Long Game with Leon Ge

About Long Game with Leon Ge

Welcome to Long Game with Leon Ge, the global long-form podcast hosted by Chinese-born investor, entrepreneur, and global practitioner Leon Ge. Hear straight from the world’s top long-termists: CEOs, investors, industry pioneers; all sit down for unfiltered, in-depth conversations with Leon. Expect timeless insight that goes beyond borders, market cycles, and industry boundaries.

Publisher

Leon Ge

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Mar 2026

Latest episode

15 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Jun 2026

   Nantong (南通): China's First Modern City is Rising Again

   Exploring Nantong (南通), the quiet $184 billion powerhouse that actually pioneered China's modernization and is now poised to become Shanghai's massive northern gateway. 🎙️ About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: The forgotten story of Zhang Jian and how Nantong became China's first true "modern city", launching public museums and textile schools long before Shenzhen or Pudong existed. How this single city quietly commands the global home textile market and physically built 15% of Shanghai's super high-rise buildings. The geographic curse of the Yangtze River that kept Nantong separated from China's richest region for decades, and how new rail lines are erasing that wall. Why the upcoming Nantong New Airport (effectively Shanghai's third airport) will transform this economy, which is already the size of Morocco, into an unstoppable global logistic and industrial hub.

2. 

   2 Jun 2026

   A Cambridge Political Scientist: Will Vietnam Be the Next Asian Tiger?

   Tu Minh Tri returns for an unfiltered, geopolitical discussion on Vietnam’s delicate balancing act, the myth of the "next China," and the looming energy crisis threatening Southeast Asia. 🎙️About the Guest: Tu Minh TriTu Minh Tri is a Saigon native and a political scientist by training, holding degrees from the University of Cambridge and LSE. He has worked in think tanks and management consulting across the UK and is currently a researcher at RMIT University Vietnam, focusing on sustainability policy and emissions trading schemes. As a Gen-Z scholar, he brings a sharp, pragmatic, and highly educated perspective to the most pressing geopolitical shifts of our time.🎙️ About the Host: Leon GeLeon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform.In this episode, we cover: Vietnam's "middle power" balancing act and why global superpowers like the US, China, and Russia are actively vying for its loyalty. The overly optimistic illusion: Why Vietnam is likely not going to become the next Asian Tiger or the next China. The demographic time bomb: Why Vietnam's dropping birth rates mean it risks growing old before it grows rich. Why record-breaking Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) isn't enough without the internal infrastructure and technology transfers to capture real value. The Southeast Asian contrast: Why Vietnam is pulling ahead of Thailand and the Philippines due to its resilient political stability. The hidden workforce crisis: Why young, educated Vietnamese are avoiding manufacturing jobs, and what that means for the country's industrial future. The impending global energy shock stemming from the Strait of Hormuz, and why ASEAN's lack of an integrated energy grid leaves it entirely unprepared.

3. 

   27 May 2026

   A Chinese Tech CEO on the Reality of Vietnam's Economic Boom

   Get to know Vietnam’s economic boom, the reality of global supply chains, and why the country is positioned to be the defining industrial story of the next decade with Leon Ge.🎙 About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform.In this episode, Leon covers: Why the mainstream narrative is lazy: Vietnam is not replacing China, but becoming a crucial "China-adjacent manufacturing infrastructure" The staggering Q1 2026 data: How 7.83% GDP growth, record-breaking foreign direct investment, and a surge in tourism prove this isn't just hype. How global giants like Samsung, Apple, and Lego are moving Vietnam beyond cheap assembly into advanced electronics, green manufacturing, and AI. The five structural reasons Vietnam's rise is permanent, driven by its geography, treaty-enabled trade architecture, and massive infrastructure acceleration. The hidden bottlenecks and risks: The geopolitical threat of US tariffs, power shortages, and why the country's heavy reliance on imported components is a double-edged sword. The seven massive opportunities for investors and operators who understand how to navigate Vietnam's pragmatic balancing act between major superpowers.

4. 

