Perkins is a geopolitical and economic analyst specializing in international trade and the Chinese economy. With over two decades of experience in China, his work encompasses research, geopolitical analysis, business intelligence, and journalism, with his analysis published in global outlets and utilized by major international corporations and think tanks.
Early Life and Education
Perkins holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wales, Bangor in History and a Master of Arts in International Multi-Media Journalism from the University of Bolton, which he completed and 2014. His thesis project involved creating a data visualization tool that aggregated over 130 economic indicators pertaining to the Chinese economy. Perkins studied Mandarin Chinese at Xi’an’s Northwest University and Yunnan University in Kunming. He also studied Russian at St Petersburg’s State University of Economics and St Petersburg State University.
Career
Early Career and Journalism
Perkins began his career in media in China, working as an English Language News Editor for Yunnan TV in Kunming from 2003 to 2004, where he was responsible for adapting daily Chinese news broadcasts for an English-speaking audience. He also appeared as a regular guest and commentator on Kunming Radio.
From 2004 to 2006, he served as the East and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Informa while based in Shanghai. In this role, he travelled extensively across the region, covering business stories in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Greater China. His reporting focused on international trade, shipping, infrastructure investment, and financial services for various Informa publications. Perkins was also instrumental in organizing Informa’s Terminal Operations Conference, helping to move the event from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland by negotiating with local officials and managing media coverage.
Business Intelligence and Analysis
As Chief Researcher at Lighthouse China Consulting from 2002 to 2004, he project-managed, researched, and authored market intelligence reports for the Dutch Embassy’s Business Support Office. These reports covered topics such as the maritime equipment market, infrastructure investment, and inter-regional trade between Yunnan and ASEAN nations.
In 2006, Perkins joined Transport Intelligence (Ti) as the Head of the China Practice. Based in Shanghai, he played a key role in establishing its China presence. His responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of project management and quality control for client reports. He conducted direct negotiations with clients and government officials and developed marketing programs focused on the Chinese market.
Perkins founded China Intelligence Online in 2008, a web-based business intelligence and consulting firm he managed until 2013. As Managing Director, he conceived and created the company’s online platform. He project-managed high-value investment reports on sectors including civil and maritime infrastructure, shipping, international trade, and financial services. He also conceived and brought to publication the ‘Cityscape‘ series, comprehensive foreign investment guides focusing on second and third-tier cities in China. During this period, he was a speaker at numerous international conferences, including events in Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as at the Heilongjiang Provincial NDRC conference and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing conference in Guilin.
Since 2014, Perkins has worked as an Economic and Geopolitical Analyst. In this capacity, he is currently Senior Analyst and Editor at Global Economic Indicator, with his work being published in dozens of global publications, including The Atlantic Magazine. In 2020 Perkins was a contributing editor for China’s flagship weekly news magazine Beijing Review.
His Substack blog Global Economic Indicator recently achieved the status of “No. 49 Global Rising” in the category of World News and Politics. His work is frequently featured on the popular economics and finance site The Naked Capitalist. His research has been used by global companies such as Transport Intelligence, Economist Intelligence Unit, Parcel Force, and UPS. As of November 2023, he has been based in Beijing, where he continues to analyse geopolitical and economic trends.