'No. 2 in China' Li Chang attends China Development Forum... Contact with overseas CEOs remains uncertain

Forum Side "Prime Minister Li Chang's Keynote Speech... Over 110 Participants Including Businesspeople Confirm Attendance"

Li Chang, the "second-in-command" of China whose status was notably perceived to have declined following this year's Two Sessions (the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), is scheduled to attend the China Development Forum on the 24th and 25th to deliver a keynote speech.

On the 22nd, the China Development Forum announced via its official social media (SNS) that the forum will consist of an opening ceremony, thematic symposiums, and closed-door symposiums, and that Premier Li will attend the opening ceremony to deliver the keynote address.

The China Development Forum explained, "More than 110 participants have expressed their intention to attend, including key officials from the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), as well as chairpersons and CEOs of foreign-invested companies in industries such as energy resources, equipment manufacturing, finance and insurance, advanced technology, semiconductors, healthcare, professional services, and daily consumption, along with Nobel and Turing Prize laureates."

According to the forum, the thematic symposiums will discuss topics including ▲ the driving forces and prospects of China's sustainable development ▲ carbon neutrality and global climate governance ▲ artificial intelligence development and governance ▲ the health industry ▲ industrial transformation through digitalization ▲ new consumption and stimulation of domestic demand potential ▲ and global economic growth trends.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) attending the 2nd plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 8th, seen conversing with Premier Li Chang sitting beside him.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Established in 2000, the China Development Forum is an annual event where China invites major global business figures to discuss economic issues and seek investment opportunities. It also serves as an event where Chinese policymakers and global corporate executives gather at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing for networking.

Recently, amid Western countries' "de-risking" policies and the Chinese authorities' enforcement of the Counter-Espionage Law, foreign companies are reportedly more reluctant to invest in China than before, which has drawn increased attention to this year's forum.

Earlier, the American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that U.S. business leaders expected to attend this year's forum include Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer; and Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. Evan Greenberg, CEO of the U.S. insurer Chubb, is expected to serve as co-chair.

With the consolidation of power around President Xi Jinping becoming increasingly clear, there is interest in whether Premier Li Chang, whose presence has weakened, will meet with overseas CEOs.

Major foreign media outlets cited three sources on the 12th reporting that Premier Li will attend the forum but no separate meetings with CEOs have been scheduled.

China has recently been making efforts to attract investment, with high-level officials such as the Minister of Commerce meeting global corporate representatives to listen to their difficulties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.