I am the managing director and founder of Silk Road Associates, a strategic consultancy based in Hong Kong. We work with multinationals on their expansion strategies in Asia. My new book, The Rise of the New East (Palgrave, 2014), explores business opportunities and complexities across a fast-changing East. Previously, I was the Chief China economist for RBS and senior China economist for JPMorgan in Hong Kong. I was also Senior Analyst for the Middle East & North Africa for Dun & Bradstreet in London. My languages include Mandarin, Cantonese and Arabic. I started my career in the Middle East, living in Beirut and Damascus, before moving to Hong Kong a decade ago. My previous book, The New Silk Road (Palgrave, 2009), examined commercial ties between China and the Middle East. I also feature regularly on Bloomberg and CNBC.