WEF opens as Trump heads to Davos

US PRESIDENT'S ASSERTIVE AGENDA IS SET TO TEST THE FORUM'S PROMISE OF DIALOGUE

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Corporate chiefs and government leaders including US President Donald Trump swarm into Davos, Switzerland this week, joining an elite annual meeting that promotes dialogue and economic progress even as a domineering tone from Washington has upended the global order and billionaires have reaped trillions in new wealth as the poor lag behind.

The World Economic Forum, the think tank whose four-day annual meeting opened yesterday, has a stated motto of “improving the state of the world,” and this year’s theme is “A spirit of dialogue.” One question is whether Trump will speak with attendees — or at them.

What’s on the table?

Nearly 3,000 attendees from the interlinked worlds of business, advocacy and policy will tackle issues including the growing gap between rich and poor; Al’s impact on jobs; concerns about geo-economic conflict; tariffs that have rocked longstanding trade relationships; and an erosion of trust between communities and countries.

“It’s really going to be a discussion at a very important moment ... geopolitics is changing,” said Mirek Dušek, a forum managing director in charge of programming.

“Some people think we’re in a transition. Some people think we’ve already entered a new era. But I think it’s undeniable that you are seeing a more competitive, more contested landscape.”

Trump set to loom large

Trump’s third visit to Davos as president comes as US allies worry about his ambition to take over Greenland, Latin America is grappling with his efforts to reap Venezuela’s oil, and his hardball tactics towards Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell have stirred concern among business leaders and lawmakers alike.