Commentary / World Aug 15, 2017
China's 'double-freeze' con
By raising the double-freeze solution, China put the ball in America's court, and placed the onus for resolving the crisis squarely on Trump's shoulders.
Minxin Pei
For Minxin Pei's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Commentary / World Jul 18, 2017
Did dissident Liu Xiaobo die for nothing?
Far from a sign of strength, the Chinese regime's mistreatment of Liu Xiaobo amounted to an indication of its weakness, insecurity and fear.
Commentary / Japan May 26, 2017
The TPP's second act
India and Japan are demonstrating that Asia's major powers can frustrate Chinese ambitions without the U.S.
Commentary / World Feb 13, 2017
China needs a new grand strategy in Trump era
Donald Trump's presidency has already upended the key assumptions underpinning China's post-Cold War grand strategy.
Commentary / World Aug 30, 2016
The siren song of 'strongmania'
The embrace of political strongmen reflects widespread ignorance of the nature and consequences of populist rule.
Commentary / World Aug 2, 2016
The West's decline would also harm China
It makes little sense that Beijing is so pleased about the struggles of China's most valuable trading partners.
Commentary / World Feb 9, 2016
The return of fear-based governance in China
With China's international influence growing by the day, the revival of totalitarian scare tactics there has far-reaching — and deeply unsettling — implications for Asia and the world.
Commentary / World Nov 6, 2015
China's one-child calamity
The abolition of China's 35-year-old one-child policy closes one of the darkest chapters in the country's history.
Commentary / World Aug 17, 2015
The Soviet Union's lessons for China's purges
To achieve his goal of consolidating Communist Party rule in China, President Xi Jinping needs to secure the PLA's unimpeachable loyalty — and that requires the purge of unreliable or corrupt officers.
Commentary / World Mar 31, 2015
'Singapore model' all too often misunderstood
The true secret of Lee Kuan Yew's political genius was not his skillful use of repressive practices, such as launching lawsuits against the media or his political opponents. Lee's revolutionary tack was to use democratic institutions and the rule of law to curb the ...