1970-01-01 08:33:29
Lu Mai, Secretary General of the China Development Research Foundation
The China Development Forum 2009 successfully came to an end receiving favorable comments from various parties. To date, this forum has been held 10 times and was initially inspired by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The China Development Forum is different from the WEF in terms of meeting format. Through speaking with domestic and foreign entrepreneurs, experts and officials, the forum organizer realized there was a need for a forum with fewer participants, and targeted, specialized and focused discussion topics. The WEF, on the other hand, is on a much larger scale, convening several thousand participants each time. Therefore, the China Development Forum aims to be on a "small scale and high level."
The number of participants at this year's China Development Forum increased noticeably. Some entrepreneurs did not attend the WEF, and instead came to China. Such individuals included HSBC Holdings PLC's Group Chairman Stephen Green, Caterpillar Chairman James Owens and Hitachi President Kazuo Furukawa. Moreover, all the entrepreneurs invited to this forum attended the forum for two whole days. Because they were looking forward to finding opportunities in China through this occasion, they sat intently listening to the speeches and actively took part in discussions. The forum is an ideal place for networking since it is held in China and high-ranking Chinese officials are present.
Presidents of some companies attended this high-level forum for the first time, such as Scott Carson, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Doug DeVos, President of the Amway Corporation, and Pierre Beaudoin, President and CEO of Bombardier Inc.
What kind of signal does this send? I feel that both developing countries and developed countries have rather high expectations for China's steady and relatively rapid growth. Amid the international financial crisis, China hopes to convey confidence to the world through this forum, and the world should also be confident in China.
During the 2001 forum, Shi Guangsheng gave a speech saying that China's development was inseparable from the development of the world and the development of the world was inseparable from China. At that time, the audience accepted the former half of his statement but the latter half was not as well received. During the 2005 forum, when Bo Xilai said that the US and China were the two important engines for world economic development, he had stated a truth, and it was easy for everyone to accept it. During the 2009 forum, both Shi and Bo's statements were further verified. The entrepreneurs and foreign experts who attended the forum have very high expectations for China's economic growth. They hope that China will maintain its rapid growth and further increase investment.
Why does China interest them so much? Well, if China maintains its rapid growth, the whole world will benefit from it. From "China and the world being mutually inseparable" to "the two engines," and then to "the expectation of high growth of China's economy," it has become noticeable that China's economy has indeed elevated its position in the global economy. At the same time however, we need to be aware that China is still a developing country, and it cannot overestimate its role.
Another highpoint of the forum was when Premier Wen Jiabao met with foreign representatives towards the end. Speaking of Premier Wen, there is one detail worth mentioning regarding his opening address at the first forum. At that time due to our inexperience, there was no rostrum set up at the venue, so we asked Premier Wen to remain seated while speaking on the presiding platform, but he stood up and insisted on standing during the address to show his respect for the audience. This small detail has inspired the improvement in the arrangement of future forums so to allow everyone an equal opportunity for exchange.
By People's Daily Online