Cindy Yu is a specialist on modern China. A journalist, media commentator and former podcast host, her work focuses on Chinese politics and society, China’s foreign relations and the lives of Chinese diaspora overseas. She is a columnist for The Times, having been Assistant Editor at The Spectator.

Cindy grew up in Nanjing, eastern China, and moved to the UK at the age of 9. She went on to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford. Fluent in English and Mandarin, Cindy gained a Master of Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies.

In a climate of dramatic rhetoric about a new ‘clash of civilisations’, Cindy’s is a voice of caution, counselling against western overreactions to China’s threat, arguing that it is not the omnipotent adversary some paint it as. It faces its own internal strife as it confronts weakening demographics, a broken housing market and the political fragility of a one-man show. Against this background, Cindy argues for a nuanced understanding of China’s power and its intentions.

As well as The Times and The Spectator, Cindy has written for media outlets such as Foreign Policy and The Telegraph, alongside appearing on mainstream news channels such as the BBC Radio 4, RTE and Sky News. She has been a guest on the popular Coleman Hughes podcast and in 2024 spoke about the international influence of TikTok for The Institute of Art and Ideas.