   22 May 2026

   MIT Press Author: Why Net Zero Fails & The Great Material Crisis | Long Game #10

   A profound exploration into the impending global resource crisis, the fragility of global supply chains, and the hidden "material transition" that could ultimately save us. About the Guest: Janet A. Ginsburg Janet A. Ginsburg is a strategist, systems thinker, and award-winning journalist who has covered stories for BusinessWeek, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. Throughout her career, she has acted as an "interdisciplinary traveler," crossing silos to cover everything from infectious diseases and renewable energy to design and manufacturing. She is currently writing a book with the MIT Press about the "material transition" and writes a popular Substack detailing her ongoing research. About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: Why the world's singular focus on "net zero" and "circularity" is not enough, and why we are quietly undergoing a massive, planet-altering "material transition". The extreme fragility of global trade reliant on "skinny straits" like Hormuz and the Panama Canal, and how it impacts the supply of critical materials. Why fresh water and phosphorus are the two ultimate limiting factors for human survival, and how breakthrough technologies like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could soon harvest water directly from the air. Incredible, real-world innovations hiding in plain sight—from running shoes made using rabbit gut microbes to rare-earth-free magnets and 3D-woven clothing. The devastating impact of U.S. political instability on long-term science and innovation funding, and how it is crippling the research pipeline. Why the bar for "sustainability" is far too low, and why we must build a regenerative, imagination-driven "prosperity economy".

5. 

   15 May 2026

   A 20-Year China CEO on Trump's Beijing Visit & Europe's Denial | Long Game #9

   Sven Agten returns for a conversation on Trump's Beijing visit, the realities of the US-China superpower relationship, Europe's ideological paralysis, and the rise of the Global South. 🎙️About the Guest: Sven Agten Sven Agten is a Belgian executive, author and columnist who has spent more than 20 years living and working in China. He is CEO Asia Pacific at RHEINZINK, a Chinese green card holder, and a veteran operator with deep experience in general management, market entry, joint ventures, manufacturing build-outs and cross-border growth across China and Asia Pacific. He has also written extensively on doing business in China, the Chinese economy and Europe’s strategic challenges, bringing a rare mix of industrial, geopolitical and on-the-ground perspective. 🎙️About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: The truth behind Donald Trump's underwhelming state visit to Beijing, the apparent lack of American preparation, and China's new geopolitical framework for "constructive strategic stability". Why Europe is being completely sidelined in the US-China equation, failing to leverage its geographical position, and entirely missing the boat on Eurasian and African integration. How "democracy" has morphed into an unquestionable, rigid religion in the West, blocking critical thinking and blinding leaders to systemic economic failures. Why citizens in the Global South prioritize pragmatic governance, tangible improvements in living standards, and social mobility over binary Western ideological labels. The rising economic integration of the BRICS nations and the Global South, and why they are actively rejecting the colonial legacies and moral lecturing of the West to forge their own independent path.

6. 

   9 May 2026

   An Award-Winning Biomechanics Designer: The Truth About Footwear & Joint Pain | Long Game #8

   Dive into the hidden dangers of modern footwear, the truth behind natural human movement, and the hyper-personalized future of 3D-printed design. 🎙 About the Guest: John Gibson John Gibson sits at a rare intersection of a movement scientist, computational designer, and footwear researcher who builds what the industry hasn't thought to make yet. He holds three certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine in corrective and performance exercise, and four provisional patents in neuromuscular control and stimulation, systems designed to work with the body's own signaling architecture rather than override it. His work has been recognized by the Red Dot, the European Product Design Award, and the IDA, awards earned for footwear and packaging systems that simulate the natural mechanics of the body, supporting its functions rather than replacing them. Insoles that stimulate plantar neuromuscular response. Packaging that doubles as a foot health and strength tool. Products that treat the body as a collaborator, not a problem to be solved. 🎙 About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we discuss: - Why the modern footwear industry acts like "processed food and sugar" for our physical bodies, slowly degrading our musculoskeletal health over time. - The "use it or lose it" reality of human muscles, and how artificially propping up our feet causes misalignment and long-term wear and tear in our knees and hips. - The truth about advanced marathon running shoes and why standard consumers shouldn't be wearing the same ultra-performance gear as elite athletes. - Why the future of the industry is moving away from rigid "foot coffins" toward hyper-personalized, 3D-printed, and computationally designed shoes created from a simple phone scan. - The incredible potential of biomimicry and sustainable materials, like 3D-knitted, biodegradable PHA bacteria, to create zero-waste footwear. - Navigating the uncertainty of being a young entrepreneur, developing a growth mindset, and learning how to keep pushing forward through constant cycles of failure.

7. 

   30 Apr 2026

   An Ex-Googler's Warning: Why the World is Dangerously Fragmenting | Long Game #7

   Leon Ge discusses the Danger of Algorithm-Driven Tribalization, Democracy's Historical Trap, and the Launch of a 10-Year, 1,000-Episode Mission. About the Host: Leon GeLeon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, Leon covers: His journey from a small Chinese village with a $250 GDP per capita to traveling across 50+ countries as a "civilizational interstellar traveler". The extreme danger of algorithm-driven echo chambers, the permanent loss of our shared reality, and how personalized feeds are pushing societies toward tribalization and fragmentation. A 2,000-year-old warning: Why democracies in declining economic cycles are highly vulnerable to populism and the dangerous creation of foreign enemies. The upcoming societal disruptions we are entirely unprepared for, including the normalization of AI robot relationships, extreme demographic aging, and the hidden threat of global soil depletion. The launch of his 10-year mission: Why he is committing to 1,000 authentic conversations for Long Game to bridge our increasingly parallel worlds

8. 

