Articles by: "Minxin Pei"
Japan’s geopolitical balancing act just got harder

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s unexpected resignation last month for health reasons has raised many questions about the legacy of the country’s longest-serving premier. One of them is whether his successor, Yoshihide Suga, will be …

Cultural decoupling from China will hurt the US

‘Decoupling’ is central to the geopolitical duel between the United States and China. Conceived and promoted by hawks in US President Donald Trump’s administration, this strategy has now become America’s principal tool to weaken Chinese …

China’s deepening geopolitical hole

The United Kingdom’s decision to ban Huawei from its 5G networks has dealt a painful blow to China. Until recently, Beijing was still counting on the UK government to stick to its earlier decision to …

Chinese diplomats behaving badly

Chinese diplomats have long had a reputation as well-trained, colourless and cautious professionals who pursue their missions doggedly without attracting much unfavourable attention. But a new crop of younger diplomats are ditching established diplomatic norms …

How the Hong Kong calamity will play out

China’s decision to crack down on Hong Kong with a new security law has shocked the world. But to those who read the resolution issued last November by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist …

China’s misplaced pandemic propaganda

Barely a month ago, China was in the grip of the coronavirus. Thousands of new infections were confirmed every day. Hospitals were overwhelmed. People were dying by the hundreds. People couldn’t leave their homes. But …

Coronavirus is a disease of Chinese autocracy

The outbreak of a new coronavirus that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan has already infected over 4,000 people—mostly in China, but also in several other countries, from Thailand to France to the United …

Xi Jinping’s annus horribilis

China’s strongman leader can’t seem to catch a break. From the trade war with the United States to the crisis in Hong Kong to international criticism of his human rights record, President Xi Jinping suffered …

China’s risky endgame in Hong Kong

Although the rapid escalation of violence in Hong Kong seems terrifying enough, things may be about to get much worse. The communiqué of the recently concluded fourth plenum of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese …