Official to explain China's economy

Liu He, who was elected a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in October, is expected to shed light on trends established by China's economy and the global implications of the country's policies at the annual meeting next week of the World Economic Forum, the Switzerland-based organization said on Tuesday.

David Aikman, the organization's chief representative in China, said Liu will head a Chinese delegation to the gathering from Tuesday through Jan 26 in Davos, Switzerland, a year after President Xi Jinping's "historic" appearance.

Among other global political figures this year, US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have confirmed plans to attend the forum, of which the program, initiatives and projects are focused on Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.

Last January, Xi paid a state visit to Switzerland, delivered a keynote speech at the annual meeting and visited Geneva-based international organizations, calling for an open economy, globalization, free trade and a shared future for mankind.

"Following President Xi's historic attendance last year, Liu He ... will not only share his insights on China's economy ... but also explain the global implication of China's economic policies," Aikman said at a briefing on Tuesday in Beijing. He did not elaborate.

Liu has worked as the top economic policy adviser for China's leadership by heading the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, which is responsible for mapping the country's economic policies.

He will speak at a plenary meeting in Davos, where he is expected to explain the rationale for China's shift to high-quality growth while maintaining a sustainable growth rate, and how it will continue to contribute to global growth this year, some 10 years after the start of the latest global financial crisis.

Meanwhile, Liu is likely to touch on China's determination to continue opening-up and reform policies as the country celebrates the 40th anniversary of the launch of those efforts, which have led the country to become the second-biggest economy in that time.

Regarding Trump's attendance, Aikman said the US leader will not only focus on "America First" policies, but also attend meetings and dialogues. However, due to security reasons, Trump's schedule remains unknown.

Among other officials, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Xiao Yaqing, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, will join Liu at the forum.

Aikman said Chinese business leaders from areas such as energy, infrastructure, financial service and digital economy will join more than 3,000 participants worldwide in shaping the debates and narratives in Davos.

Xu Jinghong, chairman of Beijing-based Tsinghua Holdings Co Ltd, said China's businesses have shown great passion in expanding cooperation worldwide, especially in exploring new growth engines, scientific breakthroughs and innovation development.

Xu said China entered a new era following the 19th CPC National Congress in October and "the potential of development will be greatly released" through various policies being put into place.

"We have found that the World Economic Forum is an ideal platform to engage such partners and deepen discussions and cooperation in the frontier areas," said Xu, whose company is a forum partner.