# 247. Sir Keir in China & will there be aftershocks from Japan’s bond quake?

An episode of [The Rest Is Money](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1703785141), 29 Jan 2026, 58 min.

Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT6492151210.mp3?updated=1769937614

What links Japan’s new prime minister with Liz Truss and Margaret Thatcher? Can Keir Starmer balance relations with Beijing without jeopardising ties to Washington? And why are Steph and Robert so worried about the future of hairdressing? Steph and Robert assess the $7 trillion upheaval in Japan’s bond market and discuss the risks and rewards of Starmer’s visit to China. They also examine the UK’s most overtaxed high-street industry, asking why hairdressers are being hit harder than anyone else - and whether rising business rates could wipe out apprenticeships. Email: therestismoney@goalhanger.com X: @TheRestIsMoney Instagram: @TheRestIsMoney TikTok: @RestIsMoney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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