Under the theme of “Asia Dialogue: Shifting Trade Order and Regional Solidarity," the forum convened at a moment of unsettled global conditions, from escalating trade frictions and supply chain realignments to intensifying geopolitical rivalries and shifting security balances.

In his congratulatory address, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok warned of converging crises.

“We are facing a confluence of challenges. A slowing global economy, intensifying geopolitical tensions, supply chain realignments and abrupt shifts in trade order,” he said. “At the same time, the AI revolution and the great energy transition present us with daunting but unavoidable tests.”

No country could navigate these challenges alone, he said.

“Global solidarity and cooperation are imperative,” he added, stressing Asia’s pivotal role as the generator of nearly half of global gross domestic product.

This year’s session carried particular weight, coinciding with the early months of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration and coming just weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Offering his own congratulatory remarks, Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat said the “spirit of solidarity, mutual understanding and cooperation across Asia is more crucial than ever, enabling us to coordinate responses to shared challenges and foster resilience.”

“As the world’s leading economic bloc and one of the largest contributors to global growth, Asia has a significant opportunity to assume a leading role in reinforcing global connectivity and collaboration to serve shared interests. Asia, with its diverse economies and strong intraregional trade, could also be a source of economic balance and resilience," he added.

Delivering the keynote address, Esther Ng, chief content officer of Malaysia’s The Star and chair of ANN, urged the region to take ownership of its narrative.

“Asia is not just rising. Asia has risen,” Ng declared. "We’re not just the backdrop for someone else’s narrative. We’re the authors of our own."

She pointed to the region’s demographic strength and technological dynamism.

“With 4.7 billion people, more than half of the world’s youth and the fastest adoption of digital payments, Asia is not only the world’s factory, but now its brain trust. We are inventing, scaling and leading the industries that will shape the future from semiconductors to AI to green tech.

"The future being Asian is not about one particular nation rising. ... It’s building bridges. We are all connected and no one stands in isolation. Walls divide. So, let’s do this together."

She also highlighted the role of “middle power diplomacy,” calling it “a reminder — a gentle one at that — that influence need not be about being the biggest and heaviest around. It is about being the calm and quiet voice in the fore, the brain and cultural soft power at its best. Being Asian, for what it’s worth.”

Choi Jin-young, CEO of Herald Media Group, framed the forum as an opportunity to confront disruptions to the global order head-on.

“Peace, coexistence and prosperity — values humanity long took for granted — are now under threat from major-power rivalries,” Choi said. “Nations, companies and individuals are all seeking new survival strategies in this reconfigured order. This forum aims to spotlight how Asia can respond with solidarity.”

Two high-level panels explored Asia’s most pressing challenges. The first panel discussion, titled “Shifting Trade Dynamics in a Fragmented World Economy,” brought together Nguyen Minh, editor-in-chief of Viet Nam News, Wang Yu, business editor of China Daily, and Zakir Hussain, associate editor of The Straits Times.

The panel examined hurdles wrought by intensifying US protectionism. Vietnam has been hit with a 20 percent tariff on most exports to the US, while Singapore faces a 10 percent levy. Hussain noted that even at a lower rate, the decision was perceived as a “betrayal,” given the US has long been seen as “an anchor of multilateralism and open markets.”

Despite the headwinds, Minh and Hussain stressed that Asia remains “resilient,” moving toward deeper regional integration.

“I think many of the Asian countries are now invested in a network of FTAs (free trade agreements) especially in Southeast Asia,” Hussain said, urging businesses to leverage the “often-overlooked benefits” of frameworks such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The second session, "Security Challenges and Middle Power Strategies", featured former Korean Ambassador for International ​Security Affairs Lee Chung-min alongside editors from Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. They highlighted maritime disputes, cyber threats and the risk of great-power confrontation, while underscoring the stabilizing role of middle powers as “stabilizers and bridge-builders.”

Lee stressed the urgency of maritime stability. “If South Korea and Japan work with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, we can help keep the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian Ocean, the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea relatively stable. As leading shipbuilding nations, Korea and Japan can make a distinct contribution.”

Looking ahead to the APEC summit in Gyeongju, Ravindra Kumar, editor of The Statesman, asked how security and economic issues could be balanced.

Lee argued the two can no longer be separated. “You cannot decouple them anymore. Security, economics and technology are intertwined. If this APEC Summit achieves anything, it should be recognition that governments must change their mentality.”

In association with Asia News Network