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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. ghosh76_Kristin Palitzapicture alliance via Getty Images_afrigen Kristin Palitza/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The Key to Transforming African Health

    Jayati Ghosh highlights efforts to foster scientific innovation and drug manufacturing on the continent.
  2. op_roach3_ Kevin FrayerGetty Images_china lagging consumption Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    China’s Rebalancing Imperative

    Stephen S. Roach

    The most successful development stories almost always involve major shifts in the sources of economic growth, which in turn allow economies to reinvent themselves out of necessity or by design. In China, the interplay of mounting external pressures, lagging household consumption, and falling productivity will increasingly shape China’s policy choices in the years ahead.

    explains why the Chinese authorities should switch to a consumption- and productivity-led growth model.
  3. castaneda88_GERARDO MENOSCALAFP via Getty Images_latin america safety GERARDO MENOSCAL/AFP via Getty Images

    From Welfare State to Safe State in Latin America

    Jorge G. Castañeda & Carlos Ominami

    Designing a progressive anti-violence strategy that delivers the safety for which a huge share of Latin Americans crave is perhaps the most difficult challenge facing many of the region’s governments. But it is also the most important.

    urge the region’s progressives to start treating security as an essential component of social protection.
  4. ocampo57_Celal GunesAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_imf Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    The Urgency of Sovereign-Debt Restructuring

    José Antonio Ocampo highlights the need for a comprehensive mechanism to deliver relief to low- and middle-income countries.
  5. fischer215_Mostafa AlkharoufAnadolu via Getty Images_tel aviv iran attack Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The Gaza War Goes Global

    Joschka Fischer considers the implications of Iran’s unprecedented decision to launch a direct strike on Israeli territory.
  6. nyirinkindi1_ISAAC KASAMANIAFP via Getty Images_women phone fintech ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images

    Gender-Neutral Fintech Isn’t Working for Women

    Emmanuel Nyirinkindi & Jessica Schnabel show that the industry is not fully delivering on its promise to accelerate financial inclusion.
  7. evans72_Alex WongGetty Images_palestine statehood Alex Wong/Getty Images

    The Urgency of Palestinian Statehood

    Gareth Evans explains why formal international recognition is crucial to ending the intolerable status quo.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

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