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Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, on the 24th. / Courtesy of Xinhua News Agency

Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned against the risks of artificial intelligence while emphasizing that innovation-driven cooperation is an inevitable choice to overcome challenges to global growth. According to a report by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 24th, Premier Li delivered this message during his opening ceremony speech at the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, held in Dalian, Liaoning Province, stating that while the pace of technological progress is unprecedentedly fast, its potential to become uncontrollable has also significantly increased.

"The interconnectedness of innovation is deepening, yet various barriers and constraints are also on the rise," he emphasized, subsequently proposing the establishment of closer cooperation and joint governance in advanced technology sectors, including AI.

In particular, he stressed that science and technology must be utilized for the benefit of humanity, asserting that no single nation or corporation can monopolize everything amid the new wave of scientific revolution and industrial transformation.

He also introduced this year as the inaugural year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), evaluating that despite increasingly volatile international dynamics, the Chinese economy has gotten off to a strong start, characterized by stability, innovation, vitality, and integration.

Addressing the business leaders attending the forum, Premier Li urged them to fulfill their roles, noting that corporations are the main drivers of innovation. He encouraged them to become pioneers of innovative creation and practitioners of win-win cooperation, while promising that China will further expand market access and foster a world-class business environment, inviting them to remain partners in the Chinese market.

According to sources, Premier Li also directly refuted claims that the technological competitiveness of China's major strategic industries, such as AI and electric vehicles, is merely the result of government subsidies.

The Summer Davos is widely known as an event established in 2007, hosted annually by China alternating between Dalian and Tianjin in Liaoning Province, aimed at leading discussions on the global economy and international issues.

The opening ceremony was attended by approximately 1,800 political and business leaders from around the world, including South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, as well as the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Montenegro, and Guinea.

                                                                                                           Hong Soon-do