulatory issues are sorted in the months to come. From there: Reports that Beijing is unhappy with the limited preparation in advance of Trump’s visit to China, news that pieces of the THAAD system have been relocated from South Korea to the Middle East, Trump’s promised gift to China at the Strait of Hormuz, and fentanyl tension as March 31st looms. At the end: Reactions to the Two Sessions, why the “Iron Rooster” budgeting approach is consistent with the past few years of planning, missing PLA generals, and Sharp China Sports news as BYD mulls an entry to F1 and Lewis Hamilton tours China. Get all episodes of Sharp China, Sharp Tech, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube PLA at the Two Sessions; US-China; Iran; OpenClaw — Sinocism Xi meets with PLA and PAP delegates; Wang Yi press conference; US-China; China and Iran; OpenClaw frenzy — Sinocism China’s OpenClaw Craze Buoys Tech Stocks, Fuels AI Pivot — Wall Street Journal China Moves to Curb OpenClaw AI Use at Banks, State Agencies — Bloomberg OpenClaw Conquered China in 100 Days — Hello China Tech Why Tencent Needs OpenClaw More Than Any Other Chinese Tech Giant — Hello China Tech Personal AI Agents like OpenClaw Are a Security Nightmare — Cisco Women Are Falling in Love With A.I. It’s a Problem for Beijing. — New York Times Frugal ‘Iron Rooster’ Budget Signals Pain for Growth and Consumers — Wall Street Journal Post by Gerard DiPippo re: Beijing’s “iron rooster” budget — X: @gdp1985 Why China stands to gain from US moving military assets for Iran war — SCMP China Irked by Last-Minute Scramble to Plan Xi-Trump Summit — Bloomberg Early Iran strikes cost $5.6 billion in munitions, Pentagon estimates — Washington Post US and China clash over fentanyl and tariffs at global drugs meeting — Reuters INTERVIEW: Japan’s involvement conditional, ex-minister says — Taipei Times China’s BYD Explores F1 Entry in First Auto Racing Push — Bloomberg Lewis Hamilton visits Jiuzhaigou National Forest — X: @44britcedes
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