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This week, the US and India announced a surprise new trade deal that slashes tariffs on Indian goods. It has one major possible catch: a commitment from India to stop buying cheap Russian oil — which will be easier said than done.  On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg’s Sudhi Ranjan Sen joins host Oanh Ha to break down the deal and explain what it means for India’s economy and its relationships with the US, Russia and China. Read more:  Trump’s Surprise Trade Deal With India Resets Fractured Ties - Bloomberg  Further listening: India Wanted to Become The World’s Toymaker. Then Tariffs Happened  India Won’t Stop Buying Russian Oil. Now It’s Paying the Price. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, its booming market is at a crossroads. Initial high hopes for a tourism surge and a billion-dollar industry have been replaced by an oversupply of shops and a fierce public backlash. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Patpicha Tanakasempipat about what went wrong and whether the industry can weather a political firestorm. Read more: Weed Backlash Grows in Thailand as Kids Turn to CannabisHosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang, Naomi Ng; Reported by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Julia Weaver Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa Senior Producer Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer Julia Weaver; Executive Producer Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From sinking Treasuries to global selloffs, the turmoil in Japan’s bond market is being felt far beyond its borders.  On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha sits down with Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson to unpack what’s rattled international investors and why markets are still on tenterhooks. Read more: Japan Bond Crash Unleashes a $7 Trillion Risk for Global Markets Further listening: The Dollar’s Dominance Is Unwinding in Asia Carry Trades, Explained Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by: Naomi Ng, Yang Yang; Reported by Ruth Carson; Edited by Paddy Hirsch, Julia Weaver;  Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa; Senior Producer Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer Julia Weaver; Executive Producer Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan is home to the world’s oldest population and a growing share of the country’s financial assets – about $2 trillion – are controlled by seniors who are showing signs of cognitive decline. On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks with Bloomberg’s Alice French about the staggering “dementia money” at risk, the toll of frozen accounts and the haphazard solutions that serve as a stark warning to the rest of the world.  Read more: Japan's 'Dementia Money' Problem Puts Trillions at Risk - Bloomberg Further listening: The Rise of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ and Its Political Shift to the Right Hosted by Produced by Naomi Ng, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Reported by Alice French, Kentaro Tsutsumi; Edited by Patrich Hirsch, Emma O’Brien; Fact-checking by Yang Yang, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Taka Yasuzawa Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Beijing, the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a mixed bag -- an embarrassing surprise, a wake-up call over its alliances in Latin America and an opening to step up on the world stage, according to Nicholas Burns, the former US ambassador to China. On today’s Big Take, host David Gura and Ambassador Burns discuss how President Donald Trump’s military actions and threats are reshaping China’s relationships across the Pacific and the Taiwan Strait—and how the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” could ultimately hand China a global edge. Read more: How Maduro’s Removal Could Help China in Venezuela and Latin America Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Yang Yang and Naomi Ng; Engineering by Alex Sugiura. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ChinaXi’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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ChinaIndia Wanted to Become The World’s Toymaker. Then Tariffs Happened See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ChinaThe American Toymaker Suing Trump Over Destructive Tariffs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia released its third quarter earnings Wednesday, crushing estimates and easing Wall Street’s concerns about an AI bubble. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg Tech’s Ed Ludlow sits down with David Gura to discuss his post-earnings interview with Jensen Huang – what the Nvidia CEO had to say about the company’s breakneck growth, so-called circular deals, and potential expansion into China. Read more: Nvidia’s Huang Says Company Has Plenty of New Chips to Sell It's OK, Nvidia Says There's No AI Bubble See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is investing heavily in cutting-edge genetic experiments. It’s part of their quest to become a biotech superpower. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha, Bloomberg’s Karoline Kan and Oxford University geneticist Andy Greenfield discuss China’s pharmaceutical ambitions and the loose regulatory environment that allows the animal testing industry to thrive. Read more: China Pushes Boundaries With Animal Testing to Win Global Biotech Race See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.