Interview: China is a key player in global affairs, says expert

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 22, 2023 shows an offshore wind farm in Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

The World Economic Forum seeks to rebuild trust by continuously deepening cooperation with China: WEF expert

GENEVA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- "On major issues related to the future of mankind, China's participation is indispensable," said Chen Liming, chair of Greater China of World Economic Forum (WEF).

As the world's second-largest economy, China plays a crucial role in many fields such as global politics, economy, and technological innovation, Chen told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The global governance system is undergoing profound changes, with China playing an increasingly important role in improving the global governance system, he added.

On the theme of "Rebuilding Trust," the 54th Annual Meeting of the WEF will take place at Davos, Switzerland from Jan. 15 to Jan. 19.

The meeting will revolve around such issues as achieving security and cooperation in a divided world, using artificial intelligence for economic and social development, and implementing long-term climate and energy strategies, Chen said.

The WEF looks forward to helping rebuild trust by continuously deepening cooperation with China, he noted.

"Trust promotes cooperation and dialogue achieves win-win results," Chen said, adding that in the face of profound and disruptive transformation currently taking place, it has never been more important to build trust among multiple parties.

This photo taken on Jan. 16, 2023 shows the exterior view of the Congress Center for the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

Confronted with climate change, ecological environment deterioration, and artificial intelligence governance, no country or international organization can solve them alone, Chen said.

The forum has established links with political and business circles, academia, and civil society, and gathered strength and support from all parties on the initiatives launched by China for the shared future of the world, he said.

Considering China as a key player in addressing challenges, he said that China's installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, and solar power generation ranks first in the world, and its 14th Five-Year Plan aims to promote low-carbon energy transformation.

The International Monetary Fund has raised its expectations for China's economic growth in 2024 and policies to promote private economic development and encourage foreign investment have been introduced intensively with the belief that China will continue to be the recovery driver of emerging markets, he said.

Chen recalled that when the Chinese delegation attended for the first time the WEF annual meeting in 1979, China's GDP represented about 2 percent of the world's total. "Today, China's GDP accounts for nearly 20 percent of the world."