Summary
On 24 June 2026, Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 17th Summer Davos Forum, sharing China's economic development story under the theme 'Scale-driven Innovation'. Li Qiang summarised China's economic start with four words: 'stable, new, vibrant, and integrated'. China's GDP grew 5% in the first quarter and maintained good momentum in the first half of the year.
New technologies such as commercial aerospace, quantum information, and artificial intelligence are emerging, with daily token calls reaching hundreds of trillions (leading globally). Service consumption and smart products are growing significantly, with daily express deliveries exceeding 550 million (more than the total of other countries). China has implemented zero tariffs for 63 countries, import growth in the first five months reached 20.5% (second globally), and held 'Export to China' events.
Li Qiang emphasised that innovation-driven development is key to China's long-term economic health, noting that China's R&D investment grew at an average annual rate of 10% during the 14th Five-Year Plan (second globally), basic research funding exceeded 7% of total R&D (a historic high), and about 7 million graduates in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are produced annually. He proposed that innovation cooperation is the inevitable choice to solve global growth difficulties, opposed 'building walls and barriers', called for building an open world economy, and pledged to expand market access and implement national treatment for foreign firms. Foreign companies set up 14,000 new technology research and service enterprises in China in 2025, up 27.2% year-on-year.
Li Qiang finally expressed hope that entrepreneurs would become innovation leaders, win-win cooperation practitioners, and development partners of China.
Commentary
Premier Li Qiang's address at the Summer Davos Forum sends a clear signal: China persists in opening up and innovation-driven development. What does this mean for New Zealand SMEs? First, import growth of 20.5% and zero-tariff policy covering 63 countries create broader market space for NZ agricultural products, dairy products, meat and other exports.
In particular, the 'Export to China' series of events may provide low-threshold channels for small and medium brands. However, note that China's indigenous innovative products (e.g. smart devices, new energy) are rising rapidly, and competition will intensify. Second, Li Qiang emphasised 'innovation dividends'.
NZ companies can leverage Chinese R&D centres and industrial clusters (e.g. Shenzhen Robot Valley) for technical cooperation rather than just being raw material suppliers. For example, NZ's innovative tech SMEs (e.g. agritech, food processing) can link into Chinese supply chains to achieve 'from made in China to created in China'. But caution is needed on technical standard differences and intellectual property protection; though China is advancing related reforms, practical operation still requires care.
NZ businesses are advised to focus on platforms like the China International Import Expo and review their brand differentiation to avoid pure price competition. Looking ahead, China's demand for high-quality consumer goods will continue to grow, but models reliant on government subsidies are not viable; enterprises should concentrate on product innovation and localised customisation.
Keywords: Li Qiang, Summer Davos Forum, innovation, Chinese economy, open cooperation, stable, new, vibrant, integrated, high-quality development, R&D investment, import growth, foreign enterprises
Summary in Chinese | 摘要
2026年6月24日，中国国务院总理李强在第十七届夏季达沃斯论坛开幕式上发表致辞，围绕“规模化创新”主题，分享中国经济发展故事。李强以“稳、新、活、融”概括中国经济开局态势：一季度GDP增速5%，上半年保持良好运行；商业航天、量子信息、人工智能等新技术涌现，日均词元调用量达数百万亿（全球领先）；服务消费、智能产品增长显著，日快递量超5.5亿件（超过其他国家总和）；中国已对63国实施零关税，前5个月进口增速20.5%（全球第二），并举办“出口中国”活动。李强强调创新驱动是中国经济长期向好的关键，指出中国研发投入“十四五”年均增长10%（全球第二），基础研究经费占比超7%（历史新高），每年培养理工农医类毕业生约700万人。
他提出创新合作是破解全球增长困境的必然选择，反对“筑墙设垒”，呼吁建设开放型世界经济，并承诺中国扩大市场准入、落实外资国民待遇。外国企业2025年在华科技研究和技术服务领域新设外资企业1.4万家（同比增长27.2%）。李强最后希望企业家做创新引领者、合作共赢践行者、中国发展同行者。
Commentary in Chinese | 评论
李强总理在夏季达沃斯论坛的致辞释放了明确信号：中国坚持扩大开放和创新驱动，这对新西兰中小企业意味着什么？首先，进口增长20.5%和零关税政策覆盖63国，为新西兰农产品、乳制品、肉类等出口创造了更广阔的市场空间。特别是“出口中国”系列活动，可能为中小品牌提供低门槛的渠道。
但需注意，中国本土创新产品（如智能设备、新能源）正快速崛起，竞争将加剧。其次，李强强调“创新红利”，新西兰企业可借助中国研发中心、产业集群（如深圳机器人谷）进行技术合作，而非仅做原材料供应商。例如，新西兰的科技创新型中小企业（如农业科技、食品加工）可对接中国产业链，实现“从在中国生产到在中国创造”。
但需警惕技术标准差异和知识产权保护，虽然中国在推进相关改革，实际操作仍需谨慎。建议新西兰企业关注中国进口博览会等平台，同时审视自身品牌差异化，避免单纯价格竞争。展望看，中国对高质量消费品的需求将持续增长，但依赖政府补贴的模式不可行，企业应聚焦产品创新和本土化定制。
关键词: 李强, 夏季达沃斯论坛, 创新, 中国经济, 开放合作, 稳新活融, 高质量发展, 研发投入, 进口增长, 外资企业