Asia Times
international center, Asia-centric
Background
Asia Times was founded in 1995 in Bangkok, Thailand as a print broadsheet by Sondhi Limthongkul, a Thai media magnate who sought to offer an independent Asian alternative to Western-dominated international news. The print edition folded in mid-1997 amid financial pressures. A successor site—Asia Times Online—launched in 1999 at atimes.com, explicitly carrying forward the original publication's editorial outlook and many of its journalists. Ownership eventually consolidated under Asia Times Holdings Limited, incorporated and registered in Hong Kong. In 2016 the outlet relaunched as a modern digital platform at asiatimes.com; in 2018 the fintech company Ideanomics announced a 10% ownership stake in Asia Times Holdings as part of a joint venture. The outlet operates on a lean digital model, funding itself through advertising and a paid AT+ subscription tier. Media Bias/Fact Check rates straight news coverage as 'Least Biased' but flags an anti-American slant in opinion content and rates overall factual accuracy as 'Mostly Factual,' partly citing constraints on press freedom in Hong Kong—which Reporters Without Borders ranked 140th out of 180 countries. Coverage of Trump's second-term trade policies has been analytical and largely critical, emphasizing evidence that aggressive tariffs on Asian economies produced unintended consequences, including accelerated Chinese business expansion across the region.
Sources
- Asia Times – Wikipedia
- Asia Times – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- Asia Times: About Us
- Ideanomics Announces Joint Venture with Asia Times, Takes 10% Ownership Stake – PR Newswire
- News from Asia Times – Ground News
- Designed to hurt Asia, Trump's tariffs did the opposite – Asia Times
Profile compiled 2026-07-19; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.