Minxin Pei

Minxin Pei

Former Bloomberg Opinion Columnist

Minxin Pei is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. His latest book is "The Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism."

Latest

Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou Visits China

Bloomberg Opinion

Want to Make America Great Again? Try Copying China

December 18, 2025

December 18, 2025

OpinionMinxin Pei

Want to Make America Great Again? Try Copying China

Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou Visits China

December 25, 2024

December 25, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Xi May Be Facing a No Good, Very Bad 2025

The Chinese leader could confront five simultaneous challenges that will determine his nation’s trajectory for the rest of the decade.

President Lula Hosts Chinese Counterpart Xi Jinping

December 16, 2024

December 16, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Assad’s Fall Should Be a Teachable Moment for China

Beijing’s fondness for fellow autocracies has one big downside: They can be much more fragile than it wants to believe.

Inside Mezzeh Prison, Liberated By Rebels After The Fall Of The Assad Regime

December 11, 2024

December 11, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Trump Wants Hitler’s Generals? That’s Xi’s Problem

Massive corruption continues to plague the Chinese military because of a promotion system that prizes loyalty above competence.

The Closing of the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress

December 3, 2024

December 3, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Trump Is a Golden Opportunity. China Will Waste It

Beijing couldn’t take advantage of the US pullback from global leadership during the president-elect’s first term. It won’t this time either.

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November 27, 2024

November 27, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Hey, Elon. You Know Who Else Was a Disruptor? Mao

Donald Trump and the Tesla boss aren’t the first to take a wrecking ball to government. They’d be wise to learn from China’s tragic experience.

TOPSHOT-CHINA-CULTURAL REVOLUTION-MINERS-COMMUNISM

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Biden’s China Policy Deserves a Second Life

The incoming Trump administration should build on and improve the multi-pronged strategy rather than scrap it.

U.S. And South Korean Marines Hold Joint Winter Exercise

November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Trump’s Biggest China Problem Won’t Be Trade

While a tariff war seems almost guaranteed, the real danger is stumbling into a Cuban Missile-style standoff over Taiwan.

Taiwan Conducts Live Fire Military Exercises

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China Could Regret Not Buying More Trump Insurance

Beijing thinks it can handle a return of the former US president without easing tensions with Europe and Japan. That’s a mistake.

KAZAKHSTAN-RUSSIA-CHINA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY

October 23, 2024

October 23, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

To Win EV Battle With Europe, China Needs to Lose

Instead of haggling over tariffs, Chinese leaders would be better off surrendering to European demands.

China's Geely Makes First Shipment of Zeekr EVs to Europe

October 7, 2024

October 7, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

The Middle East Is a Quagmire for China, Too

Partners such as Iran are turning out to be weaker and less reliable than Beijing had hoped. Doubling down on them could be costly.

More Strikes In Beirut As Israel Launches Ground Offensive In Lebanon

October 1, 2024

October 1, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China Should Get Serious About Peace in Ukraine

Facts on the ground are trending toward Beijing’s preferred outcome. Now it needs a more credible proposal.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

September 24, 2024

September 24, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China’s to Blame for Breakup With Japan

A decade of hyper-nationalist pressure has soured relations and led to the death of a young Japanese boy. The onus is on Beijing to change course.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force Conducts Live Fire Exercise

September 22, 2024

September 22, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

The Game Isn’t Over for China But It Is ‘Garbage Time’

Many Chinese see no hope for an economic recovery as long as the same leaders stick to the same policies that led to the slump.

Bahrain's King Hamad Al Khalifa Visits China

September 11, 2024

September 11, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China Wants More Than Minerals From the Global South

Developing countries offer a route to circumvent Western trade and technological restrictions, as well as a strategic counterweight to the US.

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September 4, 2024

September 4, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Harris Doesn’t Have Much to Say About China. That’s Good

Staking out a dramatically different position from the administration’s would be hard and politically unprofitable. Silence is smart.

Day Four Of The 2024 Democratic National Convention

August 25, 2024

August 25, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

Beijing Needs Carrots, Not Sticks in South China Sea

Maritime disputes with the Philippines are treated far differently than those with China’s other neighbors. That’s understandable — and foolish.

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August 12, 2024

August 12, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China’s New Internet ID Shows Xi’s Insecurities

The system will leave the Communist Party flying blind, unable to spot emerging socioeconomic problems or move to resolve them.

CHINA-LIFESTYLE

August 6, 2024

August 6, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

US-China Rivalry Is Destabilizing the Middle East

Beijing’s support has emboldened Iran and made the region more volatile.

USS Eisenhower Operations In the Red Sea

July 31, 2024

July 31, 2024

OpinionMinxin Pei

China’s Problem Isn’t Its Potential But Its Politics

Leaders are right to argue the country’s fundamentals remain strong. Without real reforms, though, they will remain untapped.

CHINA-ECONOMY