China's development is on the minds of representatives of well-known think tanks, Fortune 500 companies, and foreign and local governments. Beijing is hosting the two-day Fall Session of the China Development Forum. The focus is on the progress made in the country's reform and opening-up. CGTN reporter Zou Yun looks at highlights of Day One.

A new chapter for China's reform and opening up.

At the opening session of the forum, former World Bank President Robert Zoellick noted his first trip to China was in 1980. He said he's witnessed the country's remarkable achievements in the past four decades with his own eyes. Yet there are challenges coming. And he thinks to continue path of openness is one of the solutions.

ROBERT ZOELLICK FORMER WORLD BANK PRESIDENT "China has benefited from its openness. That's true today, and will be true in the future. More open investment would offer win-win opportunities, better services, and stronger international connections. China can help counter the critics with steps that will support China's own internal reforms. And I hope this openness will also help rebuild US foreign business support by address legitimate concerns."

Trade tensions between China and the US are at the center of discussion.

Many experts said the frictions will not only hurt those 2 countries, but many other countries involved in the global supply chain.

This idea is in line with a previous World Bank report which warned the Trump administration the hit to global trade could be as bad as the 2008 financial crisis.

Former World Bank Chief Economist Justin Lin Yifu said, the economic cooperation between China and US is complementary rather than competitive.

JUSTIN LIN FORMER WORLD BANK CHIEF ECONOMIST "The industrial sectors in China are mostly in the low-medium value-added sectors, and US is in high-valued added sectors. Trade means China will provide low-cost goods to consumer in the US, and low-cost intermediate goods to producer in the US. And China certainly provides market for high-value-added goods and service from the US."

ZOU YUN BEIJING "China is an integral country in the global economic landscape. And the trade friction triggered by a small number of countries won't stop the trend of globalization and multilateralism. But experts say there are concerns for needs for China to address, such as ease the market access for service sector, and improving growth pattern. Or in other words, for China, reform will always be on the way. Zou Yun, CGTN, BJ."