This week on Inside the China Room, Jiang Jiang (JJ) is joined by Bert Hofman, professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School at the National University of Singapore and the former World Bank's Chief Economist of East Asia and the Pacific Region, and Country Director for China. The United States and China agreed on May 12 to drastically roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period, in a significant breakthrough that has de-escalated a punishing trade war and buoyed global markets. In this episode, I invite Bert to share his views on China-U.S. trade relations, the impact of the tariff rollbacks, and what it all means for the future of global supply chain and multilateral institutions. Bert is also the former director of the East Asian Institute of the National University Singapore (NUS). He is a Senior Fellow at MERICS in Germany, nonresident senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Member of the World Association for China Studies. Before joining NUS, he worked with the World Bank for 27 years, 22 of which in Asia, and 12 of which on China. Bert's current interests include China’s future growth trajectory, technology, aging, and geopolitics and China-U.S. relations. He also runs a Substack newsletter called Bert's newsletter. Highlights: 03:21 - What surprised — and didn’t — in the China-U.S. trade deal 06:13 - Tariff "pause" and transit trade 12:53 - How the trade war reshapes global supply chain strategy 17:14 - Trade talks and how countries strategize 19:51 - The uncertain path ahead for China-U.S. trade relations 27:33 - National security is becoming a growing global priority 29:40 - The future of multilateral institutions amid U.S. retreat 39:17 - Recommendation Recommendation: Zbig: The Life and Times of Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet, by Edward Luce You can also listen to Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.gingerriver.com

This week on Inside the China Room, Jiang Jiang (JJ) is joined by Robert Wu, CEO of BigOne Lab, a leading alternative data and research firm in China. Robert is also the creator of two acclaimed China-focused newsletters, Baiguan and China Translated. Long-time listeners might remember Robert as the guest on our very first episode. During this holiday season, I couldn't think of a better time to invite Robert back to the show. In this episode, we'll get his outlook on 2025 from the perspective of a CEO in China and a leading figure in the data industry. While we won't be able to cover everything, I hope what we discussed will resonate with you. In this conversation, we dive into the market outlook for 2025, emerging trends in China's consumer market, the "all-in" mindset of CEOs, China's first centrally administered state-owned enterprise dedicated to data technology, the evolution of data as a strategic asset, the influence of China-U.S. relations on business strategies, and even a discussion about the TV series 我的阿勒泰 To the Wonder. Highlights: 01:45 - Renewed interest in Chinese equities amid global market uncertainties 07:59 - How interest-based and value-based consumption will shape China's consumer market in 2025 12:16 - Lululemon's growth in China driven by shifting consumer priorities toward premium sportswear 15:57 - How "Founder Mode" shapes the way Chinese entrepreneurs lead their businesses 20:17 - China's new state-owned data enterprise to break down "data silos" and boost efficiency 27:20 - How China-U.S. relations in 2025 will influence business strategies 33:15 - Recommendation Recommendation: TV Series: 我的阿勒泰 To the Wonder, released this May on Chinese video platform iQIYI.COM You can also listen to Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.gingerriver.com

This week on Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang, I'm joined by Daniel A. Bell, vice president of the International Confucian Association and chair of Political Theory with the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. On July 9 and 10, the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations will be held in Qufu city in east China's Shandong Province. Qufu is renowned as the birthplace of Confucius and the historical heartland of Confucian culture. This year's forum explores the relationship among diverse civilizations and global modernization. Daniel will deliver a speech during the forum. In this episode, Daniel and I explored the unique characteristics of Shandong that reflect the deep influence of Confucianism. We discussed how Confucian values continue to shape contemporary Chinese politics and society -- from expectations around the moral integrity of government officials to the emphasis on family values. We also delved into how different civilizations engage with one another, and how Confucianism influences the broader process of modernization. Daniel also shared with me his expectations for this year's Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, as well as the main themes of the speech he plans to deliver at the event. Daniel's research area includes comparative political theory, Confucianism, and Legalism. From 2017 to 2022, Daniel served as Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University -- the first foreigner in the Chinese mainland's history to hold such a position. His book, The Dean of Shandong, published in 2023, chronicles his experiences as what he calls a "minor bureaucrat." Daniel has also taught at Beijing’s Tsinghua University for 13 years. In 2018, Daniel was awarded the Huilin Prize and honored as a "Cultural Leader" by the World Economic Forum. In 2021, he was selected as the People’s Friendship Envoy of Shandong Province. Highlights: 03:56 – Confucian traits of Shandong and Daniel’s teaching experience there 13:44 – How Confucian values shape politics and society in today’s China 16:00 – Comparing family values in China and the West 20:03 – Moral standards in China’s selection and evaluation of officials 25:52 – Xunzi and the creative dialogue between Confucianism and Islam 31:53 – How Confucianism contributed to modernization in East Asia 35:06 – Civilizational dialogues at the Nishan Forum 37:46 – Ritualized ice hockey in Daniel’s hometown — and its Confucian echoes 41:14 – How Daniel’s next book brings ancient Chinese thinkers into dialogue on today’s biggest questions Recommendation: Daniel: The ritualized ice hockey games in Canada JJ: Why Ancient Chinese Political Thought Matters: Four Dialogues on China’s Past, Present, and Future, by Daniel A. Bell You can also listen to Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This episode is edited by Yifei Shi. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.gingerriver.com