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Cooperation, strategic autonomy, and peace: key messages from the World Economic Forum in Davos

Photo: AFP/Anadolu Agency/Halil Sagirkaya

Joakim Scheffer 20/01/2024 10:00

This year's World Economic Forum in Davos has concluded, bringing together world leaders and economic elites to assess the past year and share their vision for the year ahead. In this article, we have gathered the thoughts of the most important speakers.

China's economy has recovered and started to grow, and is estimated to reach 5.2 percent, surpassing the target set at the beginning of last year, as stated by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Every year, world leaders and economic elites gather in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, the first major event where countries establish their goals and policies for the year and evaluate the previous year's performance.

"My European friends have taught me that the only way to fully appreciate the majestic beauty of the Alps is to observe them from a distance. From my perspective, the same holds true for the Chinese economy; we need to broaden our horizons to objectively and comprehensively see the whole picture," pointed out the Chinese Premier.

As reported by the English-language Hong Kong news portal South China Morning Post, Li Qiang is the highest-ranking Chinese official to address the conference in seven years. In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at Davos.

Emphasizing the importance of multilateralism, Li Qiang stressed that Beijing does not arbitrarily withdraw from agreements, exit from organizations, or ask other countries to choose sides. The Premier underscored that the litmus test for the United States is whether or not it fulfills its international obligations.

The Prime Minister also called on companies to rethink their "de-risking" behaviour, as the Chinese market is not a risk but an opportunity. "China remains committed to opening up, we will continue to create favourable conditions for the world to benefit from the opportunities Beijing offers," he underlined.

AFP/Anadolu Agency/Halil Sagirkaya

Emmanuel Macron called for a reduction in tensions between Washington and Beijing at Davos. In his speech, the French president emphasized that the European Union's ability to decrease its dependence on major powers is of key importance.

He mentioned that the strategy of de-risking was fully accepted by China and considered a fair way of cooperating. "Let us be absolutely honest. It is not beneficial for Europe to be entirely dependent on the United States for certain parts of its supply chains," the French president underlined.

Macron stressed that the European Union was created precisely so that European states would not be dependent on great powers. The French leader emphasized that autonomy was key to "preserving Europe's voice." "The EU must be able to negotiate with Asia, Africa, and other countries, and not do so as if it were entirely dependent on the United States," he underlined.

AFP/Anadolu Agency/Halil Sagirkaya

Washington and Beijing are committed to working together in their common interests, despite the many differences in their relations, said Antony Blinken, who said that the United States' main goal is to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait despite tensions, and that this is one of the greatest successes in Sino-US relations.

The US diplomatic chief said there would be more talks between the two opposing powers and their leaders in the year ahead.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke at the forum, stating that the parties are working to open up further channels of communication following the restoration of military communications. "Beijing and Washington are launching a new dialogue aimed at minimizing and managing the risks of AI," he underlined.

Facebook/Katalin Novák

"It is crucial to avoid a third world war and prevent the escalation of the conflict," emphasized Katalin Novák at a panel discussion at the Davos Forum. The President of the Republic added that Hungary, due to its geographical location and the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine, is not only indirectly but also directly affected by Russian aggression. He stated that war and aggression can never be a solution.

Asked whether Ukraine could win this war, Katalin Novak said, "Russia cannot win." The Hungarian head of state reiterated her condemnation of Russian aggression, stating, "I made it clear in my inauguration speech that I condemn Russia's aggression. It must be confirmed again and again who is the aggressor and who is under occupation. By invading Ukraine, Russia has crossed the Rubicon. The Hungarian government has taken the position from the very beginning that this should not have happened because we want to preserve the European desire for peace after the Second World War," explained Katalin Novák, and then stressed the importance of peace.

"We must do everything to avoid a third world war. I would like to stress that NATO and the European Union are not at war at the moment. We must avoid getting drawn into war. In addition to supporting Ukraine, I would like us to keep in mind that we must keep the peace in our countries. As the mother of three children, I must also emphasize how great a treasure it is to live in a safe country," the Hungarian head of state stressed.

#France #United States #China #Davos

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Cooperation, strategic autonomy, and peace: key messages from the World Economic Forum in Davos

This year's World Economic Forum in Davos has concluded, bringing together world leaders and economic elites to assess the past year and share their vision for the year ahead. In this article, we have gathered the thoughts of the most important speakers.

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