Alice Han and James Kynge dig into why Apple is lobbying the Trump administration for permission to buy memory chips from a Chinese company on the Pentagon's military blacklist. With DRAM prices up nearly 100% in a single quarter — analysts are calling it "RAMageddon" — Apple already raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to 20%, and iPhones could be next. How far will Apple go to secure its supply chain, and what does it mean if Washington says yes? They also break down DeepSeek's landmark $7.4 billion funding round, which is the first time the Chinese AI startup has ever taken outside money. Tencent, CATL, and China's state-backed National AI Investment Fund are among the backers, and the valuation has jumped six-fold in six weeks to nearly $59 billion. DeepSeek built its reputation on doing more with less — so why does it need the money now? And finally: a new sign that China's middle class is changing what it puts on the table. The Economist calls it the "Californication" of Chinese diets: a growing appetite for organic, health-conscious food. Subscribe to China Decode on Substack for weekly analysis, livestreams, and deep dives into the biggest story shaping the global economy: chinadecode.profgmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Analysis: done · source seed