James Chau is President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) and a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador.
Born in London, he joined CUSEF in 2018, working with its founder The Hon. Tung Chee-hwa before being appointed President in 2023. He also developed the digital initiatives that have become an important part of its outreach and communications.
Mr. Chau serves the United Nations as the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals, appointed by WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan and re-appointed by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Additionally, he is a Member of the UHC Movement Political Panel to accelerate access to quality and affordable healthcare globally. Previously he was a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and the first person in China named to this role.
A long-time television news anchor, he has earned a special reputation for his interviews with world leaders including Nobel Peace Prize laureates: President Jimmy Carter, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and Professor Muhammad Yunus. He has also spoken on camera with a range of leaders in politics, science, and culture including Christine Lagarde, Paul Kagame, Elton John, Jane Goodall, Winnie Mandela, Joko Widodo, and Madam Peng Liyuan.
Mr. Chau studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music and graduated from Cambridge University and King's College London. He completed an Executive Education course at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a recipient of a U.S. National Press Foundation Fellowship. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.