EPISODE · Nov 28, 2025 · 1H 22M
#64- Arthur Kroeber: How China Became The World's Undisputed Industrial Superpower
from The Front Row Podcast · host Keith Yap
Arthur Kroeber has spent more than three decades trying to make sense of Asia’s most important economies — and helping the rest of the world understand them too. In 2002, he co-founded Dragonomics in Beijing, a research firm born out of his deep intellectual curiosity about China’s economic transformation. He went on to edit its flagship publication, China Economic Quarterly, for 15 years.When Dragonomics merged with Gavekal in 2011, Arthur became head of research, continuing the work he’s best known for: clear, rigorous analysis of China’s economy at a time when the world needed it most.Before moving into research, Arthur spent 15 years as a journalist travelling across Asia — reporting from China, India, Pakistan and beyond. Those years on the ground shaped the way he thinks about policy, people and the forces that drive economic change.Today, he teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Economics at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and contributes to global conversations as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee on US-China Relations. He is also a senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.His book, China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press and now in its second edition, is widely used in classrooms around the world (and is a personal reference book I use to better understand China)TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Trailer & Intro 01:18 – China’s New Five-Year Plan03:32 – Was "Made in China 2025" Successful?07:04 – Why The US Prioritizes Financial Efficiency 12:47 – Can the US Reshore Manufacturing?16:24 – How China Mastered Technology Transfer23:03 – Why Are Cars The Key Consumer Product26:46 – Behind The Real "Catfish Effect": Tesla in China33:07 – China’s "Hunger Games" Industrial Policy42:11 – China's Chronic Problem with Industrial Overcapacity51:27 – China’s Confidence Paradox55:49 – The Fight For Supply Chains58:48 – What to Expect from The Remainder of Trump 2.001:08:55 – Semiconductor Bans vs. Rare Earth Control01:15:33 – The Future of US-China Relations01:21:00 – Advice for A Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400
What this episode covers
Arthur Kroeber has spent more than three decades trying to make sense of Asia’s most important economies — and helping the rest of the world understand them too. In 2002, he co-founded Dragonomics in Beijing, a research firm born out of his deep intellectual curiosity about China’s economic transformation. He went on to edit its flagship publication, China Economic Quarterly, for 15 years.When Dragonomics merged with Gavekal in 2011, Arthur became head of research, continuing the work he’s best known for: clear, rigorous analysis of China’s economy at a time when the world needed it most.Before moving into research, Arthur spent 15 years as a journalist travelling across Asia — reporting from China, India, Pakistan and beyond. Those years on the ground shaped the way he thinks about policy, people and the forces that drive economic change.Today, he teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Economics at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and contributes to global conversations as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee on US-China Relations. He is also a senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.His book, China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press and now in its second edition, is widely used in classrooms around the world (and is a personal reference book I use to better understand China)TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Trailer & Intro 01:18 – China’s New Five-Year Plan03:32 – Was "Made in China 2025" Successful?07:04 – Why The US Prioritizes Financial Efficiency 12:47 – Can the US Reshore Manufacturing?16:24 – How China Mastered Technology Transfer23:03 – Why Are Cars The Key Consumer Product26:46 – Behind The Real "Catfish Effect": Tesla in China33:07 – China’s "Hunger Games" Industrial Policy42:11 – China's Chronic Problem with Industrial Overcapacity51:27 – China’s Confidence Paradox55:49 – The Fight For Supply Chains58:48 – What to Expect from The Remainder of Trump 2.001:08:55 – Semiconductor Bans vs. Rare Earth Control01:15:33 – The Future of US-China Relations01:21:00 – Advice for A Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400
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#64- Arthur Kroeber: How China Became The World's Undisputed Industrial Superpower
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