In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength, and health. Given the challenges dominating this year’s headlines, all of us are probably going to need a balance of all three to make it through the year successfully.

Every new day’s headlines remind us that no matter where we live and work, global forces can swoop in and change everything at a moment’s notice. When geopolitics is the focus, some players on the world stage have an outsized impact - none more than China.

In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director at Una, for a recurring monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.

In this conversation, Kris and Kelly talk about three major news stories related to China that all procurement and supply chain professionals should be aware of:

China’s New Year’s statement about unification with Taiwan, and the varying levels of urgency that emerge depending on the translation you read
An ongoing trial in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai is up against charges that his free speech makes him a traitor in China’s eyes
The progress (or lack thereof) that has been made towards semiconductor independence almost two years after the CHIPS Act was passed

Links:

Ep 150: 2024: The Year of the Dragon? feat. Kris Lance

The Sourcing Hero