Jessie Lau is a writer, freelance journalist, editor & artist
I’m an independent storyteller covering human rights, politics and culture with a transnational feminist perspective. Now based in London, I’ve also spent time in Beijing, California and Hong Kong, where I was born and raised. Over the past decade, my stories have appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, BBC, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, New Statesman, Quartz, The Nation, Mekong Review, openDemocracy, Channel 4 News, CNN and elsewhere.
Selected stories
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
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?
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
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
“Young people feel hopeless”: the Thai protesters revolting against authoritarian rule
The country’s youth-led protests are dividing the nation
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
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
Hong Kong Is Still Waiting for Its Feminist Uprising
Women and girls in the ongoing protest movement are up against a deeply unequal society
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
Hong Kong’s Minorities Face Racism From Police and Protesters
Ethnic tensions are coming to the fore, but many minorities find solidarity with activists
Hong Kong's Summer of Unrest
Five years after the Umbrella Movement, Hong Kong is once again in the midst of revolution and reclaiming