CNN is set to launch a new weekly current affairs programme, ‘Meanwhile in Asia’, hosted by senior international correspondent Ivan Watson and senior producer Kunal Sehgal. The inaugural episode will premiere on May 28 and will be available on the CNN app in the US, while international audiences can stream it through YouTube.

The show aims to go beyond daily headlines and offer deeper insight into the stories shaping Asia, ranging from geopolitics and climate crises to culture, society and human impact. According to CNN, the programme will combine field reporting, analysis and conversations to present a broader understanding of developments across the region and their global significance.

The announcement marks a fresh editorial push by CNN to strengthen Asia-focused storytelling through a format that blends long-form discussions with on-ground reporting. The show will draw from CNN’s network of correspondents and experts across countries to present a more nuanced perspective on regional developments.

The first episode will focus on US-China relations following former US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to China and meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Steven Jiang joins the discussion to unpack how Trump is perceived in China and how the Chinese public currently views ties between the two countries.

The episode will also shift attention to the global fast fashion industry. CNN international correspondent Hanako Montgomery explores how millions of discarded clothes are recycled and resold in India, highlighting the economic ecosystem behind the business as well as its human and environmental consequences.

Adding a lighter segment to the show, Watson and Sehgal will also debate the long-running “coffee versus tea” conversation, as changing consumption trends reshape beverage culture across Asia.

Ivan Watson, who is based in Hong Kong, is widely known for his international reporting on major global events including the Ukraine war, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hong Kong protests. Over the years, he has also reported extensively from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, covering conflict zones, political upheavals and environmental crises.

Kunal Sehgal, also based in Hong Kong, currently serves as a senior producer at CNN and leads several editorial initiatives focused on South Asia and the broader Asian region. He has been involved in CNN’s coverage of major events including the Myanmar earthquake, the Hong Kong Wang Fuk Court fire and the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

With ‘Meanwhile in Asia’, CNN appears to be positioning the show as a platform for more layered and regionally contextual journalism at a time when Asia continues to remain central to many of the world’s biggest political, economic and cultural conversations.