CDF 2026: Delivering certainty amid global uncertainty

The 2026 China Development Forum (CDF) concluded its annual meeting in Beijing on Monday, with Chinese officials and over 100 global business leaders sending a strong signal of China's commitment to high-quality development and expanded opening-up.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined China's economic trajectory in his keynote address on Sunday, emphasizing "three certainties" China offers the world: direction, concrete actions, and the development environment. He pledged full implementation of national treatment for foreign enterprises, enabling companies from all countries to operate with confidence and achieve ambitious growth in China.

Multinational foreign leaders reinforced their commitment to the Chinese market, framing the market's fierce competition as a catalyst rather than a barrier.

Apple CEO Tim Cook praised China's innovation ecosystem that China and Apple share "a future where technology can be a force for good, uplifting people, enriching their lives, and unlocking a wellspring of human potential." Cook expressed gratitude for Beijing's support of multinationals and emphasized that "we are in an era of immense opportunity," calling for more bridges of communication and cooperation. 

Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume delivered a clear message on the strategic importance of the Chinese market: "Understand competition as an opportunity for companies, for those who will be successful in China, will be successful worldwide." In an interview with CGTN, Blume emphasized that companies viewing competition as an opportunity will thrive in China, and that success translates to global competitiveness. 

Siemens CEO Roland Busch described the forum as "a unique opportunity" to understand China's policy priorities, economic development, and future plans. He noted that long-term participation helps Siemens deepen its understanding of China's development strategy and provides a platform for discussing AI, innovation, sustainable development and industrial transformation. 

Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and professor at Columbia University, highlighted China's innovation clusters as a global growth engine. "This gives China a tremendous impulse and a tremendous contribution to the world economy," he stressed.

Chinese officials, including Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, underscored innovation, green development, and opening-up as strategic priorities for the country's future growth trajectory for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng disclosed plans to deploy over 100 innovation tasks in future industries, focusing on general artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and clean low-carbon hydrogen. 

Against a backdrop of tariff escalations and fragmented trade flows, the forum served as a platform for China to project policy continuity and court foreign capital. The message was clear: China is betting that openness, not isolation, will anchor its next phase of development.