The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland, running from 19 to 23 January. Convening under the theme \u201cA Spirit of Dialogue\u201d, the summit operates against a complex backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and an uneven global economic recovery. As sessions unfold, delegates also face the pressing realities of accelerating artificial intelligence advancements and urgent climate challenges, making this year\u2019s dialogue critical for future stability.<\/p>\n
The gathering unites nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, creating a massive platform for high-level exchange. This assembly includes approximately 65 heads of state and government, alongside 850 chief executives and representatives from civil society. Discussions focus on five core pillars: enhancing cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new economic growth sources, investing in people and skills, deploying AI safely at scale, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries<\/p>\n
In the current global landscape characterised by slowing growth forecasts of around 3% for 2026 and escalating trade frictions under the second Trump administration, China emerges as a critical stabilising force at Davos.<\/span> Against a backdrop of proposed tariffs and supply chain disruptions driven by geopolitical conflict, the Chinese delegation is making a decisive stand for economic integration. Leading this charge is <\/span>Vice Premier He Lifeng<\/span>, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the nation\u2019s top economic negotiator.<\/span> Attending from <\/span>19 to 22 January<\/span> at the invitation of the WEF and the Swiss government, his presence marks the visit of the third-highest-ranking Chinese official since President Xi Jinping\u2019s historic attendance in 2017, underscoring Beijing\u2019s commitment to engaging global elites despite rising tensions.<\/span><\/p>\n A centrepiece of China\u2019s involvement is Vice Premier He\u2019s special address, delivered on Day 2 (20 January) at the Davos Congress Centre. In this pivotal speech, he offers a robust defence of China\u2019s economic model, addressing the nation\u2019s record $1.2 trillion trade surplus from 2025. He clarifies that this surplus was never a deliberate pursuit and expresses a willingness to leverage China\u2019s \u201cmega-sized market\u201d to expand imports \u201cmore vigorously\u201d. By positioning China as \u201cthe world\u2019s market\u201d and a reliable partner rather than a systemic rival, he aims to diffuse tensions surrounding export dominance.<\/p>\n Criticising trade wars and tariffs as having \u201cno winners\u201d, He highlights China\u2019s strategic shift towards boosting domestic demand in 2026 to better balance consumption with its formidable production capabilities.<\/span> This rhetoric serves to counter international concerns regarding Chinese dominance in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, particularly as US policies threaten to exacerbate global fragmentation.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the podium, China\u2019s broader contributions align closely with the forum\u2019s core themes. Experts at the summit note the resilience of the Chinese economy, which is forecasted to exceed <\/span>5% growth in 2026 , A<\/span>\u00a0figure that positions it as the primary engine of global expansion.<\/span> This growth is increasingly driven by innovations in <\/span>green technology<\/span>, where China maintains leadership in wind turbine and solar equipment production, alongside a thriving digital sector.<\/span><\/p>\n Vice Premier He is also hosting receptions with global business leaders to foster cooperation on artificial intelligence, sustainable development, and supply chain security. This proactive stance draws praise from WEF President Borge Brende, who highlights Beijing\u2019s essential support for international institutions like the UN and G20 in tackling pandemics and cyber threats. Amidst uncertainties surrounding the US retreat from certain global bodies, analysts such as Tom Harper from the University of East London describe China as a \u201cstabilising force\u201d, uniquely positioned to share its development experience with the Global South while navigating the complexities of great power competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland, running from 19 to 23 January\u2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":443,"featured_media":1284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[736,694,735,95],"class_list":["post-1242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-china","category-news","tag-borge-brende","tag-he-lifeng","tag-the-world-economic-forum","tag-xi-jinping"],"reading_time":"4 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/443"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1256,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242\/revisions\/1256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/trade-policy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}He Lifeng\u2019s Strategic Address: Promoting the \u201cWorld\u2019s Market\u201d<\/h3>\n
Resilience and Multilateral Leadership<\/h3>\n