The aviation industry has suffered numerous setbacks recently, from tragic accidents to production delays and quality issues at manufacturer Boeing. There are also looming challenges including slower economic growth globally that may curb spending and demand. But one corner of the industry has been thriving since the pandemic – aircraft leasing.

Tim Bacchus, a veteran analyst with more than 30 years of experience in the aviation space, believes that profits in the aircraft leasing industry – the companies that purchase and rent these planes – could jump by more than 70% over the next three years. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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China, the world's second-largest economy, is facing a demographics crisis. Its population fell in 2024 for the third straight year and is projected to halve by the end of the century, while marriages – tightly linked to childbirth in the country – plunged to a record low. The trend of declining birthrates and an aging population, which threatens the labor market and growth, comes even after the government lifted its one-child policy and added a raft of measures to support families.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Ada Li spent more than a year gathering data from local governments and uncovering the cultural and social reasons behind the trends – with some startling conclusions. She speaks with John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva about why the government is unable to reverse the decline, how the cost of childcare is just one part of the problem, and why – surprisingly – it may not be so bad for consumer companies.

Read Ada’s full research (https://blinks.bloomberg.com/news/stories/SN47X8T0AFB7) and related news stories about Asia's baby shortage (https://blinks.bloomberg.com/news/stories/SM8W0PDWLU68) on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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After many months of threats, the US has imposed 10% tariffs on all Chinese goods coming into the country and China retaliated immediately, launching an investigation into Google and putting its own levies on a range of American goods including LNG. Thus begins a new era of protectionism.

The tariffs and any additional moves are set to slow economic growth in China, which is already struggling to boost consumer spending, reboot its property sector and lure more foreign investment. This is likely just the beginning, with higher levies to come in a repeat of the 2018-19 trade war. Despite the headwinds, Chinese President Xi Jinping still has a lot of tools at his disposal.

Helen Qiao, chief economist for Greater China at Bank of America, joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to gauge the impact in the world's second largest economy and what could lay ahead.

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Investing in Asia after its financial crisis of 1997, or in the US following the dot-com bubble or the GFC, would have delivered good performance over the following decade, says Daniel Rupp, CIO and founder of Parkway Capital. Daniel joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast to discuss why he launched an Asia-focused long-only fund at the beginning of 2024 – at the height of investor pessimism toward China. He also sees vast stock picking opportunities across the region and discusses why active rather than passive management might make more sense in Asia than the US.

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Donald Trump is set to disrupt trade across Asia in a repeat of his previous administration, but things are different this time around. He’s expanding his focus beyond China, targeting countries he says pose national security threats or have large trade deficits with the US. Many countries across Asia that benefited from the last trade war may find themselves in the crosshairs. In other words, it's set to be a lot more complicated this time.

Sonal Varma, chief economist Asia ex-Japan at Nomura Singapore, joins Katia Dmitrieva and John Lee to unpack what the next four years may look like for Asia.

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Financial markets have been captivated by AI's opportunities since the launch of ChatGPT two years ago. Huge investments have flowed into established chip companies and the hyperscalers that make the infrastructure supporting AI – from Nvidia and TSMC to Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon. But what about the frontier companies that could flourish as AI enters a new era? And why is Asia an ideal petri dish for this activity?

Esther Wong, founder of 3C AGI Partners, one of Asia's first AI-focused venture capital funds, and formerly a managing director at SenseTime, discusses the next phase of this technology and shares her outlook on the industry – data centers in space may not be as far-fetched as you think. She joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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South Korea's short-lived martial law and impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol has shocked the world and crushed confidence in Asia's fourth-largest economy. Even before these events, the country was suffering from sluggish economic growth combined with the worst-performing stock market and currency in the region throughout 2024. What's next for South Korea's political process and what will it take to revive its financial markets?

Hyosung Kwon, an economist at Bloomberg Economics in Seoul, joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to discuss the political and economic risks that lie ahead for South Korea.

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It's that time of year when we look to what the next 12 months have in store. Currencies are set to weaken against a strong dollar, so which ones may provide a degree of safety? Equities outperformed in 2024 but tariffs hang over trade-sensitive countries and the tech and AI sectors may have peaked. Where can investors find the most value? And geopolitical risk and a new US-China trade war have yet to be fully priced into the market, so what does that mean for credit?

Asia Centric convenes a panel of Bloomberg Intelligence analysts to preview 2025. Joining hosts John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva this week are Stephen Chiu, chief Asia FX and rates strategist, Marvin Chen, senior equity strategist, and senior credit strategist Timothy Tan.

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