Jonathan Fenby

Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British analyst, author, historian, and journalist.

In terms of his business career, he has served as the Chairperson of the China Team at the research service TSLombard. He was previously a founding partner and managing director of the China service at Trusted Sources an emerging markets research and consultancy firm headquartered in London before it merged with Lombard Street Research in 2016. His investment and strategy research is focused towards policy interpretation, politics and broader political economy including East Asian politics and strategy.

As a writer, he's authored multiple books such as The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved and Chiang Kai-shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost . He's additionally worked at various publications as both an editor and foreign correspondent, examples being The Observer and the South China Morning Post. In 2013, the government of France awarded Fenby the status of a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur for his contributions promoting Anglo-French understanding.

Fenby was educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham and at Westminster School, an independent school for boys in central London, followed by New College at the University of Oxford.

Fenby joined Reuters in 1963, and reported from Europe and Vietnam as well as working as an editor at the head office in London. He was Paris bureau chief from 1968-73 before being appointed as Editor of the agency's World Service in 1973. After leaving Reuters in 1977, he joined The Economist where he was chief correspondent in both Paris and Bonn (1981-86) and wrote three books. He then became home editor of The Independent (at launch 1986–8), and then deputy editor of The Guardian (1988–93), followed by the editorship of The Observer from 1993 to 1995 and then of the South China Morning Post from 1995 to 2000 during the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty.

After returning to London from Hong Kong in 2000, Fenby wrote extensively about China for British and other publications as well as working at various on-line services and as associate editor of the newspaper Sunday Business. In 2006, he was a founding partner at Trusted Sources in charge of the analytical service on China which he visited frequently.

Between 1998 and 2019, he published 17 books, nine on China, four on France and others on the Second World War and the shaping of the world after 1945. He is quoted in press in the UK, US and Far East and broadcasts, as well as speaking at conferences and lecturing at universities and public forums on China.

Fenby was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours List for services to journalism, and was appointed a Knight of the French National Order of Merit in 1997, and then of the French Légion d'honneur. He is an Associate of the London School of Economics (LSE) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS),and is on the advisory board of the financial forum, OMFIF.

His family was brought up in London mostly.

He is married to Renee with whom he has had two children, Sara and Alexander.

They are now grandparents to five grandchildren, Alice, Max, Lola, Kate and Ella.