Summer Davos in three keywords

A journalist takes photos at the opening plenary of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

Participants of the 15th Summer Davos universally acknowledge China's leading role in the clean technology industry, saying that China's technological advancement and manufacturing capacity position the country at the forefront of the combat against climate change.

DALIAN, China, June 26 (Xinhua) -- As the 15th Summer Davos kicked off on Tuesday, green tech, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Chinese economy have become the most talked-about themes at the annual gathering.

Among the 162 sessions of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, as the event is officially named, 38 are focused on the relationship between climate and energy, 26 are set with AI as the backdrop, and 22 look at the Chinese economy.

A scan of the event's 1,600-plus participants reveals that the overwhelming majority possess a background in these fields.

Participants say the themes reflect the most vibrant aspects of the world economy today.

"GOT TO PULL TOGETHER"

Participants of the forum universally acknowledge China's leading role in the clean technology industry, saying that China's technological advancement and manufacturing capacity position the country at the forefront of the combat against climate change.

"I see China as a potential leader since it's making huge investments in clean technology and innovation that can really power through sustainable development," Giorgia Ortolani, a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community, told Xinhua, adding that China's potential to be the leader of sustainable development is huge and it could be a true game-changer globally.

This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the welcome sign at the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Andrew Jones, co-director of U.S.-based climate research organization Climate Interactive, told Xinhua that China's photovoltaic solar power is "happily displacing a lot of gas and coal use and is preventing climate change."

Fergal Whyte, director of Arup Group, noted that China is scaling up solar farms, photovoltaic panels, and wind farms, producing meaningful percentages of energy for society.

The forum's participants also brushed off concerns about the so-called overcapacity of China's green products.

While there is some resistance to Chinese green tech in the United States, it is also purchasing many Chinese products at the same time, Jones said.

"I have some Chinese solar power on my roof myself," he said.

"I am confident we will overcome the resistance because we have a shared goal of addressing climate change. There will be more room for U.S.-China collaboration on addressing climate change, both in the international agreements, but also in the whole economic and solutions space," Jones said.

Whyte told Xinhua the concern in the West is not about the technology but rather a result of geopolitics.

"The technology is fantastic. I have no doubt that Chinese technology and electric vehicles will go to Europe, the United States and all over the world," he said.

"Unfortunately, we live in very complex times and there is geopolitics everywhere, but all of us have got to pull together and make sure that we keep our eye on the climate change and work together to combat that," Whyte added.

EMPOWERED BY AI

AI is another topic dominating podiums at the forum, with many participants pointing to China as one of the main innovators in the field.

"I'm very interested in AI and how it can be used broadly outside of technology, but in manufacturing, in energy, in making all the economies better," said James Nunn-Price, senior managing director of Accenture.

For his part, founder and CEO of Policy Nexus Thomas Liu told Xinhua that the application of AI to industrial scenarios is an area with huge potential.

AI would empower all the industry scenarios in different aspects, which would in turn contribute a lot to the world and AI applications. China plays a very important role in AI's industry scenario application, Liu said.

Tanvi Ratna, founder and CEO of the Indian research organization Policy 4.0, told Xinhua that as China becomes more active in AI governance, it would help make AI more equitable.

CHINA IS MORE OPEN

With the global economy facing challenges, the well-being of the Chinese economy is more consequential than ever.

Lourdes Casanova, a senior lecturer at Cornell University's business school, told Xinhua that China's economy has been traditionally based on exports, but is becoming more technology-oriented and has become a leader of green industries, with a strong performance in biotech and AI.

By maintaining low production costs, high exports, and investing heavily in technology for the long term, China can keep its economy in good shape, she said.

Ratna struck a confident note after hearing a speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the forum, saying it signals that China is committed to market-driven growth.

"Whereas in many countries people are becoming very protectionist, China is opening more," she said.