Progressive's Jeremy McKeown speaks with renowned global thematic investor Mark Farrington, exploring decades of Asian market shifts—from Japan’s boom and bust to China’s emerging challenges.

Two of Jeremy's guests this year from the world of global thematic investing, David Dredge and Marvin Barth, both cited Mark Farrington as someone they refer to for insight, particularly on developments in Asia.

Mark Farrington writes about global thematic investing in his Watchtower series on Substack: The Global Watchtower, The Dollar Watchtower, and the BoJ Watchtower. Mark is as prolific as he is insightful.

Jeremy caught up with Mark for a fascinating conversation about his experience and learnings from a long career following developments in Asia —from the rise of Japan in the 70s and 80s to its lost decade and the rise of China.

In particular, he was keen to ask Mark whether Japan can normalise its monetary policy without collapsing the global financial system. Will China follow Japan into a lost decade of debt deflation? And how poorly understood Asian markets might impact our economies and financial markets in a new world order marked by the reassertion of economic nationalism.

Mark delivered a masterclass on the hows and whys of global thematic investing. It is an episode that should have a long shelf life.

With that, please enjoy Jeremy's conversation with global thematic investor Mark Farrington.