Jessie Lau is a writer, freelance journalist & editor working across borders
Hi there! I’m a writer and multi-platform journalist from Hong Kong, now based in London. My work has appeared in The Guardian, BBC, Los Angeles Review of Books, CNN, The Economist, WIRED and many others. A generalist with expertise on China and Asia, I’ve spent the past decade covering the intersections of human rights, politics and culture from China, the United States, and Europe. I’m currently editor-in-chief and board member at NüVoices, a non-profit amplifying gender minorities working on China subjects. Commissions and cold calls are welcome.
Selected stories
How a Taiwan influencer raised €140K for a Lithuanian ‘crisis pregnancy centre’
After Lithuania sent COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, Jill Chang inadvertently directed her followers to a controversial ‘crisis pregnancy centre’ in Vilnius
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
Will new Olympics rules exclude or include transgender athletes?
Backlash against transgender and non-binary competitors in Tokyo has highlighted the problems preventing inclusion in sports at all levels
‘The world has become bigger’: fighting for trans rights in Hong Kong
Despite its cosmopolitanism, Hong Kong society still holds conservative views on gender and sexuality. But a new generation is changing this.
Post-National Security Law, Hong Kong Struggles to Remember Tiananmen
For the second year in a row, the customary June 4 vigil has been banned by authorities.
Why Martin Lee’s Arrest Is Such a Worrying Sign
For many, the arrest and conviction of Hong Kong’s “father of democracy” signal a cataclysmic shift in the city’s political climate.
Meet the Hong Kong Sign Language Group Translating Politics and Rights
A grassroots organization is working to boost the deaf community’s ability to take part in Hong Kong’s most important political debates
Myanmar’s Women Are on the Front Lines Against the Junta
Protesters are using the military's fear of women against it
Hong Kong’s Crackdown Moves With Dizzying Speed
The events of the last week spell the end of any formal political opposition in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Police Arrest 53 Pro-Democrats on Subversion Charges
The charges stem from a plan to win a majority in Hong Kong’s legislature and use that power to veto the government’s budget.
Hong Kong's democracy movement was crushed in 2020. But the spirit of resistance survives
Solidarity persists, under the most stringent conditions and amid palpable fear
“Young people feel hopeless”: the Thai protesters revolting against authoritarian rule
The country’s youth-led protests are dividing the nation
Banning WeChat will destroy a lone bridge between the US and China
WeChat is an instrument of censorship and surveillance. But, for Chinese Americans, it was also a way to connect
Who is the real Mulan?
The current film has sparked a fierce fight over Mulan’s soul: what she should represent, both as a symbol for women and for Chinese-ness
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
How Beijing’s new security law is already changing lives
For many Hongkongers, China’s tightening grip is forcing them to ask the question: should I stay or go?
From London I watch the crisis engulfing Hong Kong
Watching from afar as Beijing passes the security law that tightens its grip on the territory, I feel grief and helplessness
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
The Crisis in Wuhan ‘Forced Me to Become Political’
As the city prepares to reopen after two months of lockdown, a resident shares why she’ll never see Chinese society the same way again