BEIJING/GENEVA (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which this year will dwell on the rising public anger with globalization and the coming U.S. presidency of Donald Trump.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks to Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba (not pictured) during a meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Fred Dufour/Pool

Xi will take centre stage at the Jan. 17-20 forum with China presenting itself as a champion of globalization.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday confirmed Xi’s widely expected attendance at the annual gathering of global political leaders, CEOs and celebrities in the Swiss Alps.

Davos will end just as Trump takes office, having won the White House in part with promises to pull the United States out of international trade deals and hike tariffs against China and Mexico in a protectionist campaign he says will help bring back industries and jobs to America.

WEF executive chairman Klaus Schwab said he expected Xi to show how China would take a “responsive and responsible leadership role” in global affairs at a turning point in history, with the world needing new concepts to face the future.

“Every simplified approach to deal with the complex global agenda is condemned to fail. We cannot have just populist solutions,” Schwab told a news conference in Geneva, referring to the rising anti-globalization tide epitomized by Trump’s victory and Britain’s vote last year to exit the European Union.

The Chinese president will be in Switzerland from Jan. 15-18 for a state visit and to attend the Davos meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing.

He will also visit the United Nations offices in Geneva, and the offices of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, Lu said.

Other global leaders, including WEF regular German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will not be in Davos this year.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was also absent from the line-up published on Tuesday, but there were many presidents, prime ministers and central bankers among the 3,000 participants, along with 1,800 executives from 1,000 companies.

The United States will be represented by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, days before they leave office, and “someone from the transition team representing the new (Trump) administration”, Schwab said.

Xi led a forum of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru in November in vowing to fight protectionism, just days after Trump won the U.S. election having pledged to pull out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

Foreign businesses in China, however, have long complained about a lack of market access and protectionist Chinese policies. These include a Made in China 2025 plan that calls for a progressive increase in domestic components in sectors such as advanced information technology and robotics.</s>BEIJING (Sputnik) – Beijing is ready to communicate with US President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team and does not rule out the possibility of holding a meeting with the team's representatives during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said Wednesday.

"We maintain good relations with the current US President’s team. Concerning the team of the US President-elect, all channels of bilateral communication are open," Li said, adding that China is ready to discuss particular meetings, when asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping was going to meet with the representatives of Trump’s team within the framework of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting on January 17-18.

Li noted that China had scheduled bilateral meetings, but discussion of the particular meetings was ongoing as it was necessary to iron out final details.

On January 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said China intends to promote stable relations with the world's largest countries, including Russia and the United States, in 2017

On December 11, Trump said he would not be bound by the "One China" policy regarding relations with Taiwan. Later in the month, Trump said that he did not exclude the possibility of a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who was going to pay a working visit to the Latin American countries in January with a stop in the United States.

After Chinese Nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong’s Communists, the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949. Since then, Beijing has viewed the self-ruled, democratic island as a breakaway province. The United States, along with many other countries, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and sticks officially to the "One China" position, but has kept informal relations with the island after severing diplomatic ties with it in 1979.</s>President Xi Jinping will become the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as the country seeks a greater role in global affairs.

[BEIJING] President Xi Jinping will become the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as the country seeks a greater role in global affairs.

Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland from January 15-18 and attend the forum's annual meeting alongside billionaires and politicians on January 17, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing.

While in the country, Xi will also visit the offices of the World Health Organization, United Nations and International Olympic Committee.

Chinese executives including Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Dalian Wanda Group chairman Wang Jianlin and Baidu president Zhang Yaqin will accompany the leader.

"This year, because of the size and scale of the China delegation, we have Chinese voices in most of the global discussions," the World Economic Forum's chief China representative David Aikman told Bloomberg News.

China is seeking opportunities to reshape the rules for global trade, anticipating a more isolated United States under President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on the last day of the forum.

Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao attended the Davos meeting in 2016, while Premier Li Keqiang led the country's delegation in 2015.</s>China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum next week, becoming the first Chinese head of state to do so at the annual gathering of business leaders, politicians and cultural icons in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos.

As part of an official visit to Switzerland, Xi will attend and open the annual economic meeting in the ski resort of Davos on January 17, accompanied by the largest delegation of officials from China since the world’s most populous country first participated at the forum nearly four decades ago.

 Xi’s attendance comes as China has sought to be more influential globally and present itself as a force for stability and champion of globalization and opponent of protectionism.

The Davos forum takes place during a week when the United States, home to the world’s largest economy, will be focused on Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration as president.

“We are all aware that we are now in the transition in the world to a multilateral, to a multipolar, geopolitical and geo-economic structure,” World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab told reporters in Geneva today.

“China will equal the United States soon as far as economic power is concerned,” Schwab added, noting a “strong” Chinese business delegation would accompany Xi. “In the spirit of Davos, we want to engage them as much as possible,” he said.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month that China would “lead the way amid a shakeup in global governance, we will take hold of the situation amid international chaos, we will protect our interests amid intense and complex games.”

At the same time, while Xi has promised to make the world’s second-largest economy more competitive and productive by giving market forces a bigger role, reform advocates complain Beijing is failing to reduce the dominance of state companies.

Foreign companies say regulators are trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising fields.

Ministry spokesman Lu Kang says Xi’s January 15-18 trip to Switzerland will also include visits to the offices of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in Geneva,and the International Olympics Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne.

This year’s World Economic Forum, which first took place in 1971 as a business gathering but has expanded to include politics, culture and humanitarian issues, is expected to draw a record 3,000 leaders from government, business and culture.

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Activist Hollywood stars such as Matt Damon and Forest Whitaker are expected to attend along with outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry and outgoing Vice President Joe Biden, long a Davos devotee.

