Summer Davos welcomes guests offline after 4 years, to showcase China’s potential and inject positivity into world economy

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By Zhang Han, Chu Daye and Liu Yang in Tianjin (Global Times) 08:23, June 27, 2023

This photo taken on June 25, 2023 shows a view of the Tianjin Meijiang Convention Center, the venue for the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in north China's Tianjin Municipality. The forum will be held in Tianjin from June 27 to 29. Approximately 1,500 leaders from both public and private sectors from more than 90 countries will come together for the three-day event.(Photo: Xinhua)

About 1,500 participants from business, government, civil society, international organizations and academia are to gather in North China's Tianjin for the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), also known as Summer Davos, after a three-year hiatus of the in-person event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As global attendees on Monday share their excitement of getting together again face-to-face and expectations of the opportunities the forum could bring about, observers stressed the importance of this kind of occasion in providing a platform for political and business leaders to have dialogue and renewing momentum for innovation and entrepreneurship to drive growth and a more equitable, sustainable and resilient global economy.

This year's forum, held from Tuesday to Thursday, can help participants gain a deeper understanding of China's economic performance and high-standard opening-up, and also heralds China's role as an engine of global recovery and growth, and an anchor of economic stability and globalization against the backdrop of looming recession risks and noises calling for "decoupling" and "de-risking."

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech on Tuesday.

During a Monday meeting with Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF Klaus Schwab in Tianjin, Li said the world economy has undergone globalization and becomes intertwined.

Cooperation between countries and developing complementary advantages are requirements for the development of productive forces and an irreversible historical trend. Countries should enhance mutual understanding and trust, reduce misjudgment, adhere to mutual benefit and win-win results, strengthen integration of interests, work together to overcome common challenges, and create a better future, Li said.

China will adhere to the path of peaceful development, firmly expand high-level opening-up, and is willing to work with all parties to continue to build an open world economy and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Li said.

Li on Monday also met with visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing, who will also attend the Summer Davos.

Together again

A feeling of excitement can be felt upon arrival in Tianjin, as the taxi driver at the high-speed railway station warmly introduced the city's views and culture to travelers, many of whom were coming to attend the Summer Davos.

Billboards and posters advertising the forum can be seen at the railway station and along the main avenues around the conference venue, the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center.

Roads in the city center were cleaned by pressure hose as Tianjin looks to present its best image in front of so many international guests, who have not come together in such a manner for four years, the Global Times learned.

Face-to-face interaction is irreplaceably good for people to address common issues faced by the world, attendees told the Global Times on Monday at the registration center, which has been busy all day.

Niall Murphy, CEO of Switzerland-based Kubu Ventures, told the Global Times that he had just landed in China for a couple of hours and it has been a thrilling experience to visit the country again after four years.

"Whenever I come to China, it's always very impressive. There's a lot of development. I passed through Shanghai to Tianjin… and I can see lots of industry going on," Murphy said.

Since the 13th AMNC in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province in 2019, the past four years have witnessed tremendous challenges, including the global health crisis, inflation and economic recession, "decoupling" attempts by some countries and food and energy crises each taking its toll on global growth.