Big Take Asia

The Surprising People Getting Very Rich Off AI

Beyond software and chips, the AI boom relies on good old-fashioned manufacturing of essential components – a skill that has made a new class of people very, very rich. On today’s Big Ta...

2026-10-07

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China’s New Message to Its Billionaires: Pay Up

China is ramping up an ongoing effort to shore up local government budgets and fund AI data centers with tax revenue from its richest citizens. Billionaires across the country are seeing bills hit the...

2026-09-30

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US-China AI Race to Take Center Stage at Trump-Xi Meeting

As Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his first visit to Washington in over a decade, trade and the AI race will likely dominate talks with Donald Trump. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host...

2026-09-23

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Japan Hikes Rates, Reshaping Carry Trade

It’s been a big week for central banks around the world. Yet among the flurry of rate decisions, the Bank of Japan’s move stands out. After decades of near-zero interest rates, policymaker...

2026-09-19

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Big Pharma Needs New Drugs. China Has Them

American pharma giants are increasingly turning to Chinese labs to discover, test and develop cutting-edge drugs. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Amber Tong and Robert Lang...

2026-09-16

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Is the US AI Reckoning an Opportunity for China?

“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” An X post by a former employee of both OpenAI and Anthropic went viral this week and is promp...

2026-09-11

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How India Is Training the Robots of the Future

Tens of thousands of workers in India are wearing head-mounted cameras to record their every move, helping train humanoid robots to perform everyday human tasks. On today’s Big Take Asia podca...

2026-09-09

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Deadly Flooding in Nepal Highlights Asia’s Climate Vulnerability

Hundreds of hydropower workers remain missing in Nepal after a glacial collapse caused catastrophic flooding. The disaster laid bare the rising climate risks across Asia and the danger of building in ...

2026-09-03

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How Two-Minute Microdramas Became a Billion-Dollar Industry

Microdramas — mini soap operas designed to be watched on your phone — have become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, ...

2026-08-26

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The Unexpected Rise of North Korea’s Economy

North Korea was supposed to be broke and isolated. Now, it’s enjoying an unexpected economic boom. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Cat Barton and host K. Oanh Ha unpa...

2026-08-19

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The Chinese AI Model Rattling Silicon Valley and Washington

The launch of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 model has taken the tech world — and Washington — by storm, raising urgent questions about how a Chinese startup can suddenly rival the world's mo...

2026-08-12

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Introducing: Our Town

Our Town from Bloomberg’s Big Take podcast follows residents of Gainesboro, Tennessee, after a group of far-right Christians moves in with plans for a radical social experiment. Listen to Episo...

2026-08-09

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Why a Weak Yen Is America’s Problem

As the Japanese yen hit a 40-year low against the US dollar, Japan's government stepped in to support its currency. And it has a powerful ally in US President Donald Trump, who is putting the US finan...

2026-08-05

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How India’s Cockroach Party Became a Political Force

Weeks of student-led protests forced the resignation of India’s education minister, in a rare public setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, guest hos...

2026-07-29

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Almost $1 Billion Later, the US Still Can’t Manufacture Medical Gloves

After the pandemic-era run on medical gloves, the US government set a plan in motion to reshore manufacturing. Roughly six years and almost $1 billion later, America is once again facing potential sho...

2026-07-24

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Chasing the Ancient Stolen Statues of Cambodia

When a 1,000-year-old Cambodian statue came up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York, it sparked off an investigation that uncovered one of the world’s most extensive art trafficking networ...

2026-07-22

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Xi Jinping Loves Soccer. Why Is China’s Team So Bad?

China’s men’s soccer team has qualified for the World Cup just once, despite millions in investment and a personal push from President Xi Jinping to turn the nation into a footballing powe...

2026-07-15

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Why China Is Flashing Its Military Muscle

China rattled neighbors from Japan to Australia on Monday by test-launching a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean. While such launches are rare, the latest test ...

2026-07-08

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Asia’s AI Stock Frenzy Is a Warning Sign for Global Markets

Thanks to the AI boom, stock markets in Taiwan and South Korea have seen historic rallies this year. But as retail investors pile in, often using borrowed money, concerns are growing over whether this...

2026-07-01

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China’s Instagram Gets Ready to Go Public

After more than a decade as a private company, Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, known internationally as RedNote, is testing China’s mood for all things tech with its plan to list in Hong K...

2026-06-24

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Big Take Asia

Episodes (160 episodes)

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