Beijing (People's Daily) - In a recent interview with the People's Daily ahead of the 2026 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from January 19 to 23, WEF President and CEO Borge Brende urged leaders to treat dialogue as a practical tool of governance rather than a ceremonial add-on.
World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende welcomes presidents, CEOs, thought leaders, academics and global decision-makers to the 2026 WEF annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on Tuesday, January 20. (Photo: World Economic Forum)
This year's gathering is expected to draw up to 3,000 participants from close to 130 countries, spanning government, business, civil society, and scientific and cultural communities. Brende said the meeting is designed to provide an impartial space where leaders can listen to one another, broaden perspectives, challenge assumptions, and turn shared understanding into practical cooperation.
Five priorities in a more contested world
Brende said the 2026 program is structured around five interconnected challenges: cooperation in a more contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, investing in people, deploying innovation at scale and responsibly, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. These priorities reflect the reality that growth, resilience and innovation are now deeply linked.
He underscored that today's most pressing issues — from AI governance to supply chain resilience, from the green transition to the skills revolution — cannot be tackled by any country alone. Competition among major countries will remain, he added, but they also share responsibilities that cannot be met through competition alone.
Practical platforms for openness and connectivity
Brende said that in a world where trust and predictability are being tested, practical platforms that strengthen connectivity are increasingly important. Trade, services, and supply chains, he argued, work best when there is openness, clarity of rules, and confidence among stakeholders.
He pointed to platforms such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), and the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) as mechanisms that can support an open world economy by bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders to identify concrete opportunities, reduce friction, and build partnerships. At their best, he said, such platforms help countries and companies move from intention to implementation — an approach he said aligns closely with the WEF's own mission of providing an impartial space that helps translate dialogue into cooperation and real-world outcomes.
China's role in global growth, innovation, and decarbonization
Against that backdrop, Brende stressed that China will remain central to the global economy and to many of the discussions in Davos. "From industrial transformation and advanced manufacturing to responsible technology deployment and the green transition, China offers important experience for global economic development," he said.
He noted that 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, which will focus on innovation-driven development, industrial upgrading, stronger domestic demand, improved social services, and deeper international cooperation and trade. In Davos, China-related dialogues will cover China's economic outlook and global linkages, the next phase of manufacturing and supply chain transformation, the real-economy impact of "AI plus" approaches, and how to sustain investment and connectivity in a complex global environment.
Brende pointed to three drivers behind the continued global attention paid to China.
First, he said, China is deeply integrated into global value chains and global demand, making engagement with China essential for many companies and countries seeking growth and resilience.
Second, he highlighted the pace of China's frontier innovation and industrial upgrading, which has prompted many international stakeholders to seek a clearer understanding of China's direction, and possible areas for collaboration.
Third, he emphasized the global significance of China's progress in green transition, particularly its capacity to scale technologies. Faster deployment at lower cost, he said, is crucial to global decarbonization.
From vision to action
Brende said that since the 1990s, he has visited multiple Chinese cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, Shanghai, Dalian, and Xi'an, and has been deeply impressed by China's green development in particular. He cited the speed and scale at which China has translated long-term vision into concrete action, as well as its ability to move innovation quickly into real-world deployment.
He attributed China's progress in green development to several reinforcing factors: sustained long-term investment and industrial upgrading that reduced costs and expanded access to clean technologies; strong manufacturing and supply chain ecosystems that can scale proven solutions rapidly; and an innovation environment that supports commercialization, helping technologies move from the pilot stage to broad adoption.
A sustained appetite for dialogue and cooperation
Brende also cited the record registrations at 2025's Annual Meeting of the New Champions (Summer Davos) in Tianjin as evidence that, even in a more complex geopolitical environment, global stakeholders still have a strong appetite for dialogue, exchange, and cooperation with China.
Looking ahead to 2026, Brende said he remains optimistic about China's future growth, pointing to sustained investment in research and development, continued emphasis on innovation, a strong university system, and robust infrastructure. He said China would remain an important pillar of global growth in 2026, and that its trajectory would continue to shape the world economy through its role in industrial transformation, technology development, and green transition.