16/03/2026
Hey all, a friend of mine has started a new article series on City News Service. If you have a minute, it’d be great if you could give the first one a read.
He’s curious whether people actually find these kinds of stories interesting, so comments are especially welcome.
And if you think any of your British friends might enjoy it, feel free to pass it along.
[Shanghai CG] UK's Matt Burney – 2 Decades of Change in China
by Jacob Aldaco
Author's Note: Other media outlets tend to produce foreign consul and diplomat content that reads like a press release. Heavily scripted, diplomatically sterile, and structured around talking points about bilateral cooperation. The result is usually something nobody actually wants to read. You've seen the template: dignitary praises city, mentions mutual benefits, photo op, done.
We didn't want to replicate that template. We wanted to produce something that feels more like an actual conversation between two people who are genuinely interested in what they're talking about. We hope we accomplished this.
We are proud to start this series off with Matt Burney, who more than anything, gave us time to have a conversation. The result: the privilege of talking to a diplomat who feels like a neighbor. Someone who eats noodles in jogging bottoms, has seen cities transform, can't cook, and taught himself Grade 8 piano to stay sane. He also happens to manage one of the largest British diplomatic missions in the world.
Full Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hp06Q3MI6HvMafhZRvtDrQ
![[Shanghai CG] UK's Matt Burney – 2 Decades of Change in Chinaby Jacob AldacoAuthor's Note: Other media outlets tend to p...](https://img5.evepla.com/368/087/1384915663680871.jpg)
