[2] Williams became enamored with learning about and watching Chinese films, including “Farewell My Concubine,” directed by Chen Kaige.

[3] Williams obtained a bachelor's degree in Chinese language studies and Asian history from the Australian National University.

[7] Williams next worked as a war correspondent in conflict areas in Iraq,[5][8] Yemen,[9] Pakistan, Afghanistan, Gaza, Syria and Libya.

[10] She also reported from the conflict area in the Donbas region of Ukraine in the trenches in the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels.

[12] On 12 March 2017, 60 Minutes broadcast two segments Williams produced centered around a series of interviews she conducted with Mohamedou Slahi.

She visited eastern Ukraine to report on the war zone, where she was accompanied by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Williams and colleague Andrew Portch received the 2012 Polk Award for coverage of Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese human rights activist.