China is rewriting the global energy playbook, rapidly transforming into a clean energy powerhouse and emerging as the world's first "electrostate". While the Iran war has rattled global commodity markets, Beijing has successfully absorbed the shock due to a decade-long pivot toward domestic renewable energy. Now, it's positioning itself to reap economic rewards by exporting its green infrastructure to the rest of the world.

Jian Chang, Chief China Economist, and Dave Dai, APAC Head of Sustainable Investing Research, both from Barclays, join John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. Together they unpack the economics behind China's green infrastructure exports and, with the US doubling down on fossil fuels, debate who will ultimately win the global energy race.

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China's property market is showing signs of life after a five-year slump, prompting some analysts to call for a long-awaited rebound. Price declines for newly built homes are narrowing, while transaction volumes are finally ticking up, particularly in top-tier cities. But is this a significant turnaround or just a dead cat bounce?

Leonid Mironov, a fund manager at Gavekal Capital, joins host John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. He breaks down why he believes the real estate sector is bottoming out rather than roaring back and explains why markets might be too bearish on China's consumption narrative. Mironov also discusses Beijing's "anti-involution" measures to curb cutthroat competition and details where investors can still find high-quality opportunities aligned with the government's 15th Five-Year Plan.

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Australia is emerging as a surprising beneficiary of new technological shifts, even as the country faces a growth hit from the Middle East war. Rapidly accelerating data construction is driving an unprecedented demand for copper, while battery solutions are fueling a massive consumption of lithium. Escalating geopolitical tension is also providing a powerful tailwind for rare earths as Western nations hunt for secure ex-China supply – all of which is highly positive for the country's mining sector.

Meanwhile, sticky inflation has forced the Reserve Bank of Australia to become one of the most hawkish central banks in the world, raising interest rates three times already this year. While high rates are dampening demand and cooling house prices, they are also proving to be a boon for earnings of the country's banks and insurers.

Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Matt Ingram joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast to discuss how these structural forces are reshaping corporate earnings, pushing the economy to move up the value chain, and redefining Australia's "lucky country" moniker.

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