On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that President Trump has postponed his visit to Beijing amid the war in Iran, including why a delay made sense for both sides, a “Board of Trade” proposal amid signs of stability in Paris, and the uncertainty that pervades on both sides as the war in Iran continues. From there: Reactions to a DNI assessment on China’s reunification intentions, news on U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, the unknowns for China as Gulf unrest persists, and questions surrounding PLA readiness in 2026. At the end: Reactions to reports that several military scientists have had their profiles scrubbed from public websites, while Jensen Huang tells the world that Nvidia has received purchase orders for the H200 but Groq will not be shipping inference chips.
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Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism
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Iran war; PBoC’s 2026 tasks; US-China; Japan; Front-loading 2026 spending — Sinocism
US-China; PRC-Vietnam; H200s; China cuts the “Apple tax”; Chinese Modernization and 15th Five-Year Plan — Sinocism
Sinocism live on US-China relations with the FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo — Sinocism
Loud and Clear — Sharp Text
China is Tight-Lipped on Trump’s Request to Delay His Xi Summit — New York Times
Donald Trump warns Nato faces ‘very bad future’ if allies fail to help US in Iran — Financial Times
Trump Officials Look to More Managed Approach to Trade With China — New York Times
Trump Shifts U.S.-China Strategy on Trade to Dealmaking — Wall Street Journal
Taiwan parliament authorises signing of stalled $9 billion US arms deals — Reuters
Exclusive: New US weapons for Taiwan could be approved after Trump’s China trip, sources say — Reuters
Top nuclear weapons, radar and missile experts vanish from Chinese Academy of Engineering site — South China Morning Post
Nvidia Says It Is Restarting Production of AI Chips for Sale in China — Wall Street Journal