CHINA TO PRESENT ITSELF AS DEFENDER OF GLOBALISM AT DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
European leaders snub forum despite focus on combating rise of populism
BY CLIFFORD CUNNINGHAM
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Chinese President Xi Jingping is expected to aggressively challenge President-elect Donald Trump and the growing number of populist movements across Europe at the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
While Premiers of China, including the current Premier Li Keqiang, have attended Davos in the past, Jinping’s attendance marks the first time a Chinese president (who also serves as the head of the Chinese Communist Party) will attend the World Economic Forum.
Jinping is expected to address his desire to move “economic globalization towards greater inclusiveness.”
“Clearly it signals that Xi Jinping is now interested in writing both China and himself in a grander way on the global diplomatic horizon,” said Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society. “He feels it’s time to really come out. Behind that probably is an assumption and wishful thinking that the U.S. is in disarray, Europe is feckless, and so on.”
“He’ll be received almost as the number one citizen at Davos.”
The
organizers of the World Economic Forum, mindful of a rising populist
sentiment across Europe and the United States that resulted in a
successful referendum for the UK to leave the European Union and the
election of President Donald Trump, have cast this year’s theme as
“responsive and responsible leadership.”
“Every
simplified approach to deal with the global complex agenda is condemned
to fail. We cannot just have populist solutions,” said
Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum. “The problems we
face technologically, economically, socially and politically are so
tremendous, such that sustainable solutions requite a systemic, holistic
approach… and particularly the collaboration of all global
stakeholders, united in one mission – improving the state of the world.”
Despite
the inclusion of populism on the agenda, many European leaders have
paradoxically decided to not attend this year’s forum.
The
leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have all indicated they
will not attend, opting to send their respective finance ministers
instead.
The United States
will be represented by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State
John Kerry; as the forum’s closing ceremony will take place just hours
before Trump is inaugurated, he will be represented by transition team
member Anthony Scaramucci.
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