Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang

This week on Inside the China Room, Jiang Jiang (JJ) welcomes Bob Chen, an investor working for Mangrove Capital 沣源资本, a China-based venture capital fund specializing in software and globalization-themed investments.

In this episode, Bob discusses the central authorities' recent resolution on further deepening reforms comprehensively. He explores the challenges in China's development and the promising prospects of the new economic reform blueprint. As a former macro-economist, Bob identifies two favorable trends in the Chinese market -- reduced cost of mobility and an "anti-involution" mindset. He also shares observations on Chinese businesses expanding globally -- the primary focus of his investments, and offers insights into the growing trend of paying for knowledge online among Chinese people.

Bob also runs a popular WeChat blog, "嬉笑创客," and a subscription-based online community on "Knowledge Planet 知识星球," where he shares his insights on macro-economics, venture capital and China's domestic markets. His thoughts have been widely recognized, including a translation of his piece on the U.S.-China decoupling impact in a Baiguan newsletter, and he was a featured guest on Baiguan's podcast discussing Chinese companies' global market strategies.

Highlights:

05:30 - Three major themes of the resolution in Bob Chen’s view

08:45 - What priorities does the resolution outline for China's development in the next phase?

12:43 - Fiscal challenges of the local governments

14:23 - How will China's tax reform improve its distribution system?

20:25 - China's spending on R&D and the benefits of electric vehicle development

25:11 - "Anti-involution" mindset gains steam in the Chinese market

27:52 - Chinese businesses going global

36:34 - People's willingness to pay for knowledge in China -- "Knowledge Planet" as an example

41:08 - Recommended travel destinations in China other than Beijing and Shanghai

You can also listen to Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.