The 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, commenced on Wednesday in Dalian, a coastal city in northeastern China. The event has drawn more than 1,700 participants from over 90 countries and regions, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. The three-day gathering, organized by the World Economic Forum, is being held under the theme "Innovating at Scale" amid global economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and shifting geopolitical dynamics.
Chinese Premier Emphasizes Innovation-Driven Development
Addressing the opening plenary session, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated that innovation-driven development remains the cornerstone of China's long-term economic resilience and sustainable growth. He noted that the Chinese economy has demonstrated "stability, innovation, vitality and integration with the rest of the world" at the start of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan period covering 2026-2030. Li attributed China's steady economic performance to a stable development environment and continued investment in innovation. He highlighted the rapid expansion of China's artificial intelligence (AI) industry, describing its growth as "explosive."
Focus on Emerging Technologies and Global Cooperation
The Summer Davos Forum is concentrating on how emerging technologies, including AI, can be translated into tangible economic benefits. Participants are also discussing China's economic outlook, industrial transformation, green development, and the future of global trade and investment. Li stressed the importance of international collaboration, arguing that innovation-driven cooperation is essential to overcoming challenges facing the global economy. "Innovation-driven cooperation is an inevitable choice to overcome the global growth dilemma," he said, calling for stronger partnerships among governments, businesses, and research institutions to address shared challenges and unlock new sources of growth.
Historical Context and Current Significance
Launched in 2007, the Summer Davos Forum serves as the World Economic Forum's flagship event in China and is often viewed as a platform for emerging business leaders, policymakers, and innovators. This year's meeting takes place amid growing global competition in advanced technologies, particularly AI, as countries seek to balance innovation, economic growth, and regulatory oversight. Over the next three days, delegates are expected to examine how technological breakthroughs can be scaled across industries, the future trajectory of China's economy, and ways to strengthen international cooperation in an increasingly interconnected but fragmented world economy.
