Skip to main content

Ma Jian

Ma Jian

12 commentaries

Ma Jian is the author of the novels Beijing Coma, The Noodle-Maker, and The Dark Road. He is currently a visiting fellow at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Berlin.

Sort by: Show:
  1. A Life Lived in Truth
    Liu Xiaobo Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images

    A Life Lived in Truth

    Jul 21, 2017 Ma Jian examines the work and legacy of his friend and fellow dissident, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.

  2. A Son of the Cultural Revolution
    ma11_Ben_Pruchnie Getty Images Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

    A Son of the Cultural Revolution

    May 10, 2016 Ma Jian draws chilling parallels between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong.

  3. Bo Xilai Between the Dragon and His Wrath
    pa3963c.jpg Paul Lachine

    Bo Xilai Between the Dragon and His Wrath

    Aug 7, 2013 Ma Jian

  4. China’s Show Trial of the Century
    ma9_Feng LiGetty Images_gu kailai Feng Li/Getty Images

    China’s Show Trial of the Century

    Aug 20, 2012 Ma Jian sees the Bo Xilai/Gu Kailai affair as evidence of a fractured Chinese leadership.

  5. Britain’s Cultural Kowtow
    2fe3180246f86f6c0d039800_jo4000c.jpg

    Britain’s Cultural Kowtow

    Apr 12, 2012 Ma Jian

  1. Anadolu/Getty Images

    Democracy Needs Workers

    Bartosz M. Rydliński urges center-left parties in the West to reconnect with voters who increasingly support far-right populists.
  2. op_acemoglu6_Getty Images_AI Getty Images
    Free to read

    The World Needs a Pro-Human AI Agenda

    Daron Acemoglu

    Judging by the current paradigm in the technology industry, we cannot rule out the worst of all possible worlds: none of the transformative potential of AI, but all of the labor displacement, misinformation, and manipulation. But it’s not too late to change course.

    fears that the tech industry’s current priorities will result in the worst of all possible worlds.
  3. fofack30_ Andrew BurtonGetty Images_trump Andrew Burton/Getty Images

    Big Money Beat Bigger Money in the US Election

    Hippolyte Fofack warns that the ultra-rich are corroding US democracy, even if they can’t always spend their way to power.
  4. rogoff256_Sean GallupGetty Images_brandenburg airport Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Europe’s Economy Is Stalling Out

    Kenneth Rogoff explains why the EU’s long-term economic slump is not likely to end anytime soon.
  5. agar8_Heritage Images GettyImages_retrofuturism Heritage Images/Getty Images

    The Techno-Realist Manifesto

    Nicholas Agar & Stuart Whatley question the widespread belief that all our biggest problems will soon succumb to engineered solutions.
  6. sierakowski113_Sean GallupGetty Images)_merkel Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Has Angela Merkel No Shame?

    Sławomir Sierakowski marvels at the former German chancellor’s denial of her own role in Europe’s current malaise.
  7. james224_Francis LochonGettyImages_ussr_dolls Francis Lochon/Getty Images

    Is America the Next Soviet Union?

    Harold James sees parallels between the United States’ political dysfunction and that of its twentieth-century adversary.
  8. haass174_Mohammad AbushamaAnadolu via Getty Images_ceasefire Mohammad Abushama/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A New Chance for the Middle East

    Richard Haass sees hope for long-term ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza if political leaders recognize their own interests.
  9. naim1_MirrorpixGettyImages_harold_macmillan_resignation Mirrorpix/Getty Images

    The Unpleasant Surprises That Await Trump

    Moisés Naím thinks the US president-elect – and his voters – are in for a rude domestic and international awakening.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.