Xi Jinping to be first Chinese president to attend Davos World Economic Forum

President Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which this year will dwell on the rising public anger with globalisation and the coming U.S. presidency of Donald Trump.

Xi will take centre stage at the Jan. 17-20 forum with China presenting itself as a champion of globalisation.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday confirmed Xi’s widely expected attendance at the annual gathering of global political leaders, CEOs and celebrities in the Swiss Alps.

Davos will end just as Trump takes office, having won the White House in part with promises to pull the United States out of international trade deals and hike tariffs against China and Mexico in a protectionist campaign he says will help bring back industries and jobs to America.

WEF executive chairman Klaus Schwab said he expected Xi to show how China would take a “responsive and responsible leadership role” in global affairs at a turning point in history, with the world needing new concepts to face the future.

“Every simplified approach to deal with the complex global agenda is condemned to fail. We cannot have just populist solutions,” Schwab told a news conference in Geneva, referring to the rising anti-globalisation tide epitomized by Trump’s victory and Britain’s vote last year to exit the European Union.