“Extraordinary” is a label she denies outright. Yet, Dai Qing has had a life of rare opportunity. Raised as the adopted daughter of a top Communist official in China, she enjoyed the privilege of being a “red princess” — never having to worry about food, always assured of a fine education.

But as an adult, she turned away from her upbringing, choosing instead to be an investigative journalist, bent on uncovering the truths other powerful Chinese would rather leave hidden. For International Women’s Day, I sat down with Dai for this portrait, published in Al Jazeera.