Big Take Asia

Brendan Murray, Bloomberg global trade editor, breaks down market and policy fallout. Greg Stohr, Bloomberg Supreme Court reporter, explains the legal reasoning and next procedural moves. Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources and lead plaintiff, recounts his company’s legal fight and supply-chain pain. They tackle the Court’s ruling, alternate tariff authorities, refund logistics and business uncertainty.

Bradley Hall, an FBI Special Agent who worked the investigation and served as an expert witness, walks through surveillance, controlled communications and suspect interactions. The conversation covers the Paris Air Show as an intelligence target. It also outlines how LinkedIn recruitment, university ties and stolen GE engine files led to an FBI sting and a surprising legal turnaround.

A tense FBI sting played out through undercover meetings, hotel manipulation and consensual recordings. The narrative follows an intelligence officer tied to a covert campaign to steal aerospace secrets, including targeted jet engine technology. The story uncovers how operational sloppiness exposed a sprawling clandestine network and led to a landmark counterintelligence breakthrough.

They uncover an intimate spy diary that mixes personal life with operational notes. The conversation traces how China’s intelligence service recruits Western experts and builds long cons. Stories include a Honeywell engineer targeted over decades and technicians who copied files during visits. They map a recruitment taxonomy and the many small bets that advance industrial espionage.

Sakura Murakami, Bloomberg reporter based in Tokyo covering Japanese politics. She breaks down markets surging after Takaichi’s landslide and why the snap election paid off. She explores Takaichi’s nationalist appeal, unconventional conservative economics, a supermajority’s power to push big spending, and the diplomatic and fiscal risks tied to her hawkish China stance.

Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Bloomberg reporter in New Delhi who covers India’s economy and geopolitics. He unpacks a surprise US-India tariff rollback. He explains how a Russian oil caveat complicates the deal. He discusses who actually decides India’s crude purchases and the limits of alternatives.

Patpicha Tanakasempipat, a Bangkok-based Bloomberg reporter who covered Thailand’s cannabis policy, explains the boom-and-bust arc of the market. She outlines how decriminalization unfolded, the regulatory vacuum that let shops proliferate, and the rising public health and political backlash. The conversation also covers oversupply, industry losses, and how politics may drive a rollback.

Ruth Carson, Bloomberg reporter covering Asia's FX and bond markets, gives on-the-ground analysis of Japan's bond crash. She describes manic trading and how a weak auction sparked a global selloff. She traces spillovers into Treasuries, currencies and investor regimes. She also discusses policy moves, market interventions and the fragile calm before a risky snap election.

Bloomberg reporter Alice French highlights Japan's staggering $2 trillion 'dementia money' problem, where cognitive decline among seniors may jeopardize their financial assets. She discusses the alarming rise of frozen accounts and the profound impact on families trying to access funds. Alice also delves into the ripple effects on the economy, corporate governance, and how cultural stigmas complicate solutions. A pressing call for coherent strategies emerges as financial firms scramble to address the chaotic landscape of aging investors.

Nicholas Burns, a seasoned U.S. diplomat and Harvard professor specializing in U.S.-China relations, dives into the geopolitical ripples following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro. He reveals how this event challenges China's influence in Latin America. Burns discusses the implications of the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ as a potential tool for China to gain a strategic edge. He also warns about the precedent this sets for Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as the risks to NATO from U.S. unilateral actions, painting a vivid picture of a shifting global landscape.