A Missile Test and New PLA Generals; The CITIC Plane Crash; America’s Taiwan Interests; Guo Wengui Jailed and Ezra Jin Released

**Andrew Sharp** (0:04)
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Sharp China. I'm Andrew Sharp, and on the other line, Bill Bishop. Bill, how you doing?

**Bill Bishop** (0:15)
I'm doing well, Andrew. Hi, everybody. It's nice to be back. Sorry, we missed a week, so lots to talk about.

**Andrew Sharp** (0:20)
Coming back after a nice little vacation, a vacation for me. You were working all of last week, but it is nice to be back. Busy week in geopolitics, generally speaking. We're recording this Wednesday. Trump is in Europe, creating all kinds of upheaval.
The story in Iran changes every hour at this point. And of course, there was a full blown international crisis surrounding Flo Balligan's red card earlier this week. So a lot that we won't be wrapping our arms around on this particular podcast. Have you been watching any of the soccer?

**Bill Bishop** (0:57)
I'm every game. I'm sad that there's no game today. It's we're recording Wednesday here. It's Wednesday morning.

**Andrew Sharp** (1:03)
I felt the same last night. There was no game last night on Tuesday.

**Bill Bishop** (1:07)
If people want to get upset at FIFA and the refs, they should probably look at the Egypt Argentinian game. That was pretty wild.

**Andrew Sharp** (1:16)
Yeah.
Egypt really took it on the chin on that one. But although, you know, don't give up three goals in the final 15 minutes is also a reasonable response from Argentinian fans and other soccer fans I saw on Tuesday.

**Bill Bishop** (1:31)
True.

**Andrew Sharp** (1:32)
I will say, I think the PRC, they might have the right idea with the World Cup. Just missing it all together would have been preferable to my experience watching the US team get humiliated by Belgium on Monday night.

**Bill Bishop** (1:46)
Yeah, that was an unfortunate game.

**Andrew Sharp** (1:49)
That was one where I was like, why did I decide to care this much about soccer? But I did and it did not end well. In any event, Bill, I look forward to enjoying the non-U.S. remainder of the World Cup over the next few weeks.

**Bill Bishop** (2:05)
I still think France is going to win. They just have so much depth.

**Andrew Sharp** (2:08)
France is so much fun to watch. Also, they're playing a different game than everyone else in the field. Half the time, they're just out there trying stuff.
I, too, am rooting for France as we move forward here.

**Bill Bishop** (2:20)
Holland, the Norwegians, Holland is a huge star in China. He has some really funny ads with him in it and he is entertaining. I know this is not Sharp Soccer or Sharp Football, but it is fun to watch.
I will say, the second time I lived in China in 1991 and 1993, some of my best friends, and to continue this day, I used to play soccer in college. We made friendships playing soccer there because it's a big city.

**Andrew Sharp** (2:48)
Interesting. They have the outdoor neighborhood league that has taken China by storm over the last several years.

**Bill Bishop** (2:57)
Well, the village, yeah. I mean, there was no leagues back then, but it was still a good way to get exercise.

**Andrew Sharp** (3:02)
No, but it's a country that loves soccer.

**Bill Bishop** (3:04)
Yes, absolutely.

**Andrew Sharp** (3:05)
I didn't realize that Holland was big in, this is Erling Holland, not Holland the country.
I did not realize that he had a big presence in China. Makes sense, though. He should be one of the biggest stars in the entire world.

**Bill Bishop** (3:19)
All the big stars do, but he definitely will. He has increased his endorsement value significantly through this tournament.

**Andrew Sharp** (3:28)
I'm ready to buy a jersey after some of what I've seen from Erling Holland over the last couple of weeks.
In any event, again, not Sharp soccer, it is Sharp China and we'll start with a few different stories domestically. I'll read from CNN here. China on Monday conducted a rare test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean sparking criticism from New Zealand and Australia for actions that they said threatened peace and stability in the region. A People's Liberation Army Navy submarine, quote, launched a strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead toward relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which landed precisely within the designated waters, said a statement from Senior Captain Wang Xiumeng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy. This test, Wang said, was a routine part of China's annual military training schedule, who added and Wang added that relevant nations were informed in advance about the test. So Bill, this news caused quite a stir regionally, as CNN alludes to. There were plenty of leaders in the US who took note as well.