
China Just Doesn't Care
From Geopolitical Cousins by Jacob Shapiro & Marko Papic
May 5, 2026 · 1h 17m · Season 1 · Episode 59
About this episode
The episode discusses the US-China relationship in the context of the Strait of Hormuz crisis and debates China's strategic approach.
The lads turn an unscripted session into a sharp diagnosis of the US-China relationship amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis. They debate whether China is strategically patient or simply indifferent - and what its silence means for the Global South. The Xi-Trump summit looms as both the dealmaker's prize and the ultimate test of a G2 world. -- Timestamps: (00:00) - Introooo (01:20) - China Defies Iran Sanctions (03:33) - Oil Markets and Sanctions Backfire (07:52) - Summit Hype and Trade Deal Goals (10:05) - G2 vs Multipolar Debate (12:17) - Should China Pressure Iran (15:57) - Global South Stakes and Bagels (18:34) - China Strategic Patience Rebuttal (32:03) - What China Offers the World (34:40) - Yuan Push and Middle Kingdom (36:54 China Whiffing the Moment (38:50) - China Constraints First (39:34) - Disciplining Iran Debate (41:29) - Multipolarity Versus Bipolar (43:08) - Iran Strikes UAE Update (45:33) - Ceasefire And Escalation (49:12) - Oil Inventories Supply Hole (51:15) - Markets Ignore War Risk (53:15) - AI Capex Takes Over (56:09) - Energy Inequality And Supply Chains (58:37) - Trump Priorities And Timeline (01:02:08) - Rebuilding After US Backstop (01:05:42) - Pandemic…
People in this episode
Hosts: Jacob Shapiro, Marko Papic
Topics covered
- US-China relationship
- Geopolitics
- Global South
- Trade deals
- Multipolarity
- Oil markets
Keywords
- China
- US-China relationship
- Global South
- Xi-Trump summit
- oil markets
- multipolarity
- Iran sanctions
- trade deals
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NBA
Places: China, Iran, United States, Global South, Strait of Hormuz
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