James Chau (Chinese: 周柳建成١-.. Zhōuliǔ Jiànchéng[citation needed]; born 11 December 1977)[1] is a British journalist, television presenter, and United Nations goodwill ambassador. He previously anchored the main evening news on state-owned China Central Television (CCTV).[2] In 2009, he was appointed by the United Nations as China's first UNAIDS goodwill ambassador.[3] He wrote a newspaper column for the Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times.[4] His appointment as goodwill ambassador to the World Health Organization attracted attention due to his role in presenting forced confessions while working for Chinese state-run broadcaster CGTN.[2][5]
Early life and education
editChau is from West London.[6] His father was born in Hong Kong, while his mother is from Sumatra, Indonesia.[7] Chau attended the City of London School.[8] He also took piano lessons at the Royal Academy of Music. At age 16, Chau got into a car accident and was hospitalised, after which he quit piano.[6] He went on to study at King's College London and St Edmund's College, Cambridge, where he was Varsity News Features Editor.[9]
Career
editTelevision
editAfter graduating from Cambridge, and interning at Vogue and Mirror Group Newspapers,[10] he moved to Hong Kong for his first newsroom position. From 2001 he was a reporter and later an anchor at TVB Pearl.[11] Chau joined China Central Television in 2004,[12] where he featured as a main presenter on the 24-hour CCTV News English-language station. Since April 2010, he also co-fronted the channel's flagship China 24 show.[13]
UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador
editIn August 2009, the United Nations announced his appointment as its first UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador on the Chinese Mainland.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "About". James Chau. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ a b "WHO reviews China-based news anchor's global ambassador role". Financial Times. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Partnerships Department". Unaids.org. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "Ethics complaint to World Health Organization (WHO)" (PDF). Safeguard Defenders. 26 February 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ Nuttall, Jeremy (29 May 2020). "He says Chinese authorities forced a confession out of him. Now he wants the WHO to fire the man who presented it on TV". Toronto Star. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b Wall, Jon (2 January 2020). "Broadcaster James Chau on His Dual Identity and Self Discovery". Prestige. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "I Am Broadcasting From China - All about China | Radio86.com". Lt.radio86.com. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ [1] Archived 5 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "CCTV reporter James Chau in UN Millennium summit – Interview Video". Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "SH Magazine: Shanghai restaurants, events and nightlife | SH Magazine Online". Shmag.cn. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "CCTV-English Channel-James Chau". Cctv.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "jameschau2004". 8 June 2006. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "China Central Television". English.cntv.cn. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- ^ "CCTV news anchor James Chau nominated "UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador" CCTV-International". Cctv.com. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2011.