James Chau

{{Short description|British journalist and television presenter in China (born 1977)}}

James Chau (Chinese: 周柳建成١-.. Zhōuliǔ Jiànchéng{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}; born 11 December 1977){{cite web |url=http://www.james-chau.com/about/ |title=About |publisher=James Chau |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202045214/http://www.james-chau.com/about/ |archive-date=2 February 2012 |url-status=dead }} 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). In 2009, he was appointed by the United Nations as China's first UNAIDS goodwill ambassador.{{cite web|url=http://www.unaids.org/en/Partnerships/Advocacy+partners/SpecRep/UNAIDS_National_Goodwill_Amb_JamesChau.asp |title=Partnerships Department |publisher=Unaids.org |access-date=25 October 2011}} He wrote a newspaper column for the Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times.{{Cite web|date=February 26, 2020|title=Ethics complaint to World Health Organization (WHO)|url=https://safeguarddefenders.com/sites/default/files/James%20Chau%20Ethics%20complaint.pdf|website=Safeguard Defenders|access-date=29 April 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119104134/https://safeguarddefenders.com/sites/default/files/James%20Chau%20Ethics%20complaint.pdf|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite news|date=May 28, 2020|title=WHO reviews China-based news anchor's global ambassador role|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/0ec81a70-b121-434f-9533-7e7fa0a3fdb8|access-date=28 May 2020}}{{Cite news|last=Nuttall|first=Jeremy|date=29 May 2020|title=He says Chinese authorities forced a confession out of him. Now he wants the WHO to fire the man who presented it on TV|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/05/29/he-says-chinese-authorities-forced-a-confession-out-of-him-now-he-wants-the-who-to-fire-the-man-who-presented-it-on-tv.html|access-date=31 May 2020}}

Early life and education

Chau is from West London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/people/broadcaster-james-chau-on-his-dual-identity-and-self-discovery/|title=Broadcaster James Chau on His Dual Identity and Self Discovery|work=Prestige|first=Jon|last=Wall|date=2 January 2020|accessdate=9 February 2025}} His father was born in Hong Kong, while his mother is from Sumatra, Indonesia.{{cite web |url=http://lt.radio86.com/node/27793 |title=I Am Broadcasting From China - All about China | Radio86.com |publisher=Lt.radio86.com |date=19 October 2011 |access-date=25 October 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Chau attended the City of London School.[http://jcc.org.uk/members-news/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905220813/http://jcc.org.uk/members-news/|date=5 September 2009}} 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. He went on to study at King's College London and St Edmund's College, Cambridge, where he was Varsity News Features Editor.{{cite web |url=http://english.cntv.cn/reporter/james/un/index.shtml |title=CCTV reporter James Chau in UN Millennium summit – Interview Video |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023131917/http://english.cntv.cn/reporter/james/un/index.shtml |archive-date=23 October 2011 |url-status=live }}

Career

= Television =

After graduating from Cambridge, and interning at Vogue and Mirror Group Newspapers,{{cite web|title=SH Magazine: Shanghai restaurants, events and nightlife | SH Magazine Online|url=http://www.shmag.cn/feature/first_person_james_chau|publisher=Shmag.cn|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190339/http://www.shmag.cn/feature/first_person_james_chau|archive-date=3 March 2016|access-date=25 October 2011}} he moved to Hong Kong for his first newsroom position. From 2001 he was a reporter and later an anchor at TVB Pearl.{{cite web |url=http://www.cctv.com/english/special/C12203/01/index.shtml |title=CCTV-English Channel-James Chau |publisher=Cctv.com |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826210129/http://www.cctv.com/english/special/C12203/01/index.shtml |archive-date=26 August 2011 |url-status=live }} Chau joined China Central Television in 2004,{{cite web|title=jameschau2004|url=http://sites.google.com/site/jameschau2004/|date=8 June 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309183704/https://sites.google.com/site/jameschau2004/|archive-date=9 March 2014|access-date=25 October 2011}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/01/index.shtml |title=China Central Television |publisher=English.cntv.cn |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104075223/http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/01/index.shtml |archive-date=4 November 2011 |url-status=live }}

= UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador =

In August 2009, the United Nations announced his appointment as its first UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador on the Chinese Mainland.{{cite web |url=http://www.cctv.com/english/special/excl/20090814/110009.shtml |title=CCTV news anchor James Chau nominated "UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador" CCTV-International |publisher=Cctv.com |date=14 August 2009 |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201043501/http://www.cctv.com/english/special/excl/20090814/110009.shtml |archive-date=1 February 2012 |url-status=live }}

References

External links

[http://www.james-chau.com Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202183024/http://james-chau.com/ |date=2 February 2011 }}

Category:Living people

Category:1977 births

Category:Alumni of King's College London

Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge

Category:British expatriates in China

Category:British HIV/AIDS activists

Category:China Central Television

Category:Chinese columnists

Category:English people of Hong Kong descent

Category:English people of Indonesian descent

Category:Journalists from London

Category:People educated at the City of London School