As 2025 closes, Asia’s story has been one of stark contrasts: resilient economies bending without breaking under global pressure, alongside profound human suffering from scams, disasters, and unrest. From the rise of Chinese soft power to the scourge of cyber slavery, the region experienced both its best and worst.

Worst Year: Asia’s Enslaved Cyber Scam Victims

The most harrowing narrative of the year was the explosion of cyber scam centers across Southeast Asia. Criminal syndicates in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia defrauded billions worldwide while enslaving hundreds of thousands lured by fake job offers. The kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing spotlighted a crisis where victims become perpetrators. As U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro noted, these operations fuel a “generational wealth transfer” to organized crime. With gangs now adopting AI and deepfakes, the situation shows little sign of abating, earning this group the grim distinction of having Asia’s worst year.

Bad Year: Casualties of Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire

Natural and human-made disasters claimed thousands of lives. A March earthquake in Myanmar killed over 3,600, while floods and typhoons across Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines left more than 1,600 dead. The year ended tragically with the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong—a blaze fueled by faulty alarms and substandard materials that killed at least 160, marking one of the city’s deadliest infernos.

Mixed Year: Gen Z Uprisings

Armed with memes and hashtags, Gen Z activists took to the streets from Nepal to the Philippines, protesting corruption and inequality. Their impact was uneven: they toppled Nepal’s government and won small concessions elsewhere, but it remains unclear whether these digital-native movements can evolve into sustained forces for structural change. Their rallying cry, echoing One Piece, remains: “If you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future.”

Good Year: Asia’s ‘Bamboo Economic Tactics’

Facing Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, Asian economies displayed remarkable resilience and pragmatism. Through flexible “bamboo tactics”—recalibrating trade configurations and forging new alliances like the India-Canada-Australia tech pact—the region maintained around 5% growth, keeping its title as the world’s fastest-growing economic zone despite global headwinds.

Best Year: Chinese Soft Power

2025 marked the ascent of Chinese cultural and technological influence. From the surprise launch of the low-cost AI model DeepSeek to the global frenzy around Pop Mart’s “Labubu” character, Chinese creativity captured imaginations. Blockbuster animated film Ne Zha 2, BYD electric vehicles, Li-Ning on NBA courts, and Luckin Coffee’s rapid global expansion underscored a soft-power surge that positions China alongside the U.S. and Korea as a cultural heavyweight.

As the year turns, Asia’s duality—of dynamism and distress—sets the stage for a 2026 where the region’s resilience will again be tested, but its capacity for innovation and adaptation offers a note of cautious hope.