The China Development Forum (CDF) 2023 started in Beijing on Saturday, drawing together delegates from multinationals, international organizations and renowned scholars to focus on key economic issues.

With a theme of "Economic Recovery: Opportunities and Cooperation," the three-day CDF will highlight opportunities in the Chinese market, stabilization of global industrial chains, and the green transition.

"The world today is in a new period of turbulence and change. While we see multiple challenges and crises intertwined, we should also see that peace and development remain the common aspiration of people around the world," said Zhang Laiming, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council at a press conference on Monday.

Zhang said opportunities and challenges always coexist in the world. "To make good use of opportunities and meet challenges requires sincere and close cooperation."

This year's CDF, featuring "small scale and high level" dialogues, will see heavyweights from the international business community exchange views and discuss major issues concerning the development of China and the world, Fang Jin, vice chairman and secretary-general of the China Development Research Foundation, told China Media Group.

More than 100 overseas representatives will participate in the high-profile forum, covering multinational enterprises in over 10 industries including energy and minerals, finance and insurance, information communication, equipment manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, consumer goods and consulting services.

"We hope that through the exchanges at the CDF this year, we can clearly convey to the rest of the world the progress of China's modernization and its vision for the future, listen to all parties' suggestions on China's reform and development, explore ways to seize development opportunities through cooperation, and boost the confidence and determination of the international business community to develop together with China," Fang told people.com.

The CDF is an annual high-level international conference committed to "engaging with the world for common prosperity." This year at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, it is being held offline for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19.