The presidents of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and South Africa also are expected be there, as is British Prime Minister Theresa May.</s>BEIJING: President Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which this year will dwell on the rising public anger with globalisation and the coming U.S. presidency of Donald Trump.

Xi will take centre stage at the Jan. 17-20 forum with China presenting itself as a champion of globalisation.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday confirmed Xi's widely expected attendance at the annual gathering of global political leaders, CEOs and celebrities in the Swiss Alps.

Davos will end just as Trump takes office, having won the White House in part with promises to pull the United States out of international trade deals and hike tariffs against China and Mexico in a protectionist campaign he says will help bring back industries and jobs to America.

WEF executive chairman Klaus Schwab said he expected Xi to show how China would take a "responsive and responsible leadership role" in global affairs at a turning point in history, with the world needing new concepts to face the future.

"Every simplified approach to deal with the complex global agenda is condemned to fail. We cannot have just populist solutions," Schwab told a news conference in Geneva, referring to the rising anti-globalisation tide epitomized by Trump's victory and Britain's vote last year to exit the European Union.

The Chinese president will be in Switzerland from Jan. 15-18 for a state visit and to attend the Davos meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing.

He will also visit the United Nations offices in Geneva, and the offices of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, Lu said.

Other global leaders, including WEF regular German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will not be in Davos this year.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was also absent from the line-up published on Tuesday, but there were many presidents, prime ministers and central bankers among the 3,000 participants, along with 1,800 executives from 1,000 companies.

The United States will be represented by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, days before they leave office, and "someone from the transition team representing the new (Trump) administration", Schwab said.

Xi led a forum of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru in November in vowing to fight protectionism, just days after Trump won the U.S. election having pledged to pull out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

Foreign businesses in China, however, have long complained about a lack of market access and protectionist Chinese policies. These include a Made in China 2025 plan that calls for a progressive increase in domestic components in sectors such as advanced information technology and robotics.

Xi to be first Chinese leader to attend Davos World Economic Forum was posted in Business of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 10, 2017 and was last updated on January 10, 2017. This news story is related to Latest/178137-Xi-to-be-first-Chinese-leader-to-attend-Davos-World-Economic-Forum/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Xi to be first Chinese leader to attend Davos World Economic Forum" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/178137-Xi-to-be-first-Chinese-leader-to-attend-Davos-World-Economic-Forum.</s>China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum next week, becoming the first Chinese head of state to do so.

A spokesman of China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that as part of an official visit to Switzerland, Xi will attend the annual economic meeting in the ski resort of Davos on Jan. 17.

Xi’s attendance comes as China has sought to be more influential globally and present the Asian power as a force for stability and champion of globalization and opponent of protectionism.

Lu Kang, the spokesman, says Xi’s Jan. 15-18 trip to Switzerland will also include visits to the offices of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in Geneva, and the International Olympics Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne.</s>PRESIDENT Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, as the foreign ministry yesterday confirmed his widely-expected attendance at the annual meeting in the Swiss Alps.</s>Xi to be first Chinese president to attend Davos forum

BEIJING (AP) — China's President Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum next week, becoming the first Chinese head of state to do so.

As part of an official visit to Switzerland, Xi will attend the annual economic meeting in the ski resort of Davos on Jan. 17, a foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

Xi's attendance comes as China has sought to be more influential globally and present itself as a force for stability and champion of globalization and opponent of protectionism.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month that China would "lead the way amid a shakeup in global governance, we will take hold of the situation amid international chaos, we will protect our interests amid intense and complex games."

At the same time, while Xi has promised to make the world's second-largest economy more competitive and productive by giving market forces a bigger role, reform advocates complain Beijing is failing to reduce the dominance of state companies. Foreign companies say regulators are trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising fields.

Ministry spokesman Lu Kang says Xi's Jan. 15-18 trip to Switzerland will also include visits to the offices of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in Geneva, and the International Olympics Committee's headquarters in Lausanne.</s>President Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, as the foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed his widely-expected attendance at the annual meeting in the Swiss Alps. This year’s forum is expected to be dominated by debate over public anger with globalisation and the coming presidency of Donald Trump, who won the White House in part with promises to pull the United States out of international trade deals and hike tariffs against China and Mexico.

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Xi Jinping will take centre stage at the gathering of political leaders, CEOs and celebrities which runs from Jan. 17-20, as China presents itself as a champion of globalisation. The president will travel to Switzerland from Jan. 15-18 for a state visit and to attend the Davos meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing.

He will also visit the United Nations offices in Geneva, and the offices of the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, Lu said. He did not give further details about the trip. Other global leaders, including WEF regular German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will not attend the forum. Trump takes office on Jan. 20 just as the WEF meeting closes, but some members of his team are expected to travel to Davos.

Xi Jinping led a forum of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru in November in vowing to fight protectionism, just days after Trump won the US election having pledged to pull out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Foreign businesses in China, however, have long complained about a lack of market access and protectionist Chinese policies, including a Made in China 2025 plan, which calls for a progressive increase in domestic components in sectors such as advanced information technology and robotics.</s>Beijing — President Xi Jinping will become the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the country’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as China seeks a greater role in global affairs.

Xi will pay a state visit to Switzerland from January 15 to 18 and attend the forum’s annual meeting alongside billionaires and politicians on January 17, ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. While in the country, Xi will also visit the offices of the World Health Organisation, the UN, and the International Olympic Committee.

"This year, because of the size and scale of the China delegation, we have Chinese voices in most of the global discussions," the WEF’s chief China representative David Aikman told Bloomberg News.

China is seeking opportunities to reshape the rules for global trade, anticipating a more isolated US under president-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on the last day of the forum.
The foreign ministry of the People's Republic of China confirms that the country's head of state Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year, making him the first President of China to attend the high-profile event.