The 2025 edition of the annual World Economic Forum's (WEF) meeting opened on Monday in Davos, Switzerland, bringing together nearly 3,000 participants from 130 countries and regions. Under the theme \"Cooperation in the Intelligent Age,\" global leaders, business executives, and experts convened to address the urgent need for international collaboration to tackle shared challenges.
Over 60 heads of state and government are participating in discussions on critical topics ranging from geopolitical tensions and the accelerating climate crisis to the rapid technological transformations impacting artificial intelligence and automation in the global economy.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang emphasized the significance of cooperation in promoting economic globalization during his address at the forum. \"Through cooperation to promote economic globalization, we will usher in a more vibrant, advanced, and sustainable new stage,\" he said. \"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.\"
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also highlighted the necessity of global cooperation. \"We will need to work together to avoid a global race to the bottom,\" she stated. \"Because it is in no one's interest to break the bonds in the global economy.\"
Prior to the opening, WEF Founder Klaus Schwab called for renewed collaboration amid growing global divisions. He expressed optimism about the meeting's potential 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, the Managing Director of 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 importance of inclusive international collaboration.
The gathering underscores a collective acknowledgment that global challenges require collective solutions. As the world navigates complex issues in the Intelligent Age, the emphasis on cooperation at the WEF sets a hopeful tone for international relations and shared progress.
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