The Summer Davos Forum, an annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), opened in Dalian, China, on June 23, amid rising global economic uncertainty due to the war in Iran, U.S.-China tensions, and supply chain disruptions. The event, running until June 25, gathers global leaders to explore future growth strategies centered on artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing, and energy transition.
According to China's state-run Global Times and Channel News Asia (CNA), this year's forum marks its 17th edition, themed "Innovating at Scale." Participants will discuss the direction of global economic growth and how to leverage advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, biotechnology, and quantum computing as drivers of economic expansion.
More than 1,700 attendees from over 90 countries and regions, including government officials, business leaders, academics, and representatives from international organizations, are participating. Among them are South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Montenegro. According to WEF, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Kim are scheduled to deliver keynote speeches on June 24.
The forum is particularly noteworthy as it takes place against the backdrop of increased global economic uncertainty stemming from the ongoing war in Iran. CNA reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its global growth forecast to 3.1% this year, citing heightened geopolitical risks. Participants are expected to address key issues such as supply chain restructuring, energy demand, and balancing sustainability goals.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang stated at a regular briefing the day before that "the international situation is becoming increasingly chaotic and changing, leading to greater instability and uncertainty in the global economy." He added that attendees would discuss ways to promote global economic growth and cooperation.
Additionally, China aims to highlight messages of technological innovation and open cooperation during the forum. Alois Zwingli, WEF Chairman and CEO, emphasized that the WEF has consistently brought leaders together to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, seeking solutions through dialogue and collaboration. He noted that this meeting presents an opportunity to focus on practical solutions amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological changes.
On the opening day, WEF also released its report on the "Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026." The report identifies notable technologies this year, including grid-connected energy, direct lithium extraction, passive cooling materials, PFAS degradation technology, precision fermentation, personalized mRNA cancer vaccines, quantum simulation for drug development, world AI models, and lattice-based cryptography.
WEF stated that this year's meeting focuses on connecting technological innovation with actual economic growth and productivity improvements, noting that AI and emerging technologies, which have developed around software, are expanding into real economy sectors such as energy, healthcare, food, and materials. WEF Executive Director Stefan Mergenthaler highlighted that while each of these technologies has significant potential, together they reveal a larger trend in innovation.
Meanwhile, there is keen interest in whether Premier Li will outline China's future economic direction in his speech. CNA noted that the forum coincides with the implementation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, which emphasizes technological innovation as a core component of the country's future growth strategy.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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