At a time when the global economy is facing increasing uncertainty, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is preparing to host its largest annual meeting to date. This underscores the growing urgency of dialogue in the face of rising tariffs, geopolitical tensions and technological disruption.
The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will take place from 19 to 23 January in Davos, Switzerland. Nearly 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries are expected to attend. The event is being held under the theme „The Spirit of Dialogue“, reflecting the Forum's emphasis on cooperation at a time of increasing global fragmentation.
President and CEO of WEF Borge Brende stressed that dialogue is no longer a matter of choice, but of necessity. He said that as geo-economic competition intensifies and technological change accelerates, international cooperation is entering a crucial phase, which gives this year's Davos meeting particular importance.
Leaders converge at a time of rising risks
This year's meeting will see a record political turnout. Some 400 top political leaders are expected, including nearly 65 Heads of State and Government and six G7 leaders, along with some 850 CEOs and chairmen of the world's leading companies. A further 100 or so leaders from leading „unicorn“ companies and technology pioneers have also confirmed their attendance, underlining the growing interconnectedness of politics, business and innovation on the global agenda.
According to the WEF, the US President will be among the participants Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will attend the forum and visit Switzerland from 19-22 January, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The business sector will also be strongly represented - approximately 1,700 business leaders are expected to attend. Among them will be the CEO of Nvidia Jensen Huang, CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella, CEO of Anthropic Dario Amodei, CEO of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis, CEO of Palantir Alex Karp and CFO of OpenAI Sarah Friar. This reflects the central role of artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies in this year's debates.
The expanded list of participants comes at a time when global risks continue to rise. Ahead of the forum, the WEF published a report that identified „geo-economic confrontation“ as the biggest near-term global risk for the next two years. This risk moved up eight places from last year, the steepest increase of any category. Eighteen percent of leaders surveyed said this factor has the greatest potential to trigger a global crisis in 2026.
Five key issues in focus
Based on responses from some 1,300 government, business and civil society leaders, the report warned that the increasing use of tariffs, sanctions and other economic instruments as a means of geopolitical competition, along with the fragmentation of supply chains and technological decoupling, is putting increasing pressure on the global economy and weakening the ability to respond collectively to crises.
In this context, almost half of respondents expect the global environment to remain volatile or turbulent over the next two years, while only a small minority expect a return to relative stability. These expectations are reflected in the Davos agenda.
Discussions at the Forum will focus on five key questions: how to work together in a more competitive world, how to unlock new sources of growth, how to invest better in people, how to innovate responsibly at scale, and how to achieve prosperity within the planet's limits.
According to the WEF, debates will focus less on abstract principles and more on practical, solution-oriented measures - from managing geopolitical risks and economic uncertainty to using new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence in ways that promote resilience, competitiveness and inclusive growth.
The human dimension of transformation will also be an important theme. As industry transforms and technology reshapes the face of work, discussions at Davos will look at how governments and businesses can better invest in people, strengthen workforce resilience, support the transition to new skills and improve quality of life. At the same time, leaders will focus on achieving prosperity within the limits of the planet's resources, with an emphasis on secure energy, natural and water systems.
China's role in the spotlight
China's role at Davos 2026 is set to attract particular attention. At a time when global growth remains under pressure, China is widely seen as a key stabilising factor, driven by an emphasis on technological innovation and efforts to expand domestic demand.
In recent years, China has accelerated its industrial upgrading and continues to develop a new high-quality manufacturing force while pursuing policies aimed at building a modern industrial system based on innovation. These include enhanced research on key technologies, the development of a unified national technology market, and reforms to accelerate the commercialisation of scientific results.
China has also identified sectors such as integrated circuits, new materials, aerospace, biomedicine and the low-cost economy as new pillars of growth, while promoting deeper integration of artificial intelligence into manufacturing and other industries. In the area of energy transformation, China now accounts for nearly half of global photovoltaic installations, and more than half of the world's new energy vehicles are on Chinese roads.
Huang Yiping, dean of the National Development School at Peking University, said during last summer's Davos that although China has lagged behind in past technological revolutions, it has the potential to become a leader in the AI wave thanks to its vast application market. He recalled that history shows that the biggest winners of industrial revolutions tend to be those who can put new technologies into practice quickly and effectively.
At the same time, China is trying to cushion external risks by supporting domestic demand through consumer goods exchange programmes, large-scale equipment upgrades and more active fiscal policies, along with a moderately easy monetary policy. Structural reforms, including those targeting SOEs and the single national market, are also being pursued to promote high-quality growth.
Beyond the economy, China is expected to reiterate its stance on global governance. Since 2021, China has put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, which aim to promote a world based on mutual respect, shared prosperity and openness.
Chinese leaders have repeatedly stated that as the world enters an era of interconnected uncertainty and transition, China will firmly act as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global growth, a defender of international order, and a proponent of multilateral cooperation.
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