Alex Smith

Alex Smith is a writer and researcher from Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has a Master of Arts in East Asian Regional Studies from Columbia University. Prior to moving to New York, she worked as an analyst at the New Zealand Treasury, where she focused on justice sector policy and the annual budget.

Latest Posts

Society & Culture

China’s mental health care is improving, but stigma and politics still get in the way

Once deemed a symptom of “wrong” political thinking, mental illness has a fraught history in the People’s Republic. While the last two decades have seen rapid development in mental health care in China, there remain significant problems with stigma from an under-informed public, the government’s preoccupation with political stability, and under-resourcing. As a result, many are unable to access the services they desperately need, while others are forced into unnecessary treatment.

Alex Smith

More Posts

Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting between U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce speaks and with Su Chia-chyuan, President of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan March 27, 2018.
Foreign Affairs

Most Taiwanese view China negatively, favor closer ties to the U.S.

A new report by the Pew Research Center, a public opinion research organization based in Washington D.C., has found that a majority of Taiwanese adults hold negative views of mainland China, and support closer economic and political ties with the United States.

Alex Smith

Society & Culture

China’s poverty-shaming social assistance system and the urgent need for reform

China boasts the largest social assistance system in the world by number of beneficiaries. In theory, this guarantees a basic standard of living for all citizens. Yet invasive income- and asset-testing measures and flawed implementation mean that many eligible citizens never receive full support, and those who do are often left stigmatized and isolated.

Alex Smith

Society & Culture

China’s poverty-shaming social assistance system and the urgent need for reform

China boasts the largest social assistance system in the world by number of beneficiaries. In theory, this guarantees a basic standard of living for all citizens. Yet invasive income- and asset-testing measures and flawed implementation mean that many eligible citizens never receive full support, and those who do are often left stigmatized and isolated.

Alex Smith

Society & Culture

The women leading the world’s COVID-19 responses

While women remain vastly underrepresented in politics and account for a mere 7% of world leaders, the past week has seen wide recognition that a disproportionate number of the countries that have been most successful in containing COVID-19 have female leaders. We take a closer look at these women and why their responses have been so successful.

Alex Smith

Business & Technology

New U.S. restrictions on tech sales to China coming

Photo credit: SupChina illustration by Derek Zheng Last week, the U.S. filed a superseding indictment against Chinese telecom giant Huawei. “The superseding indictment charges Huawei...

Alex Smith