The meeting marked the first in-person assembly of the leading regional news alliance in Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic, building new bridges for collaborative efforts among Asian countries and between Asia and the rest of the world.

Representatives explored the possibility of establishing an independent newsroom with reputed professionals to make ANN an independent news source for all its members and for regional and global media in general.

ANN was established in 1999 and its members hail from the 20 Southeast Asian countries as well as several other locations in Asia. It is a formal legal entity and China Daily has been a member since 2000.

Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said in his welcoming remarks that the purpose of the meeting was to deepen ANN cooperation, enhance ANN story exchanges, jointly produce impactful videos and organize enriching workshops and forums. “These initiatives not only strengthen our ties but also amplify our voices to resonate across Asia, and even globally,” he noted.

He reminded his audience that the media in Asia faces common challenges. “We face the daunting task of not just reporting the news, but interpreting it in a way that is relevant, respectful and resonates with our diverse audiences.”

But the challenges also push us to innovate, to adapt, and to grow, he emphasized.

“We need to understand and know each other better in our own region, and in particular, to mutually share our problems and opportunities. We must also tell the world about the creativity and innovation, and most importantly our collective intellectual and cultural heritage that exists in Asia,” said Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of Bangladesh’s The Daily Star.

Anam, who is also the incumbent chairman of ANN, said that as Asian countries are very important players in the international sphere, Asian media must use the opportunity of the alliance of the leading 22 English-language dailies to tell the Asian story to the world.

In its latest Asia-Pacific regional economic outlook, released in May, the International Monetary Fund expected Asia to contribute nearly 70 percent of global growth in 2023, and the growth in the region is projected to accelerate to 4.6 percent this year from 3.8 percent last year. In particular, China and India together are forecast to generate about half of global growth this year.

The challenge of the moment is to turn this network into an efficient and independent news service for its members and the broader Asian market, he said. He urged all participating members to make ANN a more effective network of media collaboration.

As to how to enrich ANN content, Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn Media Group of Pakistan, suggested the ANN platform should offer a broader range of opinions, editorials, exclusive features and human-interest stories, with news taking a secondary role.

He noted international readers are interested in features and opinions from Asian countries, at which ANN can excel in producing. To draw an audience beyond its member regions, Abbas believes that ANN should create original content free from biases.

In addition, ANN delegates also attended a captivating cultural heritage exhibition hosted at the China Daily headquarters office in Beijing. The event featured mesmerizing tea art performances on-site, exquisite crafts from various ethnic minorities, as well as tea and coffee from Pu’er, in Yunnan, the birthplace of the world-renowned fermented Pu’er tea.

They will participate in the Forum on Cultural Heritage Conservation and make field visits to local businesses in the following two days.

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