Featured stories
Films
Over the years, I’ve worked on investigative documentaries as a multimedia reporter, producer, narrator, presenter, translator, fixer and researcher. Following the detention of China’s prominent #MeToo journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin in 2021, I fronted the BBC Eye documentary “China’s Silenced Feminist” investigating her “disappearance.” Watch it on YouTube or BBC iPlayer (UK access) I also executive-produced, reported and narrated the short film “China’s Feminist Fightback,” which explains the country’s dynamic feminist movement. It aired on the Channel 4 News show “Uncovered” on Facebook Watch.
Podcasts
I’m co-host of the NüVoices podcast, a biweekly show featuring interviews with women and gender minorities working on China related topics. Since we launched in Beijing in 2021, the podcast has been downloaded more than 40,000 times. The show is a part of NüVoices collective, a US-based non-profit with chapters across the world including in Britain, where I serve as head of the London chapter. Listen to all our episodes here.
The Guardian
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Financial Times
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BBC
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LA Review of Books
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The Economist
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CNN
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Times Literary Supplement
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WIRED Magazine
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The Guardian • Financial Times • BBC • LA Review of Books • The Economist • CNN • Times Literary Supplement • WIRED Magazine •
Print Portfolio
Can the last bamboo artisans of Hong Kong survive the modern age?
The material is an inescapable part of the city’s landscape and heritage — but its future is precarious
What happened to China’s fake Van Goghs?
Dafen once produced 60 per cent of the world’s new oil paintings — now this village of copyists is under threat
UK law change paves way for Hong Kong extraditions, unnerving exiles
Hong Kong activists in Britain fear reprisals from Beijing and call for more protection.
The Women Who Fought Japan’s Empire
Japanese colonialism is infamous for its brutalization of women, abducted and forced into sex slavery. Less known is women’s role in fighting against the Japanese Empire, brilliantly brought to life in two recent novels.
British government faces claims of capitulation to Beijing after spy trial collapses
Some scholars argue the real problem lies with the UK’s lack of a coherent engagement strategy with China.
‘She didn’t realise how dangerous it was’: London-bound student held in China over Tibet support
Zhang Yadi was due to begin a degree in the UK but the activist vanished on holiday amid tensions over Dalai Lama.
Baby snatchers
Jessie Lau reviews Barbara Demick’s “Daughters of the Bamboo Grove.”
A dystopian film ages into realism
A decade ago, Hong Kong filmmakers asked what their city would look like under Chinese control in 2025. Now, their banned dystopian hit is being brought to Britain on its ten year anniversary, by diaspora artists fighting against censorship.
China’s cyber-abuse scandal: is the government unwilling to crack down on exploitation of women online?
Secretly filmed images of women are spreading online, yet the authorities seem more focused on censorship than punishing the perpetrators, critics say.
In Hong Kong, domestic workers must walk a precarious tightrope. One stumble can be disastrous
Precarious labor conditions and restrictive government policies set domestic workers up to fail, advocates say.
Planning my multicultural wedding was already difficult. Finding a dress was even harder
I wrote about how my wedding dress anxieties became less about the look itself, and more about what it had come to represent—my identity in a mixed-race marriage.
Media start-ups & community events
Communications
I’ve worked on annual reports, research and copywriting projects for think tanks, charities and NGOs such as Media Defence and Limelight Foundation.
“Jessie is someone I would work with again in a heartbeat. She brings strong editorial judgement, excellent writing, and professionalism that make collaborative projects run smoothly. I would warmly recommend her to NGOs, think tanks, foundations, and other mission-driven organisations looking for someone who can develop and deliver thoughtful, high-quality media and copywriting work with care and intelligence.”
