On April 16, 2018, Wang Zhigang, Minister for Science and Technology, met with a visiting delegation led by Professor Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the close integration of science and technology with economic and social development, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Annual Meeting of the New Champions etc.
Wang Zhigang briefed Professor Schwab on the new plans formulated at the 19th CPC National Congress for building China into an innovative country in the new era and accelerating implementation of an innovation-driven development strategy and on the institutional and functional adjustments at the Ministry of Science and Technology. He pointed out that China now puts STI higher on its agenda and treats innovation as the primary driving force to lead development, a strategic underpinning for development of the modern economic system and an important factor for the Chinese economy to shift from high-speed to high-quality growth. Wang highlighted the importance of international cooperation to STI development. He said that the 19th CPC National Congress called for further open cooperation in innovation capabilities, which is a strategy for China to carry out international S&T cooperation in the new era.
Professor Schwab once again congratulated Minister Wang on assuming office as the Minister and said that Minister Wang’s comprehensive introduction will help WEF to strengthen its cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology at a higher level. Professor Schwab introduced the relevant progress at WEF and its Fourth Industrial Revolution Center newly established in San Francisco, and cordially invited Minister Wang to the 2018 Annual Meeting of the New Champions (“Summer Davos”Forum) to be held in Tianjin. Minister Wang expressed his appreciation of the work done by WEF and said that science and technology will inevitably play a leading role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He also suggested that issues like how to meet social challenges through innovation and innovative talent issues in innovation ecosystem building should be taken into account when preparing the topics for the“Summer Davos”Forum, so as to facilitate in-depth discussions involving government officials and business leaders.
The Attendees at the meeting were Ye Dongbai, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, He Defang, Director General of the Department of Policies, Regulation and Supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Hu Zhijian, President of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development.
【Background】
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is an international organization committed to promoting public-private cooperation. Its predecessor was the European Management Forum founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, currently Chairman of the World Economic Forum and professor at Geneva Business School. In 1987, the European Management Forum was renamed the World Economic Forum. The annual meeting of the Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland from late January to early February. It is also known as the“Davos Forum”.
Participants at the Forum are mainly high-level political and economic leaders, heads of businesses and renowned experts in various countries. The purpose of the Forum is to explore on issues that in the world economy and promote international economic cooperation and exchange. With the change of the international situation, topics of the Forum have gone beyond the economic field to include many bilateral and regional issues. Over the past 10 years or so, all major political, military, security and social events in the world have been discussed in the Forum. In January 2015, the World Economic Forum was officially recognized by the Government of the Swiss Confederation as an international organization whose legal status is equivalent to that of the International Olympic Committee.
