Simone McCarthy is a Senior China Reporter for CNN International. She covers China’s society, politics and foreign affairs with an emphasis on how Beijing’s growing influence is reshaping the world and its tech transformation is changing its economy. She also leads CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter.

McCarthy has reported for CNN from international summits within China and covered the country’s 2025 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Her reporting has also closely tracked the evolving relationship between Russia and China throughout the war in Ukraine, as well as the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship, between Beijing and Washington.

Before joining CNN in 2022, McCarthy covered China and health security at the South China Morning Post, where she drove coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s response to the outbreak. Prior to this role, she was a contributor to the US-based outlet SupChina, where she wrote feature stories on how technology is reshaping society from Shanghai.

McCarthy is from Martha’s Vineyard in the US. She has a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. She has studied Mandarin Chinese at universities in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.