Trump 2.0: How can global companies manage geopolitical risk? In conversation with Harvard's Meg Rithmire

In the launch episode of East Asia Pulse, EAI Director Alfred Schipke sits down with Professor Meg Rithmire, James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, to discuss the geopolitical outlook for businesses amid Trump 2.0.

They weigh in on how companies should evolve governance practices to deal with geopolitical and national security risk and better prepare for disruptions stemming from US-China tensions, particularly in the context of China's unique political economy.

They also discuss the implications of the "Made in China 2025" policy push, as well as the need for further development and reform of Chinese institutions in order to address existing policy gaps and challenges, such as the problem of local government debt and perceived overcapacity in specific industries in the Chinese economy.

Highlights:
-1:27 Global companies' responses to geopolitical risk amid US-China tensions
-16:04 The lag in institutional development in China in comparison to the rapid development of advanced industries in the country, and the need for institutional reform
-19:56 The unintended consequences of campaign-style policymaking in China under the Chinese Communist Party
-35:55 The impact of geopolitical tensions on academic and cultural exchanges between the US and China
-41:00 The implications of Trump's presidency for US-China relations, particularly the potential for him to strike a deal with China and carve out areas of cooperation 

This podcast episode was recorded on 8 January, 2025.

East Asia Pulse is a podcast produced by the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It provides in-depth analyses of political, economic and strategic trends in East Asia.

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