2010-09-15 07:57

Davos forum invites five citizens from host city to join its conference

TIANJIN - As a former Olympic volleyball champion, Li Shan has been able to keep herself calm through many a competition.

But this one has been particularly difficult for her.

Li Shan (middle), former Olympic volleyball champion and citizen representative to the 2010 Summer Davos forum in Tianjin, stands outside the forum's venue with two other citizen representatives, Xu Mengjun (left) and Yin Hong (right) on Monday. [Zhang Wei / China Daily]

About one and a half months ago, Li, 30, signed up with 500 others to compete for one of the five spots reserved for residents from the host city to join the ongoing 2010 Summer Davos economic forum in her hometown of Tianjin.

"I knew little about Davos as it's more related to business and economy, " Li said.

But after three rounds in the selection process involving essays, lectures, interviews and debates, she made her way into the opening ceremony on Monday and the cultural banquet on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, she, along with four other finalists, will enjoy 30 minutes of private conversation with Andre Schneider, managing director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), before she heads to the closing ceremony later in the day.

As she stepped into the conference hall on Monday for the opening ceremony, the excited Li jokingly said: "It's one small step for me, but a great step for human beings."

This is the first time the WEF has invited non-professional city residents to join its three-day summer forum.

A new initiative launched by the WEF in 2007, the Summer Davos takes place annually in China, alternating between the cities of Dalian and Tianjin.

In comparison to the WEF's winter forum for the 1,000 foremost global enterprises held annually in Davos, Switzerland, the Summer Davos caters to fast-growing companies destined to join the ranks of global multinationals in the next five to 10 years.

"I have no strong economic knowledge, and neither do most citizens," Li said. "That's probably one of the reasons I have been chosen to join the forum - I might best represent the city's common people."

Her fame and calm personality also helped, Li said.

"Judges think I'm calm and generous-minded, which are characteristics of Tianjin citizens," said the current volleyball coach.

The other four who won the opportunity to join the forum are professionals in water management, maritime safety, finance and business administration.

"Before I joined the competition, Davos seemed to me like something irrelevant to most people's normal lives," Li said. "But the more I learn about it, the more I see its connection."

For example, Li continued, this year's summer forum is themed "sustainable development", which has in fact become quite a topic among the general public in Tianjin.

"Even when we train in our gymnasium, we always keep the use of air conditioners to a minimum," she said.

As a citizen representative to the forum, Li said she feels obliged to contribute to Tianjin after her experience.

She and the other 24 candidates who made it into the final competition are setting up a city development network.

Every two weeks, they will get together to discuss issues related to the city's development and forward their proposals to the municipal government.

At the moment, Li is looking forward to the 30-minute talk with Schneider, who was once a classical musician in an orchestra.

Li said she will ask him about his career transformation.

But as a representative of the forum's host city, Li regards her most important mission as ensuring the talk goes "Tianjin's way", and that is with humor.

"We Tianjinese may be the most humorous people in China," Li said. "On one hand, Tianjin is located in northern China along the coast of the Bohai Gulf. Its geographic advantage allows people here to live in comfort.

"On the other hand, Tianjin has little chance of surpassing its neighboring city of Beijing, which is only 137 kms away. So we beat it off with humor."

Li also helped the 25 candidates who made the final selection put their signatures on a volleyball, which will be presented as a gift to Schneider.

"We hope our guests can feel our kindness and Tianjin can become the permanent host city of Summer Davos."