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Yi Fuxian

Yi Fuxian

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

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. China Shuts Down Its International-Adoption Machine
    yi15_Kevin FrayerGetty Images_chinababy Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    China Shuts Down Its International-Adoption Machine

    Sep 13, 2024 Yi Fuxian welcomes the government's apparent recognition that a severe demographic crisis looms.

  5. The Rise and Coming Fall of Chinese Manufacturing
    yi14_STRAFP via Getty Images_chinamanufacturing STR/AFP via Getty Images

    The Rise and Coming Fall of Chinese Manufacturing

    Aug 28, 2024 Yi Fuxian identifies four factors that will cripple a sector that long propelled the economy's growth and development.

  1. rogoff259_Kayla BartkowskiGettyImages_javier_milei Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

    What Trump 2.0 Means for Africa and Latin America

    Kenneth Rogoff

    US President Donald Trump’s decision to shut down USAID will deal a severe blow to African countries, weakening public-health systems and eroding American credibility. But Trump’s return could trigger a long-overdue rightward shift in Latin America after decades of failed socialist experiments.

    highlights the far-reaching implications of the new administration’s move to slash foreign-aid funding.
  2. madgavkar21_Picture AllianceGettyImages_demographic_crisis Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    Emerging Economies Must Get Rich Before They Get Old

    Anu Madgavkar & Marc Canal Noguer recommend policies that would mitigate the impact of increased longevity and declining birth rates.
  3. coyle42_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_muskchainsaw Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    Musk and DOGE Are Doing It Wrong

    Diane Coyle highlights the fundamental flaw in the Trump administration’s push to cut red tape and curb wasteful spending.
  4. buruma224_WPA PoolGettyImages_europe_summit WPA Pool/Getty Images

    Who Will Lead the Democratic World?

    Ian Buruma thinks the onus of defending our political freedoms will be on two countries that once tried to destroy them.
  5. blanquer1_Leonardo CendamoGetty Images_boualemsansal Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images

    The World Must Rally Around Algeria’s Hunger Artist

    Jean-Michel Blanquer calls for global solidarity with the writer Boualem Sansal, unjustly detained and dying for freedom.
  6. marin30_Hu XiaofeiVCG via Getty Images_carproductionrobots Hu Xiaofei/VCG via Getty Images

    The End of Globalization as We Know It

    Dalia Marin examines how rising uncertainty and progress on automation have changed firms' views on global value chains.
  7. lachman2_Nur PhotoGettyImages_euros Nur Photo/Getty Images

    Will Trump Trigger a Eurozone Debt Crisis?

    Desmond Lachman hopes the US president recognizes that his proposed tariffs could quickly blow back on the US.
  8. klee24_Andry DenisahSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_indonesianickel Andry Denisah/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Indonesia’s Incomplete Industrial Strategy

    Keun Lee & Marco Kamiya point out that, for emerging and developing economies, attracting foreign direct investment is not enough.
  9. kosenko4_Justin TallisGettyImages_zelensky_starmer_macron Justin Tallis/Getty Images

    Europe’s Powerful Tool Against Russia

    Andrew Kosenko & Joseph E. Stiglitz

    If European leaders want to follow through on their statements in support of Ukraine following America’s betrayal of the country, they must seize the moment by seizing Russia’s assets. Europe has become the world’s bulwark against the rising tide of authoritarianism, and it can no longer afford to hide behind legalistic excuses.

    urge European governments to seize the $220 billion of Russian assets frozen in their jurisdictions.

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