   22 Apr 2026

   A Belgian CEO on Iran, Europe's Hypocrisy & Asian Geopolitics | Long Game #6

   Sven Agten returns for a third conversation on the changing geopolitical tides, from America's strategic defeat in the Middle East to Europe's undeniable hypocrisy. About the Guest: Sven Agten Sven Agten is a Belgian executive, author and columnist who has spent more than 20 years living and working in China. He is CEO Asia Pacific at RHEINZINK, a Chinese green card holder, and a veteran operator with deep experience in general management, market entry, joint ventures, manufacturing build-outs and cross-border growth across China and Asia Pacific. He has also written extensively on doing business in China, the Chinese economy and Europe’s strategic challenges, bringing a rare mix of industrial, geopolitical and on-the-ground perspective. About the Host: Leon GeLeon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: How the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz represents an irreversible strategic defeat for America, and why the resulting disruptions to energy and fertilizer supply chains will haunt the West for years. Japan's lingering superiority complex, its declining economy, and why it is doubling down on its alliance with the US while the rest of Asia pivots closer to China. The complete failure of the US "Pivot to Asia" and why middle powers like Vietnam, South Korea, and the Philippines are pragmatically realigning their strategic interests. Spain's strategic move toward China and the blatant hypocrisy of Europe demanding forced "tech transfers" from Chinese green energy companies after years of criticizing the exact same practice. Follow Leon on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@longgamewithleonge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leon.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.thoughts Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleon/ Check out Tocco Agency with Industrial Advisory Program in China & Vietnam https://tocco.agency/

9. 

   14 Apr 2026

   20 Years in China: A Belgian CEO on the End of American Might | Long Game #5

   Sven Agten Returns to Discuss The Changing Global Order, America's Strategic "Waterloo", and Europe's Ideological Delusion. 🎙️About the Guest: Sven Agten Sven Agten is a Belgian executive, author and columnist who has spent more than 20 years living and working in China. He is CEO Asia Pacific at RHEINZINK, a Chinese green card holder, and a veteran operator with deep experience in general management, market entry, joint ventures, manufacturing build-outs and cross-border growth across China and Asia Pacific. He has also written extensively on doing business in China, the Chinese economy and Europe’s strategic challenges, bringing a rare mix of industrial, geopolitical and on-the-ground perspective. 🎙️About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: Why the Iran conflict might be the "Waterloo of America," and how middle powers are using asymmetric warfare to paralyze Western military might. The deep history of Taiwan-China relations, and why Westerners often have very strong opinions but very little actual knowledge about the region's complex reality. Europe's superiority complex: How a massive shift from pragmatic statecraft to pure ideology is driving its own economic crisis and deindustrialization. The truth about the "China Threat": Why China historically hasn't exported its political system, and why the West is actually being forced to copy China's state-capitalism model. The three existential trends defining the next 20 years: the fall of the unipolar US order, climate change tipping points, and the massive disruption of AI. Advice for the next generation: Why generalist business degrees will be replaced by AI, the critical need for hard engineering skills, and why young people should look East to countries like India or Vietnam.

10. 

    10 Apr 2026

    An Oxford Policy Advisor on the Truth Behind Vietnam’s Rise | Long Game #4

    Take A Look at Vietnam’s Rise, Global Supply Chains, and the Future of Middle Powers. About the Guest: Quang Anh Tran Quang Anh Tran is a public policy consultant and researcher based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Educated in Singapore and at the University of Oxford, where he earned degrees in Anthropology, he conducts qualitative market research and projects for NGOs and the private sector. With his deep understanding of societal evolution and modern policy making, he brings a highly pragmatic and academically rigorous perspective to the geopolitical and economic forces shaping Vietnam and the broader world. About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: How global conflicts and US-China tensions are reshaping global supply chains and forcing "middle powers" like Vietnam to rethink their strategies. The truth about the "China Plus One" strategy, and whether Vietnam is truly climbing the value chain or just serving as a transshipment hub for Chinese exports. Vietnam's delicate "bamboo diplomacy" and how it successfully balances diplomatic relationships with competing major superpowers. The looming demographic crisis: Why Vietnam's birth rate of 1.7 means it has only 10-15 years to escape the "middle-income trap" before its population ages. The global talent game, why improving the "average" worker through education is actually more important than trying to stop the brain drain of elite talent. A unique anthropological take on modern happiness, the "original affluent society" of hunter-gatherers, and how to ruthlessly optimize your four key resources: time, health, money, and attention. --- Follow Leon on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@longgamewithleonge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leon.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.thoughts Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleon/ Check out Tocco Agency with Industrial Advisory Program in China & Vietnam https://tocco.agency/

11. 

