Host Wenchi Yu speaks with David Fishman, an energy expert at the Lantau Group who spent 15 years working in China’s energy sector, about China's complex energy strategy, balancing coal dependence, renewable growth, and technological innovation, and how Beijing's elite technocrats balance national security, rapid industrialization, and strict climate goals.

China remains the world's largest consumer of coal while simultaneously leading global expansion in wind, solar, electric vehicles (EVs), and battery manufacturing. Fishman highlights that China's energy choices are heavily policy-driven and shaped by top-level technocratic "principals" who focus intensely on energy security, economic resilience, and achieving national carbon targets (peaking by 2030 and reaching neutrality by 2060). The discussion breaks down how massive process and material science innovations have made Chinese clean-tech commercially viable worldwide. It also examines the energy strain of China's AI boom, which policymakers manage through strict green energy quotas for data centers. Finally, the interview touches on the global friction surrounding Chinese clean-tech exports, arguing that Western nations must find a way to protect domestic jobs without slowing down the global climate transition.

00:00 Introduction to China's Energy Contradictions

01:57 David Fishman's Background and China's Energy Sector

03:52 China's Past Pollution and Policy Shifts

05:57 Current Priorities: Security, Resilience, and Climate Goals

08:52 Top-Down Policy Making in China

11:02 Dependence on Coal and Its Domestic Reserves

12:52 Growth of Wind and Solar Power in China

16:02 Drivers of Power Consumption Growth

18:57 China's Oil and Gas Dependency and EV Impact

21:07 Innovation in Batteries and Solar Technology

23:52 Policy's Role in Enabling Innovation

28:07 Nuclear Energy Development in China

29:47 Fusion Energy and Future Technologies

31:09 AI, Data Centers, and Energy Use

35:49 Global Relevance of China's Energy Innovations

38:06 Balancing Domestic Interests and Global Impact

39:59 Conclusion: China's Energy Future and Global Implications

Perspectives with Wenchi Yu

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkK1a7U8kP0TgXhvI5Bj70H4cPPlapCdQ&si=RuA_jZROR2ynRbxH

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Host Wenchi Yu speaks with former Google Taiwan HR head Vanessa Lu about how the AI race has three interconnected layers: infrastructure—chips, energy, data centers, and supply chains; models—the research and engineering talent behind AI systems; and products—the devices and markets that bring AI into everyday life.

Vanessa recounts how Google chose Taiwan as its first data-center location in Asia more than a decade ago, drawn by the island’s dense technology ecosystem, strong ICT supply chain, fast and collaborative engineering culture, and ability to rapidly assemble the components needed to test and scale cloud infrastructure.

Asia is the future of AI not only because it is home to roughly two-thirds of the world’s population, but because it combines young, technology-ready consumers, optimism toward AI adoption, deep manufacturing capabilities, expanding data-center capacity, and increasingly mobile global talent. Taiwan anchors advanced-chip manufacturing and hardware integration; India provides deep engineering talent and rapid infrastructure growth; Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Thailand, offers scalable data-center development and receptive markets; while China adds exceptional scale, talent, and speed of adoption. The United States and Europe remain vital hubs for frontier research, but Asia’s full-stack ecosystem—from energy and chips to models, products, and users—will be central to determining how AI develops and who benefits from it.

00:00 — Introducing Vanessa Liu and AI’s hidden infrastructure story

01:30 — Inside Google Taiwan: HTC integration, COVID, and the AI boom

02:20 — The ChatGPT moment and tech’s new sense of urgency

05:00 — How Google responded: from leadership signals to company-wide action

06:30 — Why AI is more than models: infrastructure, computing, and supply chains

07:50 — The three layers of AI: infrastructure, models, and products

08:55 — Why Taiwan became central to AI infrastructure

09:40 — Why Google chose Taiwan for its first Asian data center

12:00 — Taiwan’s technology ecosystem and culture of rapid experimentation

12:40 — Google’s HTC integration and Taiwan’s rise as an R&D hub

15:00 — Taiwan, China, and the competition for hardware and talent

16:40 — Asia’s role in Google’s long-term AI strategy

17:00 — Why Asia is the future: population, youth, and AI optimism

19:00 — India, Malaysia, and Thailand: scaling data centers across Asia

20:30 — India’s engineering talent and AI-product development

21:30 — Asia as the market for AI products, devices, and adoption

22:40 — How Asia’s full-stack AI ecosystem compares with the U.S. and Europe

24:00 — Go-to-market investment: Japan, Singapore, Australia, and beyond

25:00 — China’s AI ecosystem: scale, talent, and consumer adoption

27:00 — Taiwan–China talent flows and new opportunities in AI

28:10 — Taiwan’s push to attract global technology talent

29:00 — The AI race beyond models: talent, infrastructure, partnerships, and products

Perspectives with Wenchi Yu

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkK1a7U8kP0TgXhvI5Bj70H4cPPlapCdQ&si=RuA_jZROR2ynRbxH

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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perspectives-with-wenchi-yu/id1793854395

In this special episode recorded live in Taipei, host Wenchi Yu speaks with Lora Ho, former Chief Financial Officer of TSMC. Lora reflects on nearly three decades helping guide TSMC from a rising Taiwanese chipmaker into a company central to the global digital economy. She explains how TSMC built customer relationships on integrity, commitment, innovation, and trust—often without formal contracts—and why the company continued to invest through semiconductor downturns despite short-term financial pressure. Ho also shares lessons from her work across finance, global business, human resources, and ESG: sustainable success depends not only on technology and operational discipline, but also on empathy, respectful communication, cultural adaptability, and the ability to bring people together around a common purpose. In the AI era, she argues, there is more than one way to win—and human connection, courage, and trust remain indispensable.

00:00 Introduction to Laura and TSMC's Global Impact

00:27 Laura's Career and Leadership Philosophy

01:42 The Concept of Going with the Flow in Leadership

02:35 Passing on Leadership and Organizational Culture

03:48 Building Customer Trust Without Contracts

06:36 Balancing Financial Discipline and Long-term Investment

09:31 The Human Element in Technology and Leadership

10:26 Managing People and Leadership Challenges

12:20 Creating a Culture of Respect and Communication

13:24 Global Cultural Adaptation and Localization

15:28 Women in Leadership at TSMC

16:54 Supporting Women and Diversity Initiatives

18:05 Leadership Style and Cultural Differences

19:18 Winning Through Empathy and Collaboration

20:15 The Personal Practice of Sunrise Photography

22:21 Closing Remarks and Inspirational Insights

Perspectives with Wenchi Yu

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkK1a7U8kP0TgXhvI5Bj70H4cPPlapCdQ&si=RuA_jZROR2ynRbxH

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6kXiEF08IjtT3j1DyEnBbG?si=68ab3ea172594620

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perspectives-with-wenchi-yu/id1793854395