Ep 53 - Financial regulators start 2026 with a bang + Beijing’s view on the Meta-Manus deal

China’s financial regulators have started 2026 with a flurry of activity.On January 14, the securities regulator raised margin requirements on stock trading in a bid to cool investors’ exuberance.The following day the central bank expanded a bunch of its relending facilities, and cut the interest rate on all of its structural lending tools.Then on January 20, the finance ministry rolled out a bunch of measures designed to bolster investment by small, private sector firms.What’s driving this hyperactive policymaking? That’s what Trivium Co-founder Andrew Polk and Dinny McMahon, Head of Markets Research, discuss on the first Trivium podcast of 2026.They look at:How weak Q4 economic data has lit a fire under regulatorsWhy authorities have settled on this particular combination of policiesAnd what signals Beijing is trying to send marketsBut wait, there’s more! On the second half of the pod, Andrew is joined by a new guest to the podcast, Trivium’s lead AI and semiconductor analyst Linghao Bao. Linghao joins to discuss:Beijing’s intervention in Meta’s recently announced acquisition of Chinese AI start-up ManusThe specific regulatory tools China is using to slow – or maybe even stop – the dealThe wider implications for China’s AI start-up ecosystemThe gents cover a lot of ground in this one – enjoy!