On January 23, the World Economic Forum’s 2026 annual meeting concluded in Davos, Switzerland. Among the approximately 200 sessions, several discussions centered on China emerged as one of the most closely watched focal points. The frequent full houses in the conference rooms vividly reflected the high level of concern from the international business and policy communities regarding China’s direction.
The attendees sought clues to address global uncertainties from the latest developments of the world’s second-largest economy. China’s latest economic report—its 2025 gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded 140 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 5.0%, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its growth forecast—provided strong support for its argument.
Stan Zulkovic, CEO of Germany’s Deke Group, and other European business leaders clearly stated that a key objective of their visit was to gain a deep understanding of China’s economic policies and market trajectory for 2026 and beyond.
A more macroscopic comparison comes from Borg Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, who pointed out that China’s economy accounts for nearly 20% of global GDP, up from about 2% several decades ago. The backdrop of this historic leap is precisely the complex mindset of the Western world, which holds both doubts and expectations about China’s economy transitioning from “high-speed growth” to the stage of “high-quality development”.
Inside and outside the Davos venue, from BYD electric vehicles shuttling back and forth to advanced robots showcased by Chinese companies like Yushu Technology, Chinese elements have evolved from mere economic topics into tangible displays of technological prowess and green transition commitments, marking the international community’s focus on China shifting from scale and speed to quality and paradigm.
One of the core messages China conveyed at this forum is its willingness and ongoing efforts to place its development experience and technological innovation achievements within a global cooperation framework. This “sharing” is not a general statement but is based on concrete technological advantages and industrialization capabilities. China’s cutting-edge demonstrations in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have sparked in-depth discussions on the value of “China’s experience”.
Economists such as Peter Howitt marvel at the changes in China over the past two decades, with the latest driving force coming from new productive forces. Approximately 70% of the new batch of “Lighthouse Factories” on the World Economic Forum’s list are from China, revealing China’s leading position in the global upgrade of intelligent manufacturing.
Jonathan Klein, CEO of Golden Ray Fund in the United States, pointed out that the uniqueness of China lies in its advanced technology being able to rapidly and deeply integrate into vast industrial chains and daily life, achieving rapid iteration and large-scale application. This closed-loop model of “R&D-application-feedback-re-innovation” provides a reference path for technology-driven economic growth.
Nobel laureate Christopher Pissarides highlighted a key support: China possesses the world’s most comprehensive and largest industrial system, which provides an unparalleled testing ground and application space for general-purpose technologies such as artificial intelligence. China’s willingness to share is also reflected in talent cultivation and international cooperation. At the forum, Chinese scholars systematically introduced a full-chain AI talent cultivation system from basic education to higher education, which is seen as a strategic investment to transform the “demographic dividend” into a “talent dividend.” This invitation for capability sharing has received positive responses, such as the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa looking forward to expanding joint research and talent cultivation with China in fields like artificial intelligence and medicine. This indicates that China is increasingly being regarded by the global innovation network as an indispensable key partner capable of providing unique application scenarios and industrialization capabilities.
The confidence and openness demonstrated by China at Davos are deeply rooted in its domestic political and economic institutional arrangements. The institutional advantages of China are concentrated in its outstanding long-term strategic planning capabilities and policy continuity. This “long-termism” governance model enables China to set and steadily advance national development goals spanning decades, whether in industrial upgrading, technological self-reliance, or in promoting the “dual carbon” goals, all of which exhibit remarkable strategic resolve. It provides high policy predictability for domestic and international market participants, which is precisely the institutional foundation of the “predictable” and “trustworthy” China praised by the World Economic Forum guests.
In recent years, the United States has seen its domestic politics polarized, with policymaking increasingly shaped by electoral cycles. Its foreign economic policies have consequently prioritized domestic priorities and protectionist measures. While these policies partially address domestic concerns, they have simultaneously introduced global uncertainties, posing new challenges to the U.S.’s long-standing role and influence in the global economy.
As Malvan Kailuz, Executive Director of the World Economic Forum, said: “China is an indispensable participant in the world economy. The China proposal is crucial for promoting common development and prosperity worldwide, helping the international community build consensus and explore a path of global sustainable development.”