Ben Simpfendorfer is Chief China Economist for a major global bank. He was previously Senior China Economist for JPMorgan Chase. He began his career in the Middle East and has lived in Amman, Beirut, and Damascus. He regularly appears on CNBC and Bloomberg, and is quoted by publications such as the Financial Times and The New York Times. He has lived in Hong Kong for nearly a decade, and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Syrian Arabic. His book, The New Silk Road, offers a unique perspective on a rising Arab world and its strengthening relations with China.