The 23 Most Influential Voices in Asia Right Now

In today’s fractured media landscape, journalists, artists, bloggers and even a comic are helping to drive the conversation

CHINA

Leaf Greener Style reporter, fashion consultant

Fashion journalists, particularly those born in the social-media era, tend to be typecast as superficial lightweights, but not Greener, who has managed to balance the glamorous responsibilities of becoming a street-style star with some actual serious reporting.

When the coronavirus spread in Europe during fashion week, she responded to instances of hostility towards Asians with simple and clear social-media posts calling out xenophobic behaviour and explaining the cultural history of face masks. Her latest project is a book,

(T&G Publishing), featuring her essays on fashion along with surreal collages by the artist Edwin Antonio that combine runway looks with characters from classical paintings.

Li Jiaqi Online star known as the King of Lipstick

Could this be the world’s greatest lipstick salesman? The beauty industry has been fixated on the fast rise of Li Jiaqi, known in China as the King of Lipstick. With 40 million fans on Douyin, China’s domestic version of Tiktok, and a megastar on Taobao’s live-streaming platform, Li’s income and net worth have been the subject of breathless speculation, given that he is reported to have driven sales of as many as 15,000 lipsticks in five minutes. He also holds a Guinness World Record for the most applications of lipsticks to models in 30 seconds, which is a slightly less impressive-sounding four.

Li Ziqi Online host specialising in traditional Chinese cuisine

If there’s one profession that has unexpectedly thrived during lockdowns around the world, it’s wacky cooking show hosts. But Li Ziqi, a food and countrylife blogger who focuses on traditional Chinese cuisine, has drawn a dedicated following for her soulful, quiet, relaxing and elegant content that celebrates the rituals of rural life in the Sichuan countryside. “She performs the work of a farmer with the grace of a fairy,” wrote the

Luo Yonghao E-commerce executive, founder of Smartisan

Luo Yonghao, a Chinese internet celebrity and founder of smartphone brand Smartisan, has signed a contract with Douyin to start a live-streamed e-commerce service on the popular short-form video platform. His debut on April 1 attracted more than 48 million views and resulted in sales of a variety of goods—ranging from smartphones to shaving cream—worth more than US$15 million.

HONG KONG

Gary Liu CEO, the South China Morning Post

Harvard-educated Gary Liu cut his teeth in Silicon Valley at tech giants including Google and Spotify before moving to Hong Kong in 2016 to take the helm at the

(SCMP). Since then, he has been on a mission to turn Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper into a global media brand, leading a total redesign of the broadsheet and website, as well as launching three new products: Inkstone, a daily digest of China-focused stories; Goldthread, a publication exploring culture in China; and Abacus, which is focused on China’s tech industry. Under Liu’s guidance, the has also become the first publication in Asia to join the Trust Project, a consortium of top news companies that commit to providing accurate, trustworthy news.

Tom Grundy Co-founder and editor-in-chief, Hong Kong Free Press

Over the past five years Tom Grundy has emerged as a major voice in Hong

Kong media through his work at Hong Kong Free Press—a free, nonprofit, crowdfunded news website—and by becoming a regular pundit on Hong Kong politics for international news channels such as the BBC and Al Jazeera.

Xyza Cruz Bacani Photographer, author and journalist

Xyza Cruz Bacani was living in Hong Kong and working as a domestic helper when, in 2009, she began taking photos on her day off. She posted these to Facebook, where they caught the eye of professional photographers and, eventually, the editors of the New York Times.

In 2014, she was profiled for the first time on the newspaper’s photographyfocused Lens blog while still working as a cleaner and nanny. Now Bacani works as a photographer and journalist for the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, CNN and more.

INDONESIA

Nicholas Saputra Actor and Unicef ambassador More than just a multitalented actor, Nicholas Saputra, also known as Nico, is inspiring a younger generation in his role as a Unicef Indonesia National Ambassador, campaigning for clean water and sanitation. Nico’s work to raise awareness of these issues has also influenced his film work; as a producer at Tanakhir Films, he has championed noteworthy movies like Semesta and

Save Our Forest Giants that highlight ecological issues. Happy Salma Founder, Titimangsa Foundation, and chief creative officer, Tulola Having conquered the silver screen, actor Happy Salma has turned to business, with a mission to promote local handicrafts, culture and history through her jewellery brand Tulola. Her production company Titimangsa Foundation creates and promotes Indonesian theatrical and literary works, including the forthcoming Inggit

Garnasih, about one of the wives of the country’s first president, Sukarno. Andy F Noya Host of the Kick Andy talk show

Kick Andy creator Andy F Noya’s programme, on which he has delivered hard news and humanitarian stories for 14 years, has often been called the Indonesian version of The

Oprah Winfrey Show. He also hosts the annual Kick Andy Heroes campaign to acknowledge grassroots movements. During the pandemic, he has raised about Rp5.2 billion through Benihbaik.com.

MALAYSIA

Ronny Chieng Comedian and senior correspondent on The Daily Show

As one of the most prominent Asian comedians on the global stage, Ronny Chieng, who was born in Johor Bahru and raised in the US and Singapore, brings a wickedly funny perspective to current events as a senior correspondent on The

Daily Show on Comedy Central. A 2019 profile in T: The New York Times Style Magazine provocatively said that Chieng highlights the absurdities of American culture “with the prickliness of an immigrant and the timeliness of a news junkie”. His one-hour stand-up show on Netflix certainly lived up to that reputation with its delightfully provocative title: Asian Comedian Destroys America!

Hong Yi Artist

The Malaysian artist Hong Yi, also known as Red, has captured global attention by transforming ordinary objects into extraordinary art works. She created a portrait of Jackie Chan, for instance, using 60,000 chopstick, used a basketball as a paintbrush to depict Yao Ming and has made “paintings” from tea bags, melted candles and even sunflower seeds. One of her most symbolic, ongoing works is a series of Chinese vases, some made of tiny pieces of cracked eggshells re-assembled into stunning designs, that examine the role of