Jessie Lau is a writer, freelance journalist, editor & artist
I’m a London-based writer and journalist from Hong Kong with over a decade of media experience. A generalist with expertise on China and Asia, I cover human rights, politics, society and culture from a transnational feminist perspective. My work has appeared in The Guardian, CNN, The Economist, WIRED and many other publications. I also make films: I fronted the BBC Eye documentary “China’s Silenced Feminist” and executive-produced the Channel 4 News film “China’s Feminist Fightback." Formerly based in Beijing and California, I’m now editor-in-chief and board member at NüVoices, a non-profit amplifying gender minorities working on China subjects.
Selected stories
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Hong Kong's embattled gender movement is coming under fire amid Beijing's national security crackdown
With new leader, the future for progressive politics looks more challenging - for feminists in Hong Kong, it was already bleak
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The End Game of China’s Zero-Covid Policy Nightmare
As most of the world decides to live with the virus, China is doubling down on a strategy to crush it. But at what cost?
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How the Chinese Communist Party is policing the past to secure its future
What a “historical nihilism hotline” and a new party resolution tell us about Xi Jinping’s vision for China
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Beijing is having trouble selling its citizens on a partnership with the Taliban
China’s propaganda machinery has been working in overdrive to convince Chinese people that partnering with the Taliban isn’t as problematic as it seems
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“Young people feel hopeless”: the Thai protesters revolting against authoritarian rule
The country’s youth-led protests are dividing the nation
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Why the US-China Rivalry Is Thwarting Transnational Solidarity
The Black Lives Matter and Hong Kong democracy movement can learn a lot from each other
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Why the Taiwanese are thinking more about their identity
Renewed resistance to China and successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic has led Taiwan to re-examine ideas about its identity – and its future
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Hong Kong Is Still Waiting for Its Feminist Uprising
Women and girls in the ongoing protest movement are up against a deeply unequal society
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China’s slow response to coronavirus has shown the weakness of its centralised model
In a system where power is concentrated at the top, local officials are not incentivised to take decisive action
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Hong Kong’s Minorities Face Racism From Police and Protesters
Ethnic tensions are coming to the fore, but many minorities find solidarity with activists
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Hong Kong's Summer of Unrest
Five years after the Umbrella Movement, Hong Kong is once again in the midst of revolution and reclaiming