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Chris Patten

Chris Patten

Writing for PS since 2000
164 commentaries
3 videos & podcasts

Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong and a former EU commissioner for external affairs, is Chancellor of the University of Oxford and the author of The Hong Kong Diaries (Allen Lane, 2022).

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  1. China Tightens Its Grip on Hong Kong
    patten164_ JUSTIN TALLISAFP via Getty Images_hongkongsecuritylaw Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

    China Tightens Its Grip on Hong Kong

    Mar 29, 2024 Chris Patten condemns the latest attempt by the Communist Party’s puppet government to curb democratic freedoms.

  2. The UK’s Upcoming Election and Its Consequences
    patten163_ LEON NEALPOOLAFP via Getty Images_starmersunak Leon Neal/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    The UK’s Upcoming Election and Its Consequences

    Mar 12, 2024 Chris Patten urges British policymakers to collaborate with their European counterparts on migration, security, and trade.

  3. If Trump Wins, So Will China
    patten162_FRED DUFOURAFP via Getty Images FRED DUFOUR/AFP via Getty Images

    If Trump Wins, So Will China

    Feb 13, 2024 Chris Patten urges Western countries to uphold the principles that have underpinned their success for nearly 80 years.

  4. Another Trump Presidency Is the Biggest Threat to Liberal Democracy
    patten161_ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_trump ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Another Trump Presidency Is the Biggest Threat to Liberal Democracy

    Jan 2, 2024 Chris Patten explains why so many people around the world dread the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election.

  5. The Looming Populist Dystopia
    patten160_ Hoda DavaineDave BenettGetty Images_paul lynch Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images

    The Looming Populist Dystopia

    Dec 5, 2023 Chris Patten says that this year’s Booker Prize-winning novel cuts disturbingly close to home.

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  1. schiffrin10_Mark WilsonGetty Images_journalists Mark Wilson/Getty Images

    Quality Journalism Is More Important than Ever

    Anya Schiffrin, et al. explain how policymakers can support rigorous, objective reporting, just as they provide other public goods.
  2. wei60_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_india population MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images

    Is India’s Economy Overhyped?

    Shang-Jin Wei argues that the country’s rapid development, while undeniable, conceals deeper structural problems.
  3. krake1_Celal GunesAnadolu via Getty Images_spring meetings Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Negotiating a Bigger, Better World Bank

    Michael Krake & Wempi Saputra explain how a new framework will nudge countries to invest in projects that deliver global public goods.
  4. redford1_Getty Images_earth conservation Getty Images

    The Ozone Layer’s Recovery Shows How to Protect the Planet

    Robert Redford & Xiye Bastida highlight the critical role of international cooperation in preserving the planet’s habitability.
  5. kuttab59_AFP via Getty Images_hamas war AFP via Getty Images

    The Middle East Needs a Ceasefire Now

    Daoud Kuttab explains why the latest escalation could lead to a truce instead of an all-out military showdown.
  6. moreiradasilva2_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_internally displaced mozambique JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images

    Overcoming the Development-Project Implementation Gap

    Jorge Moreira da Silva highlights ways to strengthen the International Development Association’s already-powerful impact.
  7. diwan27_ LUIS TATOAFP via Getty Images_kenya green energy LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images

    Developing Countries’ Liquidity Crisis Is Not Over

    Ishac Diwan & Vera Songwe urge global policymakers to prevent mass insolvency and finance urgent climate projects.
  8. rodrik221_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_bidenintel Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    America’s Manufacturing Renaissance Will Create Few Good Jobs

    Dani Rodrik

    Many countries’ recent experiences show that boosting manufacturing employment is like chasing a fast-receding target. Automation and skill-biased technology have made it extremely unlikely that manufacturing can be the labor-absorbing activity it once was, which means that the future of “good jobs” must be created in services.

    shows why policies to boost employment in the twenty-first century ultimately must focus on services.
  9. GettyImages-148081044

    Minxin Pei on China’s economy, surveillance state, repression of dissent, and more

    Minxin Pei doubts China’s government is willing to do what is needed to restore growth, describes the low-tech approaches taken by the country’s vast security apparatus, considers the Chinese social-credit system’s repressive potential, and more.

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