Throughout 2022, Nikkei Asia sought to keep you ahead of the news. As the year drew to a close, however, we decided to turn the tables. As we did last year, we have fielded a survey, asking our readers to forecast what 2023 will bring for Asian politics, economics and business. This survey arrived in subscribers' inboxes in early December, asking 10 questions about next year. More than 1,500 of you responded. In this first Big Story of 2023, we summarize your predictions for the year alongside expert commentary from Nikkei reporters and editors.
Last year, our readers got many things right -- the pandemic eased, and so did supply chain disruptions. Oil markets tightened, but not for the reason we thought they would -- few predicted the Ukraine war and the effect on supplies of commodities worldwide. We also got some predictions wrong -- 85% of our readers last year predicted that Chinese President Xi Jinping would receive the title of "chairman" -- evoking Mao Zedong -- at the 20th Communist Party national congress in October. He did not, though he did secure a historic third term. Indeed, his authority has been checked by protests that began in November against China's strict zero-COVID policies.
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