Jessie Lau is a London-based writer and award-winning journalist from Hong Kong
I’m a writer and journalist telling global stories with an intersectional feminist approach. I’ve spent the past decade covering human rights, politics and culture from Asia, Europe and the United States. My writing and reportage have appeared in The Guardian, LA Review of Books, BBC, Times Literary Supplement, WIRED, The Economist, CNN and many more publications.
I’m founder of New Tide, the UK’s only East and Southeast Asian media network, head of magazine at NüVoices, a non-profit supporting women working on China topics, and contributing editor at Translator, a publication of translated journalism. I was shortlisted for the Philip Hoare Prize for creative non-fiction, and my reporting has been recognised by the World Association of News Publishers. Learn more
Featured stories

Deported to a Country You Can’t Remember
Former child refugee Phoeun You was paroled from California’s San Quentin State Prison in 2021–only to be deported to Cambodia. He’s free, but can’t return to the only home he remembers

I Was a Chinese Protester. Here’s Why I Risked My Freedom
Speaking over an encrypted messaging app, “Zhao” reflected on the demonstrations and the young people powering them

Chinese Students Are At The Forefront Of Anti-Lockdown Protests
Young people in China are finding their political awakening

China's silenced feminist: How Sophia Huang Xueqin went missing
WATCH: BBC Eye investigates the disappearance of Sophia Huang Xueqin, a high-profile journalist who kick-started China’s #MeToo

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?

Facing censorship at home, Chinese feminists are sounding the alarm over Peng Shuai abroad
Amid crackdowns on #MeToo whistleblowers, Chinese feminists in the UK and US are creating communities to fight against sexism and racism

‘Patriots Only’: Hong Kong’s New Election System in Action
Changes to Hong Kong’s election system, as well as the overarching national security law, have all but killed any formal political opposition.

Why tennis star Peng Shuai’s #MeToo allegation is such a threat to China’s leaders
Her accusation exposes systemic sexism and threatens the Communist Party’s legitimacy, Chinese feminists say

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

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.