Noah Smith on Taiwan's Future, Nuclear Proliferation, and Trump 2.0 [ChinaTalk]
"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik TorenbergShow Notes
While traveling to Taiwan, Noah Smith sat down with ChinaTalk's managing editor and Taipei correspondent Lily Ottinger to explore wide range of geopolitical and economic issues, including the potential impacts of a second Trump administration on Asia, where Elon Musk stands on Taiwan, nuclear proliferation, China's economic strategies, Taiwan's defense and diplomatic policies, and demographic shifts.
--
🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse.
-- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: ChinaTalk Check out ChinaTalk. Conversations exploring China, technology, and US-China relations. Guests include a wide range of analysts, policymakers, and academics. Hosted by Jordan Schneider. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinatalk/id1289062927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/448WaJhgJGJKnQ3HCE2EBa YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaTalkMedia
-- Highlights from the Episode:
Trump's coalition now includes a powerful tech sector pushing for deregulation, while his personal corruption and susceptibility to influence could make him vulnerable to China, particularly through platforms like TikTok, with export controls serving as a key indicator of his policy stance toward Beijing.
Nuclear weapons have historically proven effective at preventing invasion of states that possess them.
China is experiencing debt deflation similar to Japan's 1990s situation, where falling prices increase the real burden of debt.
Xi Jinping's conservative economic views, particularly resistance to stimulus and healthcare spending, may prolong recovery.
Taiwan's laid-back culture and success stand in stark contrast to mainland China's approach.
Under Xi, China has reversed some of the liberalization that occurred under previous leaders.
-- SPONSORS:
NetSuite More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Notion 📝Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at https://notion.com/upstreampod
AdQuick The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit https://adquick.com/ today to start reaching your customers in the real world.
-- SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: [email protected]
-- FOLLOW ON X: @noahpinion @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia
-- LINKS: Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ ChinaTalk: https://www.chinatalk.media/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ottinger/
More from "Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg
Noah Smith joins Erik Torenberg at the 2026 American Dynamism Summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss Anthropic's relationship with Washington, bioterrorism risks stemming from AI, why Noah isn't worried about AI causing job loss, and more.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah and Erik are joined by Flock Safety CEO to cover America's crime crisis and how to solve it with technology. They explore international comparisons, why America's crime problem is unique, how cameras can deter crime, tradeoffs in crime reduction, and more. - Sponsors: Notion AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg cover Europe's economic future, how internet discourse has changed politics, the rise of identitarian populism on both the right and left in America, and more.
In this episode of Econ 102 originally aired on the Sphere Podcast, Noah Smith and Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry sit down for a debate on immigration. They cover the philosophical underpinnings of their arguments, where they find common ground, border enforcement, deportation, public opinion, and more.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore AI's effects on productivity, how AI business models will shake out, the US and China's rare earth minerals industries, and China's economic challenges, including demographics, real estate, and involution.