World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab kicks off the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, aka “Summer Davos,” in Dalian, China, saying that economic growth and a more peaceful future will come from embracing innovation and fostering collaboration.
Speaking at the opening plenary alongside the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the prime minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, and People’s Republic of China Premier Li Qiang, Schwab regurgitated parts of his speech from last year’s meeting, praising China for its economic policies while congratulating everyone participating in the event for representing “the most outstanding talents from business, government, academia, and civil society.”
In his very brief opening statement, the unelected globalist founder of the WEF said that the participants must “foster collaboration” in order to drive economic growth and create a more resilient future.
“To drive future economic growth we must embrace innovation and foster collaboration across sectors, regions, nations, and cultures to create a more peaceful, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future,” said Schwab.
“At this critical juncture the active participation of all stakeholders is essential to ensure a sustainable development path,” he added.
“To drive future economic growth we must embrace innovation and foster collaboration across sectors, regions, nations, and cultures to create a more peaceful, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future“
Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, 2024
Schwab also mentioned that technologies coming out of the so-called fourth industrial revolution would make the world a better place.
“We are witnessing rapid technological advances with many opportunities, and with artificial intelligence, rapidly transforming our production and our lives,” he said, adding, “Breakthroughs from the fourth industrial revolution provide new opportunities for global prosperity and growth.”
“Breakthroughs from the fourth industrial revolution provide new opportunities for global prosperity and growth“
Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, 2024
The WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions runs from June 25-27 under the theme “Next Frontiers for Growth.”
At the end of the plenary and after the president, the premier, and the prime minister had all praised their countries’ achievements and ambitions, Schwab returned to the topic of the fourth industrial revolution while revisiting this year’s theme, saying that were “limits to growth.”
“The theme of this annual meeting is ‘Next Frontiers For Growth,’ but actually what we have seen in the presentations there are now Limits to Growth, provided we use technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in a wise manner”
Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, 2024
“Limits to growth” is a nod to the Club of Rome book of the same name published in 1972, and Schwab says that these limits can be overcome by using technologies of the fourth industrial revolution wisely, by taking care of nature, by seeing the green economy as a “great opportunity for humankind,” by exploiting the capabilities of the attendees, and by formulating collaborations between governments and businesses.
The WEF strives to be the “leading global institution for public-private collaboration,” which is the fusion of corporation and state, or corporatism.
“Premier Li took his office this March at China’s National People’s Congress at a critical moment when China adopted new COVID control measures and started to boost economic development, social dynamism, and international cooperation”
Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, 2023
At the opening of last year’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, Schwab praised Premier Li for “opening-up China’s capital market, attracting foreign investment, and innovation, and creating new urban areas to address land scarcity.”
He also thanked China for its “over 40 years of friendly and extensive partnership” with the WEF.
During another session last year, Cornell University professor Eswar Prasad said that “we are at the cusp of physical currency essentially disappearing,” and that programmable Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) could take us to either a better or much darker place where governments could program CBDCs with expiry dates and to restrict undesirable purchases.
“You could have a potentially […] darker world where the government decides that units of central bank money can be used to purchase some things, but not other things that it deems less desirable like say ammunition, or drugs, or pornography, or something of the sort“
Eswar Prasad, WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, 2023
Last month the WEF announced that Schwab will be transitioning from his role as the executive chairman of the forum to become chairman of the board of trustees, which consists of some of the most powerful people on the planet.
Starting next year, the forum’s executive responsibilities will be run by a president and managing board.
The current WEF president is former Norwegian MP Børge Brende. He is also the chair of the managing board.
If Brende keeps his position as president, then he may be the new face and voice of the organization, which has been pivoting “from a convening platform to the leading global institution for public-private collaboration” for almost a decade.
However, executive decisions will not be placed on a single individual but will include a managing board as well.
CORRECTION: The WEF transcript of Klaus Schwab’s speech shows that he did not say “force the collaboration” as previously published on The Sociable, but rather “foster collaboration.”
Image Source: WEF AMNC24 Opening Plenary
