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Yi Fuxian

Yi Fuxian

22 commentaries

Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, spear-headed the movement against China’s one-child policy and is the author of Big Country with an Empty Nest (China Development Press, 2013), which went from being banned in China to ranking first in China Publishing Today’s 100 Best Books of 2013 in China.

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  1. Why China’s Marriage Crisis Matters
    yi20_CFOTOGettyImages_group_wedding_china CFOTO/Getty Images

    Why China’s Marriage Crisis Matters

    Mar 28, 2025 Yi Fuxian examines the factors underlying a key cause of the country’s demographic crisis.

  2. The End of the Chinese Dream
    yi19 Getty Images

    The End of the Chinese Dream

    Mar 11, 2025 Yi Fuxian sees little chance of the country and its economy escaping a bleak demographic destiny.

  3. Yi Fuxian on China's decision-making, economic prospects, demographic crisis, and more
    GettyImages-1322520591

    Yi Fuxian on China's decision-making, economic prospects, demographic crisis, and more

    Jan 28, 2025 Yi Fuxian warns that China's government and mainstream analysts are still underestimating the severity of the country's demographic crisis, identifies some of the gravest policy mistakes Donald Trump's administration is at risk of making vis-a-vis China, explains why China’s middle class will never be strong enough to bring about a democratic transition, and more.

  4. Could Trump’s Tariffs Help Democratize China?
    yi17_Kevin FrayerGetty Images_chinaworker Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    Could Trump’s Tariffs Help Democratize China?

    Jan 8, 2025 Yi Fuxian thinks that China will have to shift its focus from running trade surpluses to strengthening the middle class.

  5. China’s Pension Crisis Is Here
    yi16_Photo by STRAFP via Getty Images_aging Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

    China’s Pension Crisis Is Here

    Oct 16, 2024 Yi Fuxian argues that the country’s efforts to mitigate the effects of rapid demographic aging are too little, too late.

  1. basu111_Justin SullivanGetty Images_UScartariffs Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Trump’s Tariffs Will Accelerate America’s Economic Decline

    Kaushik Basu draws parallels between the administration’s policies and those that led to Argentina’s decades-long slump.
  2. blyth3_Chip SomodevillaGettyImages_trump_reciprocal_tariffs Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    Trump, Tariffs, and the Fate of the Dollar

    Mark Blyth

    Donald Trump’s attempt to reindustrialize the US economy by eliminating trade deficits will undoubtedly cause pain and disruption on a massive scale. But it is important to remember that both major US political parties have abandoned free trade in pursuit of similar goals.

    argues that America’s protectionist policies reflect a global economic reordering that was already underway.
  3. davutoglu1_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_trumpzelensky Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    Trump’s Old World Order

    Ahmet Davutoğlu warns that the US administration’s reckless conduct may destroy the last vestiges of multilateral cooperation.
  4. op_janeway19_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_trumpmusk Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    Crippling America’s Innovation Economy

    William H. Janeway

    Donald Trump and Elon Musk's reign of disruption is crippling research universities’ ability to serve as productive partners in innovation, thus threatening the very system that they purport to celebrate. The Chinese, who are increasingly becoming frontier innovators in their own right, will be forever grateful.

    warns that the pillars of US dynamism and competitiveness are being systematically toppled.
  5. muzikarova8_NurPhotoGettyImages_chip_manufacturing NurPhoto/Getty Images

    America’s AI Iron Curtain

    Soňa Muzikárová explains how US export controls are harming allies and potentially helping Russia and China.
  6. hubbard5_SpencerPlattGettyImages_bessent_economic_club_of_new_york Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    What Rebalancing the US Economy Really Requires

    Glenn Hubbard thinks US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is neglecting the need for spending cuts in major federal programs.
  7. rasoolayub1_Alex WongGettyImages_voa_building Alex Wong/Getty Images

    America’s Voice No Longer Speaks for Democracy

    Heela Rasool-Ayub explains why authoritarians worldwide are celebrating Donald Trump’s renunciation of democratic advocacy.
  8. durostu1_Apu GomesGetty Images_LAfire Apu Gomes/Getty Images

    Insurers Must Embrace Geospatial AI

    Pierre du Rostu touts the technology’s benefits for an industry that must shift its focus from paying claims to managing risk.
  9. gelfand4_Andrew HarnikGettyImages_trump_gesture Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
    Free to read

    It’s Time to Abandon Trump’s Flawed Negotiation Playbook

    Michele Gelfand points out that the best dealmakers strive for win-win outcomes, not zero-sum Pyrrhic victories.

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