    6 Apr 2026

    30 Years in Big Pharma: An Executive's View on Healthcare & AI | Long Game #3

    The Ultimate Insider’s Look at Big Pharma, the AI Healthcare Revolution, and Doing Business in China. About the Guest: Ben Wu Ben Wu is a healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Trained as a pharmacist in Canada, he spent 14 years at Johnson & Johnson, eventually becoming a General Manager for the Greater China region. He has held CEO and VP roles across major pharmaceutical companies in the Asia Pacific. Having lived and worked extensively in both the East and the West, he brings an unmatched perspective on global healthcare, biotechnology, and cross-border business. About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform.In this episode, we cover: Why drug development relies so heavily on "luck" and the staggering realities behind bringing a new drug to market. How Big Pharma truly operates, why giants like J&J buy startups instead of doing their own R&D, and whether they are a "force for good". The massive disruption AI is bringing to the medical field—from taking the guesswork out of drug discovery to standardizing patient treatments and bringing down costs. The real differences between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, and how the two are slowly merging in modern hospitals. What it's really like doing business in China as an outsider, the power of Guanxi, and why building deep, lifelong trust is essential. A pragmatic view on the future: Why the world is actually getting better, the reality of human longevity, and how AI is creating more opportunities for the next generation. --- Follow Leon on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@longgamewithleonge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leon.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.thoughts Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleon/ Check out Tocco Agency with Industrial Advisory Program in China & Vietnam https://tocco.agency/

12. 

    31 Mar 2026

    A Cambridge Political Scientist on Why the Global Order is Collapsing | Long Game #2

    The Ultimate Insider’s Look at the Collapsing Global Order, Vietnam's Rise, and the Shifting Power Dynamics Between East and West. About the Guest: Tu Minh Tri Tu Minh Tri is a Saigon native and a political scientist by training, holding degrees from the University of Cambridge and LSE. He has worked in think tanks and management consulting across the UK and is currently a researcher at RMIT University Vietnam, focusing on sustainability policy and emissions trading schemes. As a Gen-Z scholar, he brings a sharp, pragmatic, and highly educated perspective to the most pressing geopolitical shifts of our time. About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: Why the old geopolitical order is dead, the rise of nativist parties in the West, and how the Iran conflict affects global inflation. The truth behind Vietnam's economic boom, the risk of the "middle-income trap," and why demographic challenges mean Vietnam might grow old before it grows rich. The complex history of Vietnamese nationalism, shedding French colonial legacies, and the pragmatism of Ho Chi Minh. Europe's stagnation and the political paralysis that is threatening its social democratic model. The nuanced reality of Taiwan-China relations and why China is becoming "cool" again globally. Why sustainability and the physical world matter more than ever in an era of global conflict and the rise of AI. --- Follow Leon on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@longgamewithleonge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leon.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.thoughts Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleon/ Check out Tocco Agency with Industrial Advisory Program in China & Vietnam https://tocco.agency/

13. 

    25 Mar 2026

    20 Years Inside China: A Belgian CEO's Brutal Warning to Europe | Long Game #1

    The Ultimate Insider’s Look at China, Europe’s Decline, and the Future of the Global Economy. 🎙️About the Guest: Sven Agten Sven Agten is a Belgian executive, author and columnist who has spent more than 20 years living and working in China. He is CEO Asia Pacific at RHEINZINK, a Chinese green card holder, and a veteran operator with deep experience in general management, market entry, joint ventures, manufacturing build-outs and cross-border growth across China and Asia Pacific. He has also written extensively on doing business in China, the Chinese economy and Europe’s strategic challenges, bringing a rare mix of industrial, geopolitical and on-the-ground perspective. 🎙️About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: Sven’s wild journey from an unemployed historian in Belgium to a leading multinational CEO in Shanghai The massive culture shock of doing business in China and why Western "planning" often fails in the East Why Europe is facing a "five-front war" and how Western automakers completely missed the Chinese EV revolution The truth about Chinese innovation: Why it's no longer about "stealing IP" but dominating the global high-tech transition in robotics, biotech, and manufacturing How to position yourself and your business for the next 20 years of massive global disruption Follow Leon on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@longgamewithleonge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leon.podcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.thoughts Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleon/ Check out Tocco Agency with Industrial Advisory Program in China & Vietnam https://tocco.agency/

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