The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting commenced on Monday in Davos, Switzerland, bringing together nearly 3,000 participants from 130 countries and regions. Under the theme \"Cooperation in the Intelligent Age,\" leaders and experts are addressing the urgent need for global collaboration to tackle shared challenges.
Critical topics on the agenda include geopolitical tensions, the accelerating climate crisis, and the rapid technological transformation impacting artificial intelligence and automation in the global economy. Over 60 heads of state and government are participating alongside political leaders, business executives, and experts to engage in meaningful dialogues, find common ground, and seize opportunities for positive change on today's most pressing global issues.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang emphasized the significance of cooperation in promoting economic globalization during his speech at the forum. \"Through cooperation to promote economic globalization, we will usher in a more vibrant, advanced, and sustainable new stage. I believe we have the wisdom and capability to find mutually beneficial cooperation through communication and consultation, and I also recognize the challenges in further advancing economic globalization,\" he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also highlighted the need for global cooperation. \"We will need to work together to avoid a global race to the bottom, because it is in no one's interest to break the bonds in the global economy,\" she stated in her speech.
Before the opening of the forum, WEF Founder Klaus Schwab called for renewed cooperation amid growing divisions in the world. He urged for a spirit of optimism and collaboration, stating that the 2025 meeting aims to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future in the emerging intelligent era. \"Despite divergent positions and great uncertainties, the Annual Meeting 2025 will foster a spirit of cooperation and constructive optimism with the objective of shaping the forthcoming Intelligent Age in a more sustainable and inclusive way,\" Schwab said.
Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the WEF, addressed the importance of strong global governance in the face of rapid technological change. He highlighted China's contributions in areas such as economic growth, innovation, and environmental sustainability, underlining the significance of inclusive international collaboration, according to China Media Group News Radio.
Reference(s):
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