United by diversity, Asia must write its own story: ANN chair
She argued that Asia’s diversity, often seen as a source of division, is instead a strength that has shaped a distinctive diplomatic role. Esther Ng, the chief content officer of Malaysia’s The Star and the chair of Asia News Network, gives her keynote speech during The Korea Herald HIT Forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Thursday. The Korea Herald/ANN
Asia must seize the moment to tell its own story and shape the world’s future, said Esther Ng, chair of Asia News Network, at The Korea Herald’s HIT Forum in Seoul on Thursday.
“Asia is not just rising. It has risen,” Ng declared in her keynote address, a message delivered just weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. “This part of the world, rich in cultural diversity, economic vitality, shared heritage and history, dynamic populations and the fastest embrace of technology, holds enormous potential for collective growth.”
Ng, a veteran journalist and chief content officer of Malaysia’s top English daily, The Star, said the region’s identity has shifted dramatically. Once viewed as "the world’s factory,” Asia is now home to some of the globe’s most influential technology players, including Korea’s Samsung Electronics, China’s WeChat and Malaysia’s Grab.
“It is now the testing ground where things are conceived, developed and scaled,” she said, pointing to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and green energy. The region, she added, is also leading in digital finance, with rapid adoption and a thriving fintech ecosystem.
At the heart of Asia’s transformation is its population of nearly 5 billion, representing 60 percent of the world, with a large share under the age of 35. “Asia’s youth is ready to drive growth and innovation on the global stage,” Ng said.
She argued that Asia’s diversity, often seen as a source of division, is instead a strength that has shaped a distinctive diplomatic role. The region, she said, has the capacity to act as a bridge and mediator amid mounting global tensions.
“Middle power diplomacy is a gentle reminder that influence need not be about being the biggest and heaviest around,” she said. “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.”
Turning to her own field, Ng said journalism must be central to reclaiming Asia’s narrative. Founded in 1999, ANN unites 20 leading news outlets across 19 countries, including South Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia and India, to amplify Asia’s voice.
“Journalism in Asia is about showing we’re not just the backdrop for someone else’s narrative; we’re the authors of our own,” she said. “We tell our stories from our own backyard, with our own analyses.”
Ng closed with a call for unity, saying Asia’s strength lies in its ability to find common ground amid differences.
“The next steps must be taken together, not in isolation,” she said. “Our differences don’t divide us; they make the story richer. And the more bridges we build, the less room there is for prejudice and conflict."
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