Ted Plafker

Ted Plafker is a veteran Beijing commentator who has lived and worked full-time in Beijing as a foreign correspondent since 1989, a far way away from New Jersey, USA, where he was born and raised. Not only fluent in Mandarin, Plafker has varying levels of proficiency in Spanish, French, Swedish and Russian, having earned a degree in Russian studies from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA.

Since 1994, he has been dutifully writing for The Economist and is currently one of the magazine’s two accredited Beijing correspondents. He also writes for numerous publications, such as the South China Morning Post, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune.

Covering Beijing and Mongolia, he concentrates on all aspects of China’s business, trade and economic affairs; internal politics; development; security and international relations and its evolving social and cultural landscape. A leader within his field, he was elected to and served three terms as president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China. In addition to his correspondent duties, in 2007 Plafker authored a book called Doing Business in China: How to Profit in the World’s Fastest Growing Market.

It aims to help readers understand China’s current state and focuses on business ethics and culture, consumer culture, the political and information environment and more. The book draws from his years of living in and writing about China, offering concise and practical guidance to China’s unique business environment. Knowledgeable and practiced, Plafker is your go-to professional for all things Chinese business.