Carl Minzner

Freelance Contributor at Freelance

Professor, Fordham Law School Senior Fellow, China Studies, CFR Author, End of An Era (Oxford, 2018) https://t.co/q2MwW7hPRB Opinions are my own. RT ≠ endorsement

Articles

China’s Industrial Policy Drives Boom in Eldercare Robots

1 week ago | cfr.org | Carl Minzner

Beijing is dramatically pushing eldercare robots as part of its national development plans to promote advanced manufacturing. But it is unclear how effective such policies will be in responding to China’s mounting eldercare needs, particularly in rural China. Central authorities have promoted robotics and technology as part of efforts to reform China’s eldercare services for nearly a decade. Such language featured in State Council opinions issued in both 2016 and 2021.
Beijing's Pro-Natalist Push Continues to Strengthen

2 months ago | flipboard.com | Carl Minzner

10 hours agoDalian, China - November 28, 2024 The man struck the ball with great force, causing it to jump into the air and spin rapidly. It landed on the edge of the table, rolled along for a moment, and then dropped into the pocket. This footage was filmed by Mr. He, in Zhongshan, Dalian, Liaoning, at 04:00, on November 28, 2024.
Syria’s Biggest Problem

Feb 11, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | Carl Minzner |Sheila Smith |Oscar Berry |Jesse Marks

The shocking defeat of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham prompted a groundswell of domestic and international optimism. But already, Syria’s post-Assad future is on a knife’s edge. The obstacles to reconstructing the country are immense. Chief among them is the question of refugees forced from the country during Syria’s decadelong civil war.
Does DOGE Pose a National Security Risk?

Feb 11, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | Carl Minzner |Sheila Smith |Oscar Berry |James Goldgeier

Just a few weeks ago, the greatest threat to U.S. government computer systems seemed to be that hostile foreign powers could break into them and steal data. In late December, Treasury Department officials sent a letter to members of Congress reporting that a Chinese group had hacked their systems and stolen unclassified documents. The department said that it was working with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI to assess the damage.
Marriages in China Crash, Portending Deeper Demographic Woes

Feb 10, 2025 | flipboard.com | Carl Minzner

11 hours agoChina hits back against US tariffsThe trade dispute between the US and China has gone into another round after President Donald Trump recently imposed a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports to the US. It piles on top of already existing levies. Beijing retaliates with punitive measures of its own.
Marriages in China Crash, Portending Deeper Demographic Woes

Feb 10, 2025 | cfr.org | Carl Minzner

Numbers of marriages in China dropped to 6.1 million in 2024, an exceptionally steep fall of 20.5 percent from the prior year. The continuing decline in marriage rates likely presages yet further declines in birth rates, intensifying China’s demographic headwinds. The sharp one-year decline partially reflects unusual circumstances in 2023.
Faced With Rapidly Aging Society, China Releases Long-Term Plans on Dementia and Eldercare Services

Jan 28, 2025 | cfr.org | Carl Minzner

In the past month, Chinese authorities have rolled out two framework documents setting out long-term objectives to improve dementia and eldercare services for China’s rapidly aging population. While both set out a range of laudable goals, it is unclear as to how effective they will be, particularly in responding to the pressing demographic and economic realities facing rural China.
Putin Is Not Yet Desperate

Jan 21, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | James M. Lindsay |Carl Minzner |Kat Duffy |Alexandra Prokopenko

The newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump has promised a swift end to the war in Ukraine. Faced with the unattractive alternative of continuing to fight without the assurance of further U.S. backing, Kyiv and its Western partners are now considering how to secure an acceptable deal with Moscow.
China Has Raised the Cyber Stakes

Jan 21, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | James M. Lindsay |Carl Minzner |Kat Duffy |Adam Segal

Over the last few months, U.S. government officials have revealed details about a sophisticated Chinese cyber-operation called “Salt Typhoon.” The campaign, which U.S. investigators believe is connected to China’s Ministry of State Security, has targeted at least nine telecommunications and infrastructure firms in the United States as well as other targets in dozens of other countries.
Ending War Is Hard to Do

Jan 21, 2025 | foreignaffairs.com | James M. Lindsay |Carl Minzner |Kat Duffy |Gideon Rose

Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are at the top of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda, and many expect the new administration to change American policy in both. It may well try to. But unless Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu play along, Trump could easily find himself shifting back toward the Biden administration’s approach in both theaters—because U.S. interests and geopolitical realities don’t change with the election returns.