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Sustainable Growth through Innovation: China’s Creative Imperative
Beijing, China 10-11 September
China Business Summit Report
China and the World: Scenarios to 2025
From the meeting:
 Global growth wisdom as China Business Summit 2006 ends
Will digital convergence deliver?
Global Health Initiative launches new partnership to fight TB and AIDS
China: trading its way into the global community
Balancing energy and environmental needs
Vice Premier: China will refrain from administrative controls of the economy
China is choosing innovation over imported technologies
Monday 11 September
Global growth wisdom as China Business Summit 2006 ends
At the closing session of the World Economic Forum’s China Business Summit 2006, four corporate chiefs hailed the arrival of global, high-growth companies from China and offered aspiring international players advice on how to succeed. “What China has done is unique,” said Maurice Lévy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe, France; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Co-Chair of the China Business Summit 2006. “Imagine what will happen when they have the skills, are able to build great brand innovation, and own intellectual property rights. This is the future of China.”
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Will digital convergence deliver?
CEOs of leading telecommunications and content companies have warned that unless digital convergence fulfils people’s everyday needs, it will not reach its potential in China. Matt Bross, Group Chief Technology Officer, BT, said, “the challenge is to drive convergence in such a way that it can actually change lives. Innovation that does not do this, is not really innovation.”
An optimistic note was sounded by Maurice Lévy, Chairman, Publicis Group, France, who predicted, “in the year 2009, the merged internet will be the second largest media, after television, in China.” He went on to say that the opportunities provided by convergence were still untapped and echoed Mr Bross by saying, “it is important to start with the consumer as convergence will only work if people are using convergence.”
Wang Jianzhou, Chief Executive, China Mobile Communications Corporation, People’s Republic of China, reminded participants that there was a danger of a digital divide opening up in China. “We have to allow the remote rural areas to be covered by the mobile network. This is seamless coverage,” he said.
Session summary
Global Health Initiative launches new partnership to fight TB and AIDS
A new public-private partnership to address TB and AIDS in China was launched today by the Global Health Initiative of the World Economic Forum. The China Health Alliance is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together select companies, the Chinese government, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations in a joint effort to respond to the growing economic and social threat of AIDS and tuberculosis in China.
“Protecting employees from ravages of HIV/AIDS and TB is the right thing to do for any employer and also makes sound economic sense,” said Ken Lacey, Global Managing Partner for Health and Life Sciences, Accenture – one of the founding companies of the China Health Alliance.
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Sunday 10 September
China: trading its way into the global community
Increasing trade ties at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level will enhance China’s participation in the global economy, agreed panellists in a session devoted to trade at the China Business Summit.
Trade experts from Egypt, India and China discussed the importance of China’s role in restarting the Doha round, providing new trading options for other developing countries and driving international economic growth.
They stressed the need for not only free trade among nations, but also fair trade that operates by an established set of rules. Kapil Sibal, Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences of India, summarized this, pointing to China’s energy partnerships. “These partnerships show the global community that China is prepared by the rules of the game.”
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Balancing energy and environmental needs
“Energy and the environment are two sides of the same coin,” said Pan Yue, Vice-Minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration, People's Republic of China. He reported that as China’s GDP has increased at a rate around 10% annually, its energy consumption and profitability losses due to pollution have also risen at a corresponding rate. “Local governments want to focus on increasing GDP and, in doing so, favour vested local interests, such as factories,” Pan continued, “that may also be polluters.”
“China should do something for the world, and not just serve national – but global – interests,” concurred C. S. Kiang, Chairman, Peking University Environment Fund, Peking University, People's Republic of China. In addition to governmental and corporate accountability, Kiang urged participants and panel members to consider the role small and medium size enterprises must play in environmental protection.
The private sector can positively influence China’s energy sector, urged Winfried Vahland, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volkswagen Group China, People's Republic of China. “Environmental sustainability is important to us,” he said, citing Volkswagen’s opening of energy-efficient plants in China, as well as continuing research in new generation engines.
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Vice Premier: China will refrain from administrative controls of the economy
Zeng Peiyan, Vice-Premier of the People’s Republic of China, welcomed China Business Summit participants to Beijing on the opening day of the meeting. In his Special Address he outlined China’s strategies for running the economy, saying that “we will refrain from adopting administrative means in exerting control, but instead use economic means.”
Touching on the theme of trade disputes, the Vice-Premier said that, when trade relations are handled properly, “mutual benefits and increased development are possible for all parties.”
Referring to China’s reliance on foreign technologies, the Vice-Premier promised that, “we will make great developments in developing technologies…and enhance scientific research.”
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China is choosing innovation over imported technologies
The Co-chairs of the China Business Summit have set requirements for the equal and environmentally-sound development of China over the coming years. Over the course of the two day meeting participants will focus on how to achieve sustainable growth through innovation.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, Vice-Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission, People’s Republic of China, said, “we have to increase our ability in the use of advanced technologies, in the way of protecting intellectual property rights.” However, he said, this would require a switch from industrial development to development based on scientific progress.
“The share of exports to GDP is very high,” declared Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge, India. He advised that, “a strategic shift is required to be made to increase the participation of the domestic market in the development of GDP.”
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Co-Chairs
Chen Yuan, Governor, China Development Bank, People's Republic of China
Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge, India
Maurice Levy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Group, France
Liu Changle, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix Satellite Television Co., Hong Kong, SAR
Wang Jianzhou, Group President, China Mobile Communications Corporation, People's Republic of China
Yang Yuanqing, Chairman, Lenovo Group, People's Republic of China
For more information, please contact china@weforum.org
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