Premier Li Unveils ‘China Opportunity 2.0’ at Summer Davos
Chinese Premier Li Qiang unveiled a sweeping “China Opportunity 2.0” vision at the 2026 Summer Davos Forum in Dalian on Wednesday, calling for global innovation cooperation and reaffirming China’s commitment to economic openness despite rising international volatility. Addressing approximately 1,800 delegates from over 90 countries and regions, Li delivered a three-part address emphasizing China’s economic resilience, innovation-driven growth, and the necessity of global cooperation in tackling shared challenges.
Context: A Forum for Scaling Innovation
The 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, known as the Summer Davos Forum, was held from June 23 to 25 at the Dalian International Conference Center in Liaoning Province. Themed “Scaling Innovation,” the forum brought together heads of state and government from Bangladesh, Guinea, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia, and Montenegro, alongside business leaders and academics from around the world. According to Caixin Global, the event served as a platform for China to project confidence in its economic trajectory amid global headwinds.
Key Developments: Li’s Three-Part Address
Premier Li structured his opening plenary address around three core themes. First, he highlighted that 2026 — the inaugural year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan — is off to a strong start, characterized by what he described as “stability, innovation, vitality, and integration.” As Xinhua reported, Li emphasized that innovation-driven development is the key to China’s long-term economic resilience and steady growth.
Second, Li articulated the “China Opportunity 2.0” concept, arguing that China’s emerging technologies and products bring the world “not impact but opportunity, not threat but empowerment.” According to the World Economic Forum, Li stated: “I believe innovation that truly transforms and benefits the world must always open up to and embrace the world. In this new landscape, only through stronger cooperation can we generate more breakthroughs and only through stronger cooperation can we rise to the diverse risks and challenges before us.”
Third, Li pledged that China would further expand market access, continue creating a first-class business environment, fully implement the removal of foreign investment restrictions in manufacturing, and steadily expand institutional opening-up. “No matter how the international winds and clouds may change, the door to China’s opening-up will only open wider,” he said, as reported by Caixin Global.
Economic Data Underscores China’s Innovation Momentum
The Premier’s remarks were backed by compelling economic data. China’s GDP grew 5% in the first quarter of 2026. In May, high-tech manufacturing value-added output surged over 15% year-on-year, and industrial robot monthly production exceeded 100,000 units for the first time. Green product exports — including lithium batteries and wind power equipment — grew approximately 40% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026.
Research and development spending has grown 10% annually over the past five years, with corporate R&D now accounting for roughly 80% of the total. In 2025 alone, 14,000 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in China’s scientific research and technology services sectors, up 27.2% year-on-year, according to Chinese government sources.
Analysis: From ‘Point Breakthroughs’ to ‘Scaled Innovation’
A recurring theme at the forum was China’s transition from isolated technological breakthroughs to widespread, scalable innovation. Liu Minghua, CEO of Deloitte China, observed that “China’s innovation is moving from ‘point breakthroughs’ to ‘scaled innovation.’ More and more cutting-edge technologies, relying on the vast industrial ecosystem and rich application scenarios, are rapidly transforming into real productivity,” as reported by Xinhua.
Federico Torti, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains at the World Economic Forum, noted that “China’s advantage lies in its ability to combine large-scale industrial capacity with a dense innovation ecosystem. New technologies can be rapidly tested, optimized, and scaled in real manufacturing environments.”
Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, told Xinhua that “many countries around the world are deploying AI, but China’s development results are particularly outstanding, and the speed is astonishing.”
Implications for Global Investors
Premier Li’s “China Opportunity 2.0” framing represents a deliberate effort to counter narratives about China’s economic slowdown and investment risks, positioning China as a stable partner amid global volatility. The pledge to remove manufacturing FDI restrictions signals continued economic liberalization despite ongoing geopolitical tensions with the United States and its allies.
Yuen Yuen Ang, Chandler Chair of Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University, told Xinhua that “to cope with normalized uncertainty, one must adhere to long-termism. China’s advance布局 in clean energy is a case in point.” Xue Lan, Dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, drew an analogy for AI implementation: “It’s like first building roads, then gas stations, then traffic rules — accelerating the implementation of AI technology requires both hardware like data centers and software like regulatory rules.”
What’s Next
As the 15th Five-Year Plan unfolds, the forum served as an international platform to showcase China’s priorities in AI, advanced manufacturing, and new energy sectors. Key questions remain: Can China sustain its innovation momentum amid domestic economic challenges including weak consumer demand and property sector issues? Will foreign firms increase R&D investment in China given the geopolitical risks? And how will the “China Opportunity 2.0” narrative translate into concrete policy changes for foreign investors?
The Summer Davos Forum concluded on June 25 with sessions on US-China relations and the 15th Five-Year Plan, leaving attendees with a clear message from Beijing: China is open for business, and its innovation story is just beginning.