Simon Long, Asia columinst, took up this post, based in Singapore, in August 2010. Before that, he had worked in London for four years, as the magazine's Asia editor, and for four years prior to that as South Asia bureau chief based in Delhi.He joined The Economist in 1995, as South-East Asia correspondent, based in Bangkok. In 1998 he returned to London as finance and economics editor. In 2000 he became the deputy head of Global Agenda, The Economist's updated internet service, before moving to Delhi. He had previously spent nine years with the BBC, as an analyst on East Asian affairs based in London, as Beijing correspondent from 1989-1991, and Hong Kong correspondent from 1993. He wrote extensively for the Guardian newspaper, and many other outlets. He was for a number of years the author of Economist Intelligence Unit country reports on China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.In an earlier career as an investment banker, with Morgan Grenfell, he worked in London and Singapore, rising to the position of senior assistant director, responsible for the banking division's Asian business.