WEF's Gim Huay Neo: China driving global growth

As the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting opened Monday in Davos, Switzerland, a senior WEF official said China plays a significant role in global economic growth, contributing about one-third of worldwide expansion in recent years.

Gim Huay Neo, managing director and a member of the WEF Managing Board, said China’s economic scale, role in global trade and supply chains, and ability to innovate and deploy technology in the real economy have made it “a dominant and critical stakeholder for global growth and resilience,” in a recent interview with China News Service.

This year's meeting is themed "A Spirit of Dialogue," reflecting the forum's emphasis on cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change and mounting global risks, including extreme weather events, Neo emphasized.

In such an environment, "dialogue, coordination and cooperation are essential for sustained peace and prosperity," she noted.

Neo said participation from China at this year's meeting remains strong, spanning government, business, innovators and academia, reflecting how deeply the country's economy relates to global value chains, technology development and the green transition.

She noted growing international interest in China's innovation ecosystem, particularly how technology is integrated into industrial transformation, as well as in "practical pathways to accelerate the green transition and resilient growth by investing in people, skills and jobs." With 2026 marking the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), there is also keen interest in China's economic outlook and future opportunities.

Reflecting on China's development in recent years, Neo said long-term investments in green transition, talent development and technology-enabled manufacturing are "paying dividends."

"China has connected innovation with scale, particularly in advanced manufacturing, digital transformation and clean technologies," she said, adding that strong industrial ecosystems in China have helped accelerate deployment, improve efficiency and reduce costs, influencing global supply chains and competitiveness across multiple sectors.

Artificial intelligence is another key focus of this year's Annual Meeting. Neo said AI is moving rapidly "from experimentation to deployment," and China is an important part of that global story, both in innovation and in application in the real economy.

"What matters is not only the pace of technological progress, but also whether deployment and application can be meaningful and responsible," she said.

She stressed that international dialogue and cooperation are essential in areas such as practical governance, interoperability and risk management, noting the Forum's role in providing "an impartial space" for governments, businesses and experts to exchange views and move from principles to implementation.

Looking ahead, she said the forum's long-standing cooperation with China remains pragmatic and outcome-oriented. As 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the WEF Beijing Representative Office, she said the forum will continue to support constructive exchange between China and the international community.

"Engagement and cooperation are essential to address common challenges and seize opportunities for growth, innovation and resilience," she said.