Over 3,000 participants from 130 countries and regions have gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the 2025 World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting, which opened on Monday. Under the theme \"Cooperation in the Intelligent Age,\" the event emphasizes the urgent need for global collaboration to address shared global challenges.
The meeting brings together more than 60 heads of state and government, alongside political leaders, business executives, and experts. They aim to foster meaningful dialogue, find common ground, and seize opportunities to effect positive change on critical issues such as geopolitical tensions, the accelerating climate crisis, and the rapid technological transformations impacting artificial intelligence and automation in the global economy.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang highlighted the importance 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 stated.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also emphasized the necessity of 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 said in her address.
Prior to the opening, WEF Founder Klaus Schwab called for renewed cooperation amid growing divisions worldwide. He urged a spirit of optimism and collaboration, noting 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 commented.
Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the WEF, underscored 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, emphasizing the need for inclusive international collaboration.
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