Davos chief expects Xi's insight on changing world

A man walks at the main entrance of the congress center where the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland, in this file photo taken on Jan 18, 2016.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to shed light on China's role in the evolving global geopolitical structure at the upcoming annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the Geneva-based international organization, said on Tuesday.

Schwab told a press conference that Xi would deliver the opening address of the annual event, which this year has attracted more than 3,000 global leaders from politics, business, the media and academia. It will run from January 17-20.

"President Xi's participation is quite relevant to the theme of the forum, which is Responsive and Responsible Leadership," said Schwab, who recalled that the WEF has enjoyed a very close relationship with China since 1979 when he first visited the country.

He said the world is in transition into a multi-polar geopolitical and economic structure and China now equals the United States in terms of economic power.

"I foresee that President Xi will be showing that China will play a positive role in global affairs at the forum," said Schwab.

In addition to President Xi's message, Schwab said that China will all send strong business delegations and senior officials to Davos. "We want to make more and more political and business leaders from China engage the participants of this forum," he added.

Before Davos, Xi will be paying a state visit to Switzerland on 15-16 January. He is scheduled to visit the Lausanne-based International Olympics Committee and the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva, and speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.

Over 70 countries including all G20 countries are sending delegations to Davos. The new Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, along with heads of key international organizations, will be present at the forum.

The organizers say that within the theme of Responsive and Responsible Leadership, the annual meeting will focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017 – re-imagining global cooperation, revitalizing the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In keeping with the theme and its four challenges, over half of the 400 sessions on the programme at this year's meeting will address the issues of social inclusion and human development.

Schwab said the world is changing at unprecedented speed and a new model of responsive and responsible leadership is needed to allow it to address the challenges faced, from security to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with long-term, action-oriented thinking and solidarity on a national and global level.