On today’s show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the US is greenlighting the sale of Nvidia’s H200 chips to the PRC market. Topics include: Dubious claims in Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the news, searching for arguments in support of this policy change, the 25% of China revenue Nvidia will pay to the U.S. government, and waiting for Beijing’s response, including how many U.S. chips Chinese companies will be allowed to buy. From there: The U.S. halts plans to sanction the MSS and its contractors, Japan seeks more support from the U.S., and the dynamics of “stability” come into focus. At the end: The December Politburo meeting, Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China, an email about the West’s willingness to build, and ‘Zootopia 2’ becomes a sensation in China.

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Bill Bishop is the author of Sinocism

To email the show: email@sharpchina.fm

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Central Economic Work Conference; Nvidia’s H200 chips for China; PRC-Japan fighter radar locks; Chen Yixin — Sinocism

Trump Says U.S. Will Allow Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Get 25% Cut — Wall Street Journal

Nvidia AI Chips to Undergo Unusual U.S. Security Review Before Export to China — Wall Street Journal

US halts plans to sanction Chinese spy agency — Financial Times

Japan frustrated at Trump administration’s silence over row with China — Financial Times

U.S. Authorities Shut Down Major China-Linked AI Tech Smuggling Network — Department of Justice

December Politburo meeting and the imminent Central Economic Work Conference — Sinocism

Wang Yi Holds Talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul — MoFA

France’s Macron threatens China with tariffs over trade surplus — Les Echos

Zootopia 2 bucks trend for Hollywood releases in China as it breaks records for foreign animation — The Guardian