Derek Cai

Journalist | Writer | Video producer

Singapore

I'm the Wall Street Journal's Senior Video Journalist covering international news, breaking stories, and features from the Journal's Singapore bureau.

Previously with BBC News, also in Singapore, where I worked for five years, with experience across multiple desks. I have produced and reported from the gallery and in the field, including a stint in Kyiv and Odesa covering the Ukraine war. I have produced daily bulletins as well as long-form programs. I have also worked on the BBC's digital desk, writing stories for the website where I reported on international relations, politics, and general news stories from Asia.

I have experience in print, broadcast, and digital. My previous works have appeared on The Associated Press, China Global TV Network (CGTN), Tech in Asia, and Mashable. I was also formerly an associate news producer and reporter with NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation.

I'm adept at writing short and clean text and can shoot and edit video stories. I cover everything from business to general news in Asia. I enjoy features reporting and have a special interest in covering international relations, the economy, and especially so when there's a degree of pop-culture influence.

I have a Master's Degree in International Relations from S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Contact: derekcaiyiwei@gmail.com

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The Wall Street Journal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTaXzHc5N3I
WSJ
04/17/2024
U.S. Races to Secure Taiwan’s AI Chips as Fears of China Invasion Loom

Nvidia’s H100 chips are crucial to technology, from their use in smartphones to training complex AI chatbots. But Nvidia outsources their production to one company in Taiwan: the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC. With China threatening to use force to take Taiwan if necessary, the U.S. is worried about a devastating impact on TSMC, which is at the heart of the AI revolution.

BBC

BBC News
03/09/2023
Oscars 2023: Michelle Yeoh eyes a victory for 'unseen' Asian communities

"Is it that I can't be here or that I'm not allowed to be here?" Jobu-Joy asks in the hit film Everything Everywhere All at Once. The wry, subversive question from the film's antagonist - who is hellbent on ending the world in which she feels unwelcome - sums up actress Michelle Yeoh's Hollywood journey.

https://youtu.be/mWnyfDQXdII
BBC News
05/18/2023
Singapore's urban wildlife

Singapore, which is less than half the size of London, has a population of nearly 6 million people, but that number is rising by more than 3 percent every year. There’s a big push to develop more housing, and quickly. But one major consequence of converting forests into residential highrises is that it has pushed the wildlife out of their natural habitat. That's a tricky balancing act that Singapore is grappling with.

https://youtu.be/5vQD3590q3E
BBC News
12/26/2022
Singapore 377A gay sex law: Gay men respond to repeal

In Singapore, the recent repeal of a colonial -era law, which criminalises sex between gay men, has been welcomed by many in the LGBTQ community. But at the same time, the government has legally defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, a move it says reflects the conservative social values in the city state. Two generations of gay men tell the BBC about their mixed feelings, and how they plan to continue to push for marriage equality.

https://youtu.be/PD3rASWt4Xc
BBC News
09/28/2022
Urban planners face unique challenges in Singapore over remote work arrangements

Remote work has become more common in Singapore post-Covid. It's high on the list for many young job applicants. But the great work-from-home experiment is still in its try-out period. Will it be permanent? Will we go back to the office? Will it be a combination of both? That uncertainty is a unique challenge for urban planners in the small city-state who are tasked to look decades ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFYSj5jpOY8
BBC News
07/21/2022
Singapore's electric dream

Soaring fuel prices coupled with a more environmentally conscious population has made electric cars more attractive in Singapore. But it's very expensive to buy a car in the country, even more for an electric one. EV infrastructure in the city is also lacking, and it may take a while for it to iron out, especially with the global supply chain still clogged up.

BBC News
06/02/2022
Chicken rice: Why Singapore's much-loved dish is under threat

Rachel Chong loves chicken rice so much she eats it three times a week. "It is number one on my list. It's comfort food [and] it's easily accessible," she says. A standard order at Ah Keat Chicken Rice, a stall where she eats, costs S$4 ($2.90; £2.30).

BBC News
03/22/2022
Southeast Asia feels economic pinch of Ukraine war

By Monica Miller & Derek Cai BBC News, Singapore Jia Ruiying moved to Singapore more than two years ago to set up a business. Then the Covid pandemic hit. Now - as the owner of the country's only Russian supermarket - she is facing a whole other set of challenges.

BBC News
02/03/2022
How Covid brought new roles for theatre actors

One sector that has battled to keep the show on the road during the pandemic has been the theatre industry, partly because it's hard to translate the drama of stage plays to an online platform. However, one production company in Singapore has found an innovative way to put itself back in the spotlight.

BBC News
10/12/2021
The men going to military jail for their faith

Yeo Zheng Ye grew up in Singapore knowing he would have to go to jail. A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses church, his beliefs prevent him from bearing weapons and from joining any organisations intended for war. So at age 20, he refused to attend mandatory military service, and was sent to prison for being a conscientious objector.

BBC News
09/16/2021
'Looking back, it was an amazing thing I did'

Akiko Naka is the boss of Wantedly, a recruiter in Japan which aims to match jobseekers with companies based on their passions and values, with less emphasis on top salaries. She says Japan's centuries-old rigid work and hiring culture is finally changing, driven by younger workers who want something different.

BBC News
09/03/2021
'You will never be a CEO'

After time spent in Silicon Valley, Gillian Tee founded her first company in New York at the tender age of 28. She eventually returned home to Singapore and started Homage, a business to match healthcare workers with seniors and their families who need help.

BBC News
08/24/2021
Tokyo 2020: The Games with a record number of LGBTQ athletes

Just over 60 years ago, the first Paralympics took place, with a mission to be an inclusive sporting event for those with disabilities. And with the Games underway in Tokyo, they are on track to become even more inclusive, with at least 28 openly LGBTQ athletes competing - a record number.

BBC News
07/02/2021
The cat with more than 50,000 social followers

Pet influencers are on the rise thanks to a surge in animal adoptions during the pandemic. In the US, pets who endorse everything from e-commerce to clothing brands, are part of a $100bn market, but Asia could very well be the next big destination for these furry influencers.

https://youtu.be/fY6kTFdKIdI
BBC News
01/04/2021
Asia Sneakerheads

Sneakers – you can wear them, but for certain shoes, you might be better off selling them. Asia is just one area where there’s growing interest in the casual shoes trading business – so much so that at least one teenager has managed to turn it into a profitable business venture.

BBC News
10/06/2020
Can China's Golden Week still shine brightly?

The annual Golden Week holiday is dubbed "the world's largest human migration" as it usually sees millions of Chinese tourists travelling internationally. China accounts for almost one-fifth of the world's international tourism according the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. But this year, the pandemic has made international travel nearly impossible.

BBC News
08/15/2020
Virtual concerts during a pandemic

The coronavirus has impacted a lot of businesses in the entertainment industry. Cinemas have to close. Clubs can't stay open. And live concerts can't take pl...

BBC News
10/28/2019
Old gold: An enduring love of a humble fish in Japanese art

20 years ago, Riusuke Fukahori had left art college and was feeling restless and uninspired. Sat in his room at Nagoya, he contemplated giving up his artistic career. But suddenly a revelation came to him from the unlikeliest of sources: his goldfish.

The Associated Press (AP)

AP News
'Crazy Rich Asians' director hints at sequel

At the film's premiere in Singapore, "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu says he's "ecstatic" about the reponse to his movie, which is at No. 1 at the U.S. box office, and adds he's

AP News
Aung San Suu Kyi defends policies toward Rohingya Muslims

SINGAPORE (AP) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday defended her government's actions in Rakhine state, where about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from a brutal counterinsurgency campaign to neighboring Bangladesh. She said terrorism, not social discrimination or inequality, triggered the crisis.

AP News
'Crazy Rich Asians' hoopla elicits mixed feelings in Asia

SINGAPORE (AP) - The craze for "Crazy Rich Asians" is hitting Asia, with a premiere in Singapore followed by openings in several neighboring countries later this week. Much of the over-the-top romantic comedy was set in this wealthy city-state.

China Global TV Network (CGTN)

CGTN News - China Global TV Network
02/15/2019
[Byline] Data leak in Singapore shines spotlight on HIV awareness

When news broke that a leak of HIV patient data in Singapore had occurred, Laurindo Garcia sprang into action almost immediately. He reached out to Action for Aids (AFA), an NGO that serves the local community most affected by HIV, and offered help.

CGTN News - China Global TV Network
[Byline] RCEP negotiations move ahead, challenges remain

Substantial progress in negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has been made, with seven chapters out of the 18 concluded, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday.

NHK World News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVOSj8-GUeo
NHK World
Hot water, hot trend

The first spa with an authentic Japanese-style public bath has just opened in Singapore. Tourists from other parts of Asia have been flocking to Japan in recent years, and Singaporeans are especially frequent visitors. The new spa lets them soak up Japanese culture without getting on a plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Iepo4VwHM
NHK World
Ceramic talent in Singapore

Singapore is renowned as a major Southeast Asian financial hub. But there's a flourishing art scene as well, and an exhibition of works by a charismatic ceramist is underway in the country. The National Gallery Singapore, one of Southeast Asia's largest museums, is showcasing the exhibition as part of government efforts to promote local art.

NHK WORLD
[Produced, Reported] Singapore Targets Greater Efficiency - NHK WORLD

As one of Asia's largest financial centers, Singapore is attracting many fintech companies. It may not be a household term, but "fintech" could make a big difference in your life. It's short for financial technology, and it's changing how many do business. A recent business fair served as a showcase for fintech devices.

NHK WORLD
[Produced] North Korean Suspect Released - NHK WORLD

Ri Jong Chol, a North Korean suspect in the killing of Kim Jong Nam, has been released from custody and is set to be deported for being in Malaysia illegally. There was a media frenzy as Ri left the police station on Friday morning.

Tech in Asia

Tech in Asia
09/27/2018
Google unveils stealth app to help Bangladeshis find jobs

A team from Google's Area 120 startup incubator announced on Thursday that it has been working quietly behind the scenes on a new app. Called Kormo, the app helps people in Bangladesh find jobs. "The team is now ready to come out of stealth mode," said Bickey Russell, who formerly headed a team in Google's marketing solutions department.

Tech in Asia
04/20/2018
With funding from a Tencent founder, he's simplifying cross-border money transfer

Calvin Goh was working as a business consultant in Europe when he started seeing a pattern: clients were turning to him for remittance advice. Back then, existing cross-border money transfer solutions were wanting. And so the seeds were sown for a business idea that would eventually connect him with Jason Zeng, co-founder of Chinese internet titan Tencent.