The new year has been rung in by a buildup of recession chatter. From Washington to Singapore, anxiety about a downturn is intensifying. While there are good reasons to be dour about the prospects for the global economy, 2023 doesn't have to be a write-off. It could even turn out relatively well, given the prevailing pessimism.
Important forces that have dimmed the outlook will probably dissipate. China's reopening will be bumpy and may buffet commerce before buttressing it. The world needs a China on its feet, even if doesn't come close to replicating the kind of numbers that typified its heyday in the first decade of the century. By year's end, it will be more robust than it is today.
