For a few days, a subway station in Dalian, , will be renamed. Instead of simply Congress Center it is now plastered with huge decals that say “Annual Meeting of the New Champions.”
Outside the streets and sidewalks are sparkling clean, access roads all around have been cleared far and wide. Colorful flags flutter in the wind.
Dalian, a city on the Yellow Sea in northeast China, is the proud host of this year’s “Summer Davos,” as the meeting is perhaps more commonly known.
The (WEF) event is taking place in China for the 15th time. From June 25 to 27 meeting participants will gather again in the city’s futuristic conference center.
Thousands of visitors and confidential talks
Directly in front of the conference center is a showroom with a new model. The German car manufacturer produces sedans for the , about an hour and a half from Dalian by train.
Many of the cars are significantly longer than the ones in Europe. Anyone who can afford such a BMW in China usually has a driver. Large monitors with internet access, video games or TVs are intended to make the journey more pleasant for those sitting in the back. The vehicle on display is, not surprisingly, an electric model.
The conference center looks like a giant shell and was designed by Vienna-based architects. The building can accommodate 7,000 visitors — and 1,500 are expected at the Summer Davos meeting.
Tensions and global trade wars?
The way the conference center was designed and built allows meeting rooms to be quickly created. And creating safe spaces for confidential conversations is probably necessary because there is a lot of unrest in the world at the moment.
One of the most serious situations is the increasing political and economic . China may also be about to start a trade war with the European Union over electric vehicles.
“Beijing is opposed to any form of trade war,” wrote China Daily, the English-language newspaper published by China’s Communist Party, in an editorial last week. But just a few lines later it threatened countermeasures if the EU imposes special tariffs on certain electric vehicles from China.
Restraint and yet opportunities
Against this background, there is little optimism in Dalian. Sure, the global economy is growing, especially in Asia. However, when WEF experts speak of a recovery they are very cautious pointing out the “current muted state” of the economy. At the moment there are a number of serious geopolitical risks brewing.
But others see opportunities for business with China. One of them is Suhas Gopinath, the CEO of Globals. The company works with (AI) and specializes in cybersecurity. Gopinath came to Dalian from Bangalore, . His schedule for the next few days is completely full.
“China is now like the epicenter for innovation, and I am very curious about what is happening after the post-pandemic world in China,” says Gopinath. “The Summer Davos is taking place after a very long gap, and I think it is very important for every businessman who is building a global company not to miss out on what is happening in China.”
China is developing its own technology
The Dalian city government contacted Gopinath before his visit and suggested people to talk to. It even provided a Chinese student who speaks good English to help as an interpreter.
China wants to present itself as a reliable and important economic partner. And the People’s Republic of China is developing many things itself like , plus artificial intelligence.
Nevertheless, a certain level of cooperation with foreign companies is still being encouraged.
“We could learn from them, study from them, not just copy from them and we could find our path to find the right way to improve the technology and other things in China,” says 21-year-old Yu Boyi from Shenyang. He is an exceptional student, with good grades and knowledge of English, and is probably one of the youngest participants at this year’s meeting.
New technologies and know-how
Many Chinese people in Dalian appear just as self-confident as the young student.
It is an attitude that seems to say that anyone who wants to work with us is welcome — if they accept our conditions. Most importantly it is about the transfer of know-how and opportunities through the rapid development of new technologies.
Politics, on the other hand, is a subject many here don’t like to talk about that much.
“Countries can’t be in silos for trade and business. It is very important to keep the geopolitical aspects aside and to focus on the economy and on growth,” says Indian entrepreneur Gopinath. “India and the other way around.”
For its part, Dalian did a lot to prepare for this World Economic Forum event. Friendly, smiling employees fill the hotels to show guests the way.
Other volunteers were trained for weeks to welcome visitors in an open, cosmopolitan manner. They are supposed to speak English as much as possible, though some still have difficulties with this. Even the weather has cooperated so far and is an agreeable 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit). Not too hot and not too cold.
This article was originally written in German.
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