The 2017 World Economic Forum at Davos begins this week. Xi Jingping will be the star attraction and the first Chinese President to attend the global meet. He is expected to be the apostle of globalization as China has been one of its beneficiaries with real incomes across the world rising by 12% during 1980 to 2015. But China has to learn the lesson of responsive and responsible leadership. It should learn the value of collaborative structure. But what is its record? It has violated the UNCLOS mandated international law of the seas to have exclusive position of the South China Sea. It is against India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). And it shows lukewarm interest in the war on terrorism as evidenced by its opposition to UN action against heads off dreadful terrorist organizations like JEM and LET. China showed cavalier unconcerned about Barack Obama’s support of India’s entry into the NSG. It has little interest in global diplomacy and can hardly inspire other countries.
China’s role at Davos is of paramount importance as the new US President Donald Trump is not interested in the globalist spirit of Davos. His chief strategist Steve Bannon has attacked “the party of Davos” for its “Elite Mentality”.