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Publications by Thorsten Benner
All Issue Areas
Global Order
Humanitarian Action
Migration
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Commentary 10 Jan 2022
Verteidiger von Zwangsarbeit? Wie deutsche CEOs in der Chinapolitik kommunikative Eigentore schießen
"Siemens defends slave labor (again)" was on the cover of last week's "Spectator". This headline is an object lesson in what is wrong with some German CEOs' position on China. What happened?… -
Commentary 30 Dec 2021
Seven Lessons From the German 5G Debate
That German parliamentarians asserted themselves against pro-Huawei lobbyists and decision-makers in the executive branch is the most uplifting part of the German 5G saga. Now parliament should also work to ensure that Germany learns the other key lessons from its debate on who should be allowed to provide technology for critical infrastructure.… -
Commentary 10 Nov 2021
How Germany Can Help Ensure Peace in the Taiwan Strait
Germany's next government should courageously invest in relations with Taiwan, out of economic and political self-interest. In doing so, Berlin and Europe can actively contribute to a non-military deterrence of Beijing's increasingly aggressive stance in the region.… -
Commentary 09 Nov 2021
Europe Is Doubling Down on Taiwan
The European Parliament and some member states are driving a major shift in Europe's Taiwan policy – a direct reaction to Beijing’s increasingly confrontational stance. But for the new Brussels consensus to effectively deter Chinese aggression, the EU needs to move in lockstep.… -
Commentary 28 Oct 2021
Deutschland muss Peking in Taiwan die Stirn bieten
Peking erhöht den Druck auf deutsche Akteure, die Ein-China-Politik umzudeuten. Deutschland muss sich zur Unabhängigkeit Taiwans positionieren – und wenn nötig wirtschaftliche Druckmittel einsetzen.… -
Article 27 Oct 2021
How (Not) to Deal with the Vulnerabilities of Democracies to Outside Influence
In recent years, authoritarian states like China and Russia have used their power to influence democracies. What can democratic actors do to better protect themselves? … -
Commentary 10 Sep 2021
Germany’s Acid Test: Systemic Competition
To compete against systemic rivals like China, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s successor will need to be more ambitious in strengthening the German model. How could that look?… -
Commentary 08 Sep 2021
The ‘Zoomification’ of Academia: Addressing Risks to Academic Freedom
The pandemic made online learning a key part of university life. But virtual platforms also allow for surveillance by authoritarian states and increase pressures to self-censor. How can academia better protect scholars and students?… -
Commentary 01 Sep 2021
Mit Fragezeichen im Systemwettbewerb
Angela Merkel versprach einst eine „neue Gründerzeit“. Die muss ihren Nachfolgern nun gelingen, damit Deutschland gegen Autokratien wie China bestehen kann.… -
Commentary 17 Aug 2021
Wissenschaft, Medien und Politik schaden sich in der Corona-Krise gegenseitig
Corona zeigt, wie schwierig das Verhältnis von Wissenschaft, Politik und Medien sein kann. Ein Plädoyer gegen eine weitere Polarisierung der Debatte.… -
Commentary 05 Aug 2021
Pitfalls Between Science, Politics and Public Debate: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers with dissenting opinions are often classified as an irrelevant minority. But those who deny the real diversity of scientific opinion undermine trust in science – and in politics.… -
Commentary 26 Jul 2021
Die Untergangsängste der Kanzlerin
Ja, es geht auch um deutsche Wirtschaftsinteressen. Doch der wahre Grund für Merkels zurückhaltende China-Politik ist ein anderer: Sie hält Deutschland und das fragile Gebilde Europa für zu schwach im Wettbewerb mit China.… -
Commentary 14 Jul 2021
The Undeniable Pessimism of Angela Merkel’s Worldview
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy on China is defined by a doom-and-gloom mentality about Europe’s trajectory of power. If Berlin's new government wants to change course, it'll need a psychological shift.… -
Commentary 22 Jun 2021
Will I Return to China?
Darker days lie ahead for foreign researchers working in China. To counteract Beijing’s repression, democracies should invest in independent research on China under more difficult conditions.… -
Commentary 11 May 2021
Warum ich nicht mehr nach China reise
China setzt deutsche Wissenschaftler unter Druck, das Kanzleramt schweigt. Thorsten Benner erklärt hier, warum er Reisen nach China meidet.… -
Commentary 05 May 2021
„Die gewünschte Schockwirkung erzielen“
In der Corona-Krise werden Forscher mit abweichenden Meinungen gern als irrelevante Minderheit klassifiziert. Doch wer die tatsächliche Vielfalt des wissenschaftlichen Meinungsspektrums leugnet, untergräbt das Vertrauen in die Wissenschaft – und in die Politik.… -
Commentary 23 Apr 2021
German Greens’ Reality Check
It is hard to imagine that Germany's next coalition government will not include the Greens. But on foreign and security policy, such a government will likely frustrate Germany's NATO allies.… -
Commentary 25 Feb 2021
Lehren aus der 5G-Saga
Trotz jahrelangem Hin und Her hat Deutschland immer noch keinen verlässlichen gesetzlichen Rahmen für den Ausbau des 5G-Netzes verabschiedet. Was können wir von der deutschen 5G-Saga lernen?… -
Commentary 15 Feb 2021
Multilateralism Needs Democracy
Germany should put collaboration among democracies at the heart of the Alliance for Multilateralism. But doing so will require a commitment to credibility, solidarity and working with partners outside the 'old West'.… -
Commentary 18 Dec 2020
Why Good China Policy Is About More Than Just Relations With Beijing
If it wants to persist in the “competition of systems” with China's authoritarian state capitalism, Europe needs to assert itself as a player in its own right – with its own strategy. A key element of that should be cooperation with like-minded partners.…