Jay sits down with Peter Alexander, founder and managing director of Z-Ben Advisors, for a wide-ranging conversation on China’s real position in the global economy. Peter has lived in Shanghai for nearly 30 years, and brings his unique perspective from inside the country on many topics including: China’s political system, manufacturing dominance, Belt and Road strategy and gold. They also discuss why Western narratives on China often miss the deeper story, how China is building long-term leverage, and what this means for investors watching the next phase of U.S.-China competition.

Peter's Links:

https://z-ben.com/

https://substack.com/@plalexander

How Did We Get Here?

Deconstructing the 30-year path of Chinese and American rivalry and its consequential, adverse effects on the International Rules-Based Order

https://z-ben.com/edm/Public/file/Z-Ben%20Advisors%20-%20How%20Did%20We%20Get%20Here%20-%20January%202026.pdf

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0:00 Introduction

2:50 Peter Alexander’s View From Inside China

4:03 Is China Communist, Capitalist, or Something Else?

10:01 Xi Jinping’s 2012 Inflection Point

18:45 China’s Property Boom, Ghost Cities, and Quality Growth

22:13 Demographics, Robotics, and the Future of Chinese Labor

29:55 BYD, Tesla, and the “Catfish Effect”

37:31 Why Reshoring China’s Supply Chain Is So Difficult

38:43 China’s Manufacturing Moats: Energy and Distribution

45:37 The Real Purpose of Belt and Road

53:48 Dollarization, CIPS, and China’s Gold Strategy

1:02:41 How the Shanghai Gold Exchange Works

1:05:03 The U.S. Dollar, Treasuries, and Empire Risk

1:12:42 Swap Lines, Liquidity, and Treasury Market Pressure

1:18:17 Strait of Hormuz and China’s Energy Position

1:27:01 Japan, Energy Security, and Regional Pressure

1:28:44 Is U.S.-China Conflict Inevitable?

1:36:17 Taiwan, Decoupling, and the Limits of War

1:43:00 Where China’s Growth Is Happening Now

1:44:01 China’s Infrastructure, EVs, and State Capitalism