James Chau has lived in Beijing for six years, in Hong Kong for three years and for his first 22 years in London where he was born in December 1977 to parents from Hong Kong and Indonesia. He studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music under Professor Graeme Humphrey and graduated from Cambridge University where he was 'Varsity' News Features Editor.

His news and business programmes are watched in more than 80 countries on China Central Television's English channel, CCTV-9. He also fronts 'World Insight', a current affairs magazine show that brings an in-depth look at the week's main headline stories.

James has reported on location from the United States, the Middle East, Asia and Europe on major breaking news such as the 2004 Tsunami, reaction to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the SARS and bird flu outbreaks and China's entry to the World Trade Organisation. He covered Hu Jintao's debut overseas tour that included the Chinese leader's first White House talks with US President George W. Bush. He was a main morning anchor during the Beijing Games for the official Olympic broadcaster.

He has interviewed Jimmy Choo, Vivienne Tam, Daniel Libeskind, David Tang, Ralph Nader, Lord Snowdon, King Constantine II and Hong Kong's first post-Handover leader, Tung Chee Hwa. In 2008 he sat down with Britain's Prince Edward and filmed a television special on the Great Wall of China with film actress and cancer campaigner, Olivia Newton-John.

On and off screen, James partners with the United Nations in fighting stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and has travelled through India, Thailand and China, visiting anonymous testing centres, counselling services and local communities to listen, learn and to help bring a new awareness. He was amongst 40 health activists named to the inaugural Young Leaders Summit at Google, California and continues his involvement as a working group member of the aids2031 initiative which is supported by the United Nations, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is a Media Leader of the World Economic Forum.

James first appeared on television on a British daytime children's show after auditioning for 'The Last Emperor', directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. In 2004, the 'Beijing Times' featured him as its full page front cover for the Asian Cup Finals edition.

He lives in Beijing and is a Freeman of the City of London.