The World Economic Forum, the think tank whose four-day annual meeting opens Tuesday, has a stated motto of “improving the state of the world," and this year's theme is “A spirit of dialogue.”
Nearly 3,000 attendees from the interlinked worlds of business, advocacy and policy will tackle issues including the growing gap between rich and poor; AI's impact on jobs; concerns about geo-economic conflict; tariffs that have rocked longstanding trade relationships; and an erosion of trust between communities and countries.
Trump’s third visit to Davos as president comes as U.S. allies worry about his stated ambition to take over Greenland, Latin America is grappling with his efforts to reap Venezuela's oil, and his open criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerone Powell have stirred concern among business leaders and lawmakers alike.
Trump’s peace-making credentials also will be on the table: An announcement looms about his "Board of Peace" for Gaza, and he and his administration are expected to have bilateral meetings in the warren of side rooms at the Congress Center.
The U.S. leader seems to revel in strolling through the Davos Congress Center and among executives who back his business-minded, money-making approach to politics.
The two likeliest counterweights to Trump’s administration on the international scene — China and the European Union — get top billing on the first day of the event: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will speak Tuesday morning, right before Vice Premier He Lifeng, China’s “economic czar” — as Dušek put it.
