Amid Iran’s brutal crackdown on protesters, President Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on its trading partners, including China and India. This comes as both countries try to deescalate their own trade wars with the administration.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Daniel Ten Kate about why the path to punishing Iran’s government runs through Asia – China and India in particular.

Read more: Trump Risks Imploding China Trade Truce With Iran Tariff Vow

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The US strike on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro sent shockwaves across the globe — particularly in China, Venezuela’s top crude buyer and creditor.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Jenni Marsh and host K. Oanh Ha talk through what the intervention means for China’s strategic ties and oil supplies and how the military strike could change Beijing’s stance toward Taiwan.

Read more: Xi Faces Higher Costs in Taiwan Than Trump Does in Venezuela

Further listening: How the Fall of Maduro Could Echo Around the World

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Jenni Marsh; Edited by Jeff Grocott, Emma O’Brien, Daniel Ten Kate, John Liu.

Fact-checking by editorial team; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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China started 2025 with deflation, a property crisis and fears of a “lost decade” damping sentiment. By year’s end, it had stunned the world with an AI breakthrough, a trillion-dollar trade surplus and rare earth dominance.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg Executive Editor John Liu and Bloomberg Opinion’s Shuli Ren about how China navigated Trump’s tariff war, revived investor confidence and what risks could derail its momentum in 2026.

Read more: Repeat After Me: Never, Ever Underestimate China
Xi’s Triumphant Year Staring Down Trump Belies Woes in China

Hosted by: K. Oanh Ha; Produced by: Naomi Ng and Yang Yang; Reported by: Shuli Ren and John Liu; Edited by: Paddy Hirsch; Fact-checking by: Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by: Katie McMurran.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

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Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs – especially on China, where most toys are made.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Oanh Ha talks with Rick Woldenberg, CEO of four‑generation toymaker Learning Resources, about his company’s battle against tariffs in stores and in court – and what it reveals about the true cost of America’s trade war.

Read more: Cutting Ties With China Is Harder Than Companies Expected

Further listening:

An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With China
India Wanted to Become The World’s Toymaker. Then Tariffs Happened

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The Philippines is no stranger to typhoons, but this year’s storms exposed something far uglier: a vast corruption scandal.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Andreo Calonzo and Rosalind Mathieson about how billions of dollars earmarked for flood control vanished and what the crisis means for the country’s political and economic stability.

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The US tariff war with China sent American companies scrambling to find alternative manufacturing hubs. India looked promising until the White House upended everything.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, K. Oanh Ha heads to India, where she goes inside two toy factories scrambling to adapt to Washington’s shifting trade policies. How sky-high tariffs are undercutting India’s ambitions to take China’s crown as the world’s factory floor and forcing American manufacturers to make a tough choice.

Read more: Cutting Ties With China Is Harder Than Companies Expected

Further listening: An American Toymaker Struggles to Break Up With China
The American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs

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Hong Kong’s worst fire disaster in decades has stirred up public anger over negligence, safety standards and official accountability.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Shawna Kwan and Jenni Marsh about the devastation, the political fallout and how the public outcry is causing unease in Beijing.

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After a rare public comment on Taiwan from Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, relations between the two nations are at a historic low — and Beijing is ramping up its economic retaliation.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s James Mayger and Isabel Reynolds about the political calculation behind Takaichi’s move, the historical grievances fueling the dispute and the real economic risks facing Tokyo.

Read more: China Asks Airlines to Extend Japan Flight Cuts Until March 2026 - Bloomberg

Further listening: How APEC Become a Battleground for US-China Influence

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