Experience

• 

  South China Morning Post SCMP

  • Hong Kong SAR

  • Senior Asia Correspondent

    • Jun 2020 - Present
    • Hong Kong SAR

    I write news articles, updates, features, analysis and opinion pieces on China's diplomacy, footprints and interactions in the Asian region, especially in Southeast Asia and East Asia, and the evolving strategic, security and geopolitical landscape in the Asia-Pacific region.

• 

  CGTN

  • Beijing City, China

  • International (Asia) Planning Editor

    • Nov 2016 - Apr 2020
    • Beijing City, China

    Program planning for CGTN's daily half-hour flagship program Asia Today, including daily, weekly, medium and long-term planning, as well as planning for special events, series and projects. Apart from reviewing reporters' pitches, I also followed up on the production and editorial process.I offered suggestions on improving work flow, work standard, workforce management, and in helping line producers resolve daily and ongoing editorial, production and technical issues, I also offered editorial and production advice for other shows on the Channel.For several months, I worked with a small team of colleagues on the 2019 CGTN Style Guide. This major update replaced all former guides, and is consulted by all editorial staff in the newsroom. During extremely busy periods, I doubled up as copy editor for the rolling news bulletins. In the final two months before departing the Channel, I also worked on editing and improving TV scripts/standups/live scripts for the domestic reporting team, especially those working on the COVID-19 pandemic.After the Asia Today stint, I was moved to Assignment Asia, an award-winning half-hour current affairs program. Its in-depth reports are driven by strong characters who expose some of the most pressing issues in the region. Apart from following up on editorial and production issues, I also supervised contributions to social media, including serving as Facebook administrator.I conducted a writing workshop for writers and producers on "Common Mistakes in News Writing", and gave periodic feedback, comments and tips for improvement for newsroom staff when they submit their written scripts for review.I also reviewed the standards of Chinese to English translations of Chinese films, documentaries and drama series commissioned by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), and offered numerous tips and suggestions for improvements.

• 

  Channel NewsAsia

  • Beijing

  • East Asia Senior Correspondent

    • Feb 2015 - Dec 2015
    • Beijing

    Covered political, economic and social developments in China, with an extra focus on providing on-air insights and analysis on breaking news and developments.Worked on daily breaking news while producing news features and analysis.

• 

  International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC

  • Beijing

  • East Asia Regional Analyst

    • Dec 2012 - Jan 2015
    • Beijing

    Wrote country reports and situation updates/analysis on potential situations of armed conflicts in China and North Korea, while also keeping close tabs on developments in South Korea and Mongolia.Monitored developments and produced research papers on Chinese foreign relations, international affairs, China-African relations, China-Korean relations, China-Afghanistan relations, and internal and external issues relating to North and South Korea.Monitored and wrote reports on China's domestic and foreign security concerns, including potential sitiuations of armed conflicts along the Chinese-Myanmar border, the influx of North Korean refugees entering China's northeastern regions, China's ethnic problems in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as vulnerable groups and individuals within China.

• 

  Channel NewsAsia

  • Beijing

  • East Asia Bureau Chief

    • Feb 2008 - Nov 2012
    • Beijing

    Covered political, economic and social developments in China, for both English and Chinese news bulletins, current affairs programs, and the dedicated news and current affairs channel, Channel NewsAsia. Worked on daily breaking news while producing news features and occasional documentaries.Besides voicing, stand-ups, live telephone reports/analysis, and live-television reports for the English bulletins, also wrote scripts/features and reported in Chinese. Travelled extensively within China for both breaking and feature stories. Visited Mongolia and North Korea on reporting assignments on various occasions.Wrote a weekly column for Today, a Singapore daily, on contemporary Chinese issues, and offered insights and analysis on developments in China, Greater China, and the Korean Peninsula.

• 

  East-West Center in Washington

  • Washington DC

  • Visiting Southeast Asia Fellow

    • Aug 2010 - Dec 2010
    • Washington DC

    Western debates and discussions surrounding China's soft power efforts in the Asian region are more widely known than the related discourse within China itself. Ms. Maria Wey-Shen Siow presented her research into the debates on soft power among Chinese analysts, academics and commentators. She also gave an update on the progress and development of China's Confucius Institutes worldwide, outlining their hits and misses.

• 

  Channel NewsAsia

  • Beijing

  • China Correspondent / China Bureau Chief

    • Feb 1999 - Jan 2005
    • Beijing

    Covered political, economic and social developments in China, for both English and Chinese news bulletins, current affairs programs, and the dedicated news and current affairs channel, Channel NewsAsia. Worked on daily breaking news while producing news features and occasional documentaries.Besides voicing, stand-ups, live telephone reports/analysis, and live-television reports for the English bulletins, also wrote scripts/features and did stand-ups in Chinese.Notable events covered include the annual National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sittings in March, accompanying Premier Zhu Rongji on his visit to the United States (Los Angeles, Washington, Denver, Chicago, Washington, New York and Boston) in 1999, China's reaction to NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, and China's 50th National Day celebrations.Other notable events : the return of Macau to China, China's entry into the World Trade Organization, China's crackdown on the Falun Gong movement, Beijing's reaction to Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's remarks that cross-straits relations should be seen as "state-to-state relations", newly elected Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's visit to Beijing, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad's visit to Beijing, and the Millennium 2000 celebrations in China.Also: Beijing's reaction to the election of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, China's reaction to being granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations status by the United States, China's successful bid of the 2008 Olympic Games, China's debut in the 2002 World Cup, the 16th Chinese Communist Party Congress, North Korean refugees seeking asylum in China's diplomatic compounds, etc.

• 

  Television Corporation of Singapore

  • Hong Kong Correspondent

    • Jan 1998 - Feb 1999

    Covered social, economic, political and business news in the Special Administrative Region.Notable events include the first Legislative Assembly election since the 1997 handover, chaos at the opening of the new international airport at Chek Lap Kok, how the financial crisis and economic downturn had affected various aspects of life in the SAR, and the unprecedented intervention in the stock market by the SAR government.Also covered the visit by US President Bill Clinton to the SAR, the first anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, as well as conducted an exclusive interview with Donald Tsang, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

  • Senior Broadcast Journalist

    • May 1994 - Dec 1997

    Covered for television national and community issues, parliamentary sittings, select committee hearings, speeches by top politicians, and local politics involving both the ruling and opposition parties. Covered the 1997 General Election and filed stories for both television and radio.Was on the official press corps covering major overseas trips with then Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, deputy prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Tony Tan.Involved in producing political features and outdoor broadcasts for major speeches by top leaders, such as the annual Prime Minister's National Day Rally.Covered the 15th Chinese Communist Party Congress in Beijing in October 1996.

• 

  Singapore Press Holdings

  • Singapore

  • Journalist, The Straits Times

    • May 1992 - May 1994
    • Singapore

    Was one of the first rookies in the paper's history to begin a career at the political desk, and enjoyed a steep learning curve.Covered both national and community issues, and interviewed people from all walks of life – from ministers, members of parliament, prime minister, top civil servants, to blue-collared workers, and men in the street.Closely monitored and reported on issues and trends concerning Singapore's Chinese-speaking community, Chinese clans and business associations.Covered local issues, and closely monitored and reported on developments within the ruling People's Action Party.Wrote news stories, features, columns and analysis.