Alice Han

So I hope that there's going to be a change in the culture, but I'm not so sure given how the economics don't quite add up.

People find it way more convenient and cheaper to buy takeout rather than cooking at home, but we'll see.

I think the key will be how much Beijing intervenes in this because it clearly, I think, has raised alarm bells for the Chinese government and they see it as a political, economic and social issue.

All right, James, it is a crystal ball prediction time.

What's your prediction for the week?

I mean, imagine being able to buy it for as little as $10, $20 over the counter.

And that could very much happen if China really gets involved commercially.

Very, very interesting.

So my prediction is somewhat in the same field, but it's in the field of fitness.

I sense the early days of a fitness boom in China.

I'm already starting to see more people going to the gym.

This was kind of an...

a non-event in China in previous years.

But I think there's a fitness boom with economic opportunities for gyms, for fitness classes, for sportswear and sports equipment.

I could see China getting to the sports equipment market and making good equipment that could be cheaper than some of the other foreign companies out there.

And similarly, I think when I think about

sportswear, tennis shoes, running shoes.

I think these are sectors that could do very, very well in China in 2026, especially if we see a big focus from the government on cracking down on this national health issue.

All right, that's all for this episode.

Thank you for listening to China Decode.