Asian nations are walking a tightrope between Washington and Beijing – juggling trade, tech and security pressures as the heavyweights vie for influence.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Adam Farrar, Bloomberg’s senior geoeconomics analyst for Asia Pacific, to unpack what may have been overlooked at the APEC summit as the Xi-Trump show came to town.

Read more: Xi Calls for Stable Supply Chains After Sealing Trump Truce

Further listening: Trump Got an ‘Amazing’ Meeting. China Got Much-Needed Time

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On Thursday, President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China announced a one-year truce in their trade war, capping six contentious months of negotiations and retaliatory tariffs between the world’s two largest economies.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Global Trade Editor Brendan Murray and Executive China Editor John Liu join host David Gura to parse the details of the new US-China trade agreement — and why both countries are moving forward without a permanent deal.

Read more: Trump and Xi Put Limits on Their Trade War in a ‘12 Out of 10’ Summit

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The US-China tariff war has upended global manufacturing, forcing companies like Chicago-based Learning Resources to fundamentally change how and where its products are made.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to Vietnam, where the toymaker has begun shifting the production of its popular children’s toys. We examine how the company is managing its complex shift from China – where its toys have been made for decades – what the factory boom means for communities on the ground in Vietnam and how all of this will impact consumers.

Further listening: The American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs
Xi’s Top Bargaining Chip Is a Trade War Game Changer

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China’s dominance of rare earths has given Xi Jinping powerful leverage over Donald Trump ahead of their expected meeting next week.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate dig into how China is weaponizing rare earths and what the economic standoff means for a trade deal and the future of US-China relations.

Read more: Xi Is Never Giving Up His Newfound Leverage Over Trump

Further listening: Xi’s Bromance Diplomacy Is Challenging Trump’s World Order
The Rebel Army Behind One of the World’s Major Rare-Earth Supplies

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Gold always shines during uncertain times, but escalating tensions between the US and China and signals from the Federal Reserve that the US could see at least one more rate cut this year have propelled gold – and silver – to record highs.

This week on the Big Take, Bloomberg precious metals reporter Jack Ryan and host Sarah Holder talk about what’s pushing up gold’s value — and what history can teach us about how this gold rush could end.

Read more: Gold (XAUUSD) Trades Near Record on Fed Rate-Cut Sign, US-China Tensions - Bloomberg

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South Korean companies are offering workers tens of thousands of dollars (tax free) to have babies. But are cash incentives enough to address the country’s record-low fertility rates? K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Hyonhee Shin explore on today’s Big Take Asia podcast.

Read more: Korean Companies Pay Employees Huge Sums to Have More Kids

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For the first time in history, Japan’s ruling party has elected a woman as its leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an unconventional figure — and now she’s on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson about Takaichi’s path to power, why her politics aren’t resonating with some Japanese women and what her leadership could mean for Japan’s economy and its relationship with the United States.

Read more: Japan Braces for Shift to Right Under ‘Iron Lady’ Fan Takaichi - Bloomberg

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President Donald Trump’s H-1B visa fee has sent shockwaves through India’s workforce, which makes up roughly 70% of recipients.

On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Sankalp Phartiyal unpack how the policy could disrupt careers, reshape global talent flows and shatter the American dream for tens of thousands of workers.

Read more: Why Trump Is Charging a $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas
Trump’s $100,000 Visa Targets a $280 Billion India Success Story

Further listening: India Won’t Stop Buying Russian Oil. Now It’s Paying the Price.

Watch, from Originals: How an Army of Middlemen Game the US Work Visa System

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