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Tianjin gala boosts chances of hosting next Summer Davos

Updated: 2009-09-11 15:50

A combination of gorgeous lights, beautiful music, delicious wines and local snacks were the backdrop as a group of celebrities from the political and commercial circles gathered for “Tianjin’s Night”, a gala evening and one of the most sensational activities of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos in Dalian, on September 10.

Celebrities from the political and commercial circles gathered for “Tianjin’s Night”.

An eight-minute video shown at the event highlighted Tianjin’s exotic Fifth Avenue, the Haihe River decorated with the Eye of Tianjin and the Binhai New Area to an audience of over 200 people from home and abroad, who later showed great interest in Tianjin’s various aspects, including the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, the economic effects of Haihe River, and the aviation and aerospace industries.

“I’m deeply impressed with Tianjin’s brand new appearances and flourishing development,” said Klaus Schwab, a German economist who is best known as the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. He even expressed the hope in hosting another Summer Davos Meeting in Tianjin.

Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Zhu Min, deputy director of Bank of China, were also astonished at Tianjin’s rapid development and bright future.

“Tianjin’s Night” gala was organized by the Tianjin delegation, which is comprised of 28 enterprise members including Tianjin Port (Group) Co Ltd, Tianjin Tasly Co Ltd, Tianjin Material and Equipment Group Corporation and Tianjin Zhonghuan Electronic Information Group Co Ltd.

The 2009 Summer Davos Meeting opened on September 10 with an address by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and will come to an end on September 12 in the port city of Dalian in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. More than 1,300 industrialists, politicians and thinkers from 86 countries will discuss the conference’s theme of reviving economic growth.

World Economic Forum Profile

The WEF was founded in 1971 as an independent organization committed to improving the state of the world by helping form partnerships to shape global, regional and industrial agendas.

Business members and partners are at the heart of the WEF. Members include 1,000 of the world's foremost companies, encompassing regional market leaders and organizations shaping the future of their industries.

The small Swiss town of Davos hosts the World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual winter summits. China's northeastern port city of Dalian hosted the first, and this week it will be hosting the third Summer Davos meeting. Tianjin hosted the second Summer Davos in 2008.

By Xie Fang