Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos and visit Switzerland from January 19 to 22, at the invitation of WEF and the Swiss government. He will attend and address the opening plenary of the annual meeting, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Friday.

The theme of this year's annual meeting is "A Spirit of Dialogue." The world is fraught with uncertainties and instabilities and struggling to find drivers for growth, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Friday at a regular press conference.

"China looks forward to working with all participating parties to increase dialogue and exchanges, pool consensus for cooperation, practice true multilateralism, jointly build an open world economy, strive for global development that is more inclusive, resilient and beneficial for all, and inject more stability and positive energy for the world economy," Guo said.

Amid growing uncertainty in the world, China advocates resolving disputes through dialogue and consensus-building, seeking the "greatest common denominator" in order to deepen cooperation with other countries. Meanwhile, China provides several cooperation platforms for countries from all over the world, especially from the Global South, to promote multilateralism, Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of Forum 50 for Digital-Real Economies Integration, told the Global Times on Friday.

The WEF's Global Risks Report 2026, published on Wednesday, found that geoeconomic confrontation has emerged as the top risk for the year, followed by interstate conflict, extreme weather, societal polarization, and misinformation and disinformation.

"A new competitive order is taking shape as major powers seek to secure their spheres of interest. This shifting landscape, where cooperation looks markedly different than it did yesterday, reflects a pragmatic reality: collaborative approaches and the spirit of dialogue remain essential," according to Borge Brende, President and CEO of WEF, in remarks released on the forum's website.

The foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday that the WEF Annual Meeting is an important platform for discussions on global economic trend and on how to promote cooperation and development, and is known as the "wind vane of the world economy." 

"Our Annual Meeting in Davos will serve as a vital platform for understanding risks and opportunities and for building the bridges needed to address them," Brende said.

This year's theme will bring record numbers of world leaders to the WEF Annual Meeting, including a record 400 top political leaders, nearly 850 of the world's top CEOs and chairs, and almost 100 leading unicorns and technology pioneers, according to a release by the WEF on Tuesday.

Analysts pointed out that China has set an example for the world by demonstrating that disputes can be resolved through dialogue. 

Hu noted that the recent "soft landing" of the China-EU EV case showed that resolving trade disputes through consultation and dialogue remains feasible, setting a positive example for the world.

"This is a much-needed example at a time when the global economy is facing a rising trend of unilateralism and protectionism, marked by high tariffs," Hu said.

Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told the Global Times that China and the EU resolved their EV dispute through constructive bilateral consultations. "This approach stands in clear contrast to the US' frequent use of unilateral, discriminatory measures and tariff threats," he said. 

In terms of China-Switzerland cooperation, the spokesperson stated that while in Switzerland, Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet with President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Guy Parmelin. 

"Over recent years, with the concerted effort of both sides, China-Switzerland relations have achieved comprehensive improvement, practical cooperation has continuously produced new outcomes, negotiations on an upgrade of the free trade agreement have made steady progress, and the two sides have both voiced support for multilateralism and the reform and improvement of global governance," Guo said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership. It is also the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). China-Switzerland cooperation embraces new opportunities, Guo said.

"Chinese Vice Premier's visit will galvanize effort from both sides to further expand cooperation areas and achieve more mutually-beneficial outcomes in the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership," said the spokesperson.