In 2023, who in Asia experienced prosperity and who faced challenges.

• Who had it good and who had it bad in 2023?
• The year 2023 was one that many people in the Asia-Pacific region would prefer to forget.

Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, is currently the managing director of advisory firm RiverPeak Group. Jose B. Collazo, on the other hand, is an analyst specializing in the Indo-Pacific region. Keep up with their insights on X by following them on Twitter at @CurtisSChin and @JoseBCollazo.

In the Asia-Pacific region, we examine the year that has just passed as 2023 draws to a close.

The year 2020 was marked by devastating natural disasters in Asia-Pacific, including an earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed 54,000 in February and fires in Maui, Hawaii, that swept through the historic U.S. city of Lahaina this summer.

Who had it good and who had it bad in 2023? A year marked by conflict and devoid of much hope and happiness.

Best year: India’s space agency

In August, India's space agency, ISRO, brought joy to the world's most populous country and space enthusiasts everywhere with its successful lunar mission.

The Indian space agency's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Aug. 5 and its lander named Vikram touched down near the lunar south pole two weeks later, making India only the fourth nation to successfully land on the moon. Soon, a lunar rover named Pragyan would be making tracks on the moon.

India's successful launch of the Chandrayaan mission in 2013, which cost only $74.6 million, demonstrated the effectiveness of India's "frugal engineering" model.

India's successful moon mission is not just India's alone, but belongs to all of humanity. For this reason, ISRO has been recognized as the 'Best Year in Asia 2023' to uplift spirits and bring hope and joy in a tough year.

Good year: Blackpink going global

The year 2023 was a pleasant one for the four superstar women from Asia who make up the all-female K-pop group Blackpink.

The four K-pop stars, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, were honored with honorary MBEs by King Charles at Buckingham Palace for their efforts in promoting environmental sustainability globally as Ambassadors for the U.K.'s Presidency of COP 26 and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

In April, Blackpink made history as the first Asian and all-female band to headline at Coachella and their album "Born Pink" became the first album from an all-female group to reach the U.S. number one spot since 2008. Additionally, the year ended with positive news for YG Entertainment as their KOSDAQ-listed shares jumped by 26% after Blackpink renewed their contract with the company.

The members of Blackpink, hailing from South Korea, New Zealand, and Thailand, have achieved global success, adding a new dimension to the phrase "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Mixed year: U.S.-China relations

In November, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in person at the APEC leaders summit in San Francisco, marking a significant moment in their bilateral relationship amid a tumultuous year for U.S-China relations.

Despite the ongoing tensions between the United States and China, the two leaders meeting was still an accomplishment in 2023.

To many Americans' delight, Xi indicated that additional pandas might be sent on loan to the United States as an extension of panda-diplomacy.

The year 2024 may witness a blend of challenges and opportunities for leaders as they prioritize domestic concerns such as the U.S. presidential election and a sluggish Chinese economy.

Bad year: China’s property market

The property market in China faced a significant challenge in 2023, with millions of citizens still waiting for homes they had paid for but may never receive.

The ongoing real estate crisis and high debt levels in the nation pose a significant credit risk to the global economy, while also threatening the "China Dream" and aspirations for a better life of many members of China's middle class.

In 2023, concerns grew over the financial state of Country Garden, which was previously China's biggest real estate developer and specialized in residential property.

The International Monetary Fund and Moody's have expressed concern about China's slowing economy and falling property prices. In response, state-owned financial institutions are being asked to support developers facing default and complete construction on stalled apartment projects.

Some Chinese citizens are collectively refusing to pay their mortgages as a form of domestic protest, with families and individuals who view homes as more than just a place to live but also as investments fearing that 2023 may not be the only bad year they face.

Worst year: Asia’s forgotten

In American politics, presidents such as Franklin Roosevelt and Donald Trump have invoked "the forgotten man" to further their own agendas. Trump declared that his inauguration signaled the end of forgetting "the forgotten men and women of our country."

Despite being the most vulnerable in Asia, those displaced by armed conflict are often overlooked. With the world's focus shifting to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the ongoing crises in Myanmar and Afghanistan are largely forgotten.

The escalation of hostilities in Myanmar in 2023 worsened the ongoing humanitarian crisis, resulting in the displacement of over 878,000 people.

The demand for humanitarian aid persists in Myanmar's western Rakhine State, where approximately 200,000 individuals reside in camps, primarily Rohingya who have been restricted in their movement since 2012. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Bangladesh is currently hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, making it one of the world's largest protracted refugee crises.

The situation of Afghan women and children is still dire, both within and outside of Afghanistan. Despite being the third-largest displaced population in the world, after Syrian and Ukrainian refugees, many people may not be aware of the plight of Afghan refugees. In 2023, at least 8.2 million Afghans were hosted across 103 different countries, according to the UNHCR, with some in Pakistan now being forced to return to Afghanistan.

In 2023, the "worst year" in Asia will likely be experienced by the forgotten men, women, and children in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and other regions. Consider how you can contribute to alleviating their suffering in 2024 and